Yesterday US President Barack Obama did indeed travel to Charleston, South Carolina to deliver the eulogy for his colleague and subordinate the Reverend Clementa Pinckney.
Obviously in the original script was intended as an opportunity for Obama to rail against the racism of his Republican opponents and rally support for the Black Lives Matter movement (BLM). After all their support has been draining away in light of the Rachel Dolezel fraud revelations. In fact I'm pretty sure the only reason the HQ of ABC News haven't been firebombed in revenge for breaking the story is that the subtly was lost on most people.
Failing that I half-expected Obama to engage in what I term "Projection Bingo." Essentially this is when he makes statements that sound like they're supportive of the movement but actually reveal guilt at the way that the movement has conducted itself. Prime examples being; "This happens too much," "We cannot carry on like this" and "We need a change in attitude." After all if Lynch, Mosby, Pierson et al don't pull their necks in soon heads are going to have to roll.
Obama actually crumpled completely and seemed to be worrying if America but black America in particular were finally ready to reject him for plotting such an atrocity. So for example he talked about the gunman being guided by a higher power which in the context of a Church service could be interpreted as a reference to God or a higher political power like a President. On the issue of the Democrat's (Confederate) battle flag Obama was keen to make clear that the flag had not caused what had happened. Obama then paid lip-service to all the demands of the movement such as concerns over housing and employment. In a desperate attempt to fit in at one point Obama even burst into song.
Sadly Obama couldn't resist exploiting the occasion to call for more gun control. By that he of course means removing guns that are held legally in predominately white, low crime areas. One of the main objectives of the BLM movement has of course been to do away with the stop and frisk policy that helps remove illegally held guns from predominately black, high crime areas.
The main theme of Obama's speech though was the hymn "Amazing Grace" written by white, English slave trader John Newton in 1779 in celebration of God saving his slave ship from wreck. Despite this it has long been appropriated by America's black community as part of their culture. Normally this wouldn't be an issue but with many black Americans responding to the Charleston shooting demanding to know what white culture has ever done for them before singing that hymn it takes on a certain irony.
By referencing the hymn so heavily Obama somewhat unintentionally touched on the main ideological difference between Catholic and Protestant Christians. Essentially Catholics believe that God sent Moses and Jesus to Earth to lay out a set of rules to live by. If you fail to follow those rules you will be punished by being denied God's grace when you die. You can though make up for mis-deeds by admitting to them and making restitution (penance). Protestants don't bother with any of that believing that they can behave as badly as they like on Earth and won't be punished because God has anointed them with his grace simply for believing in him. This is probably why Newton, as a slave trader, decided to convert from Catholicism to Protestantism.
This ideological difference also seems to be the fundamental problem with the BLM movement. The US Justice system lays down a set of rules that we all have to follow. If we choose to break those rules we be punished although not as harshly if we own up and try to make restitution. You kind of get the impression that supporters of Trayvon Martin, Micheal Brown, Eric Garner, Walter Scott etc feel that they can behave as babdly as they like without being punished because they have been anointed with this slightly darker coloured skin.
Perhaps getting muddled up by his Protestant hymns Obama also touched on "Jerusalem." With lyrics about not letting your sword rest in you hand until you have imposed your will on the entire nation I've always felt that this bordered on a call to jihad.
The hymn traditionally sung at this type of colour funeral though is "Abide With Me" although Obama clearly didn't want to push his luck.
17:40 on 27/6/15 (UK date).
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