Thanks ((Wisewoman, Pachyderm, Nowheretorun, and Court Knee)). Talking about racism can be very uncomfortable, especially for those who have the option to walk away. I appreciate you having the courage to speak with me about this.

I was very upset by the harsh condemnation of Obama's minister. What he said may have been shocking to some, but the anger he was reflecting was the anger of people who've been treated very poorly and denied the "American Dream." His church doesn't turn away "miscreants." They are valued as much as the wealthy professionals who attend, and he acknowledges their pain. Personally, I think it's a good idea - maybe someone in the congregation with strong moral fiber can also reach them and show them the way to success in a clean way.

My son has a friend who was wrongfully convicted of rape/murder, along with a few of his friends. They were teenagers at the time, but were tried as adults and sentenced to death. They spent 15 YEARS isolated on death row until some law students started looking into their case and set them free. They won a civil lawsuit, but these innocent teenagers had to spend their most formative years locked up with REAL criminals.

The friend of mine I spoke of who was fighting for his life on a ventilator survived his ordeal, despite being beaten into a coma and run over by a squad car. Once he was released from the hospital, he was charged with "resisting arrest." The police deemed his treatment as using acceptable force. Oh really - tire tracks on his legs are acceptable? He was the most mild mannered man I knew. The whole ordeal traumatized and infuriated his wife - it also placed a tremendous financial burden on the family as he was the breadwinner and they had young children.

Wouldn't you be angry if things like this happened to you, your child or your friends on a regular basis? Wouldn't you understand if these people felt an urge to curse those in charge?

I don't condone the cursing either, but geesh, a person sometimes has to vent their anger and pain. In this country of free speech, a person should be allowed to do so. Then maybe we can start on healing these wounds. We can't ignore them forever. If we do, we'll only continue to repeat our mistakes.

The people I know who hold this bitter anger/pain are well aware "war" or "fighting fire with fire" isn't the answer. The only way to heal this pain is to find a way to come together without having to amputate any limbs. We need each other. As they say, "united we stand, divided we fall."

Thanks again, everyone, for allowing me to vent and hearing my pain.