On matters of reality we attribute differing views as opinion when it comes to ice cream flavors. On matters of religion, family, country, identity, and life, we attribute views different than ours as threatening, ignorant, or psychotic. The following perspective will no doubt rattle people who have decided Wright is wrong. If this is you, I challenge you to be a little rattled.
“[Reverend] Wright’s offensive opinions and inflammatory appearances are judged differently (than John Hagee, Pat Robertson and Billy Graham). He doesn’t fire a shot in anger, put a noose around anyone’s neck, call for insurrection, or plant a bomb in a church with children in Sunday school. What he does is to speak his mind in a language and style that unsettles some people, and says some things so outlandish and ill-advised that he finally leaves Obama no choice but to end their friendship. We are often exposed to the corroding acid of the politics of personal destruction, but I’ve never seen anything like this — this wrenching break between pastor and parishioner — before our very eyes. Both men no doubt will carry the grief to their graves. All the rest of us should hang our heads in shame for letting it come to this in America, where the gluttony of the non-stop media grinder consumes us all and prevents an honest conversation on race. It is the price we are paying for failing to heed the great historian Jacob Burckhardt, who said “beware the terrible simplifiers.”
As Vice President his attitude was all about acting a role that would support his boss Bill Clinton. But being Vice President was never Mr. Gore’s mission. As his party’s nominee for President his attitude was focused on serving the party. But being the party nominee for President was not Al’s mission. His attitude of humility and dignity served his divided country after the Supreme Court ruled George W. Bush would become the next President. But being an honorable loser was not Al’s mission. The reason why Mr. Gore’s attitude during the campaign eight years ago was so often stiff, awkward, and mechanical is he was trying to play a part in someone else’s mission.
Mr. Gore finally found passion when he decided to focus on his own mission to save the planet. He designated himself as P.R. guy for the planet and suddenly his attitude looked good on him. In the first high-profile role in which he played himself, Al Gore has become a global star.
Real passion needs a personal mission. Without mission our attitude serves situations out of convenience. Committing to our mission is always inconvenient but it is required if we hope to discover our potential.
Recent talk of Mr. Gore somehow solving the Democratic presidential primary dilemma is nonsense. Mr. Gore’s mission is bigger than President of the United States. This time, he intends to save the world and he believes he can.
Conceivably Mr. Gore could play a role in this situation and become the nominee again. But he would lose because becoming President is not his mission. That Al is bigger than the Democratic Party may be an inconvenient truth for some Democrats. Perhaps they could learn from Al. What if they chose, inconveniently of course, to focus on a mission instead of trying on various attitudes to fit all these situations? I cannot cast blame. I have my own mission to face.
Meanwhile, here is Leslie Stahl’s 60 Minutes interview (just over 13 minutes) where you might enjoy a clip of Mr. Gore in his best role ever - the role of being Al Gore.
_________________________