This might make you squirm

Imagine the consternation at the end of the 15th century when a man announced, “The earth is round.” Surely people thought Christopher Columbus was out of his mind, even though Columbus backed up his theory with what he considered to be persuasive facts.

Over the centuries people became a little more worldly in their views, but we still remain more comfortable trusting what we’re already familiar with. Many, for instance, were dubious about electricity,or indoor plumbing as a way to deal with human waste, and downright skeptical when aviators in the mid 20th century proposed flying faster than the speed of sound – yet logic persuaded pioneers to step beyond what they knew. Trust that the early adopters of indoor toilets were scoffed at by friends and relatives alike, because not all of us are persuaded by the same arguments.

In fact, if we were all persuaded by the same lines of reasoning we’d not have the diverse, often amusing, assortment of advertising that assaults us daily with messages and spin, be it about the benefits of a dish-washing detergent or a military incursion in Iraq. Persuasion is an art, practiced by politicians, car salesmen, children who prefer recreation over homework, and at times even bloggers.

You know I’m leading you somewhere, but before I get there I’ve got another point to make, just to be sure it’s echoing in your consciousness when I get where I’m going:

Anybody can be made to look the fool by snatching pieces from their life out of context. This is exhibited for us almost daily, as clever detractors string together moments of clumsiness from Gerald Ford’s life, or malapropisms from George Bush’s speeches. Those of us who have engaged in public speaking know how hard it is, even if we enjoy it, so it is not surprising to see gaffes. Yet people revel in those “gotcha” moments because they remind us that the subject is, in fact, as human as we are. We particularly delight, it seems, in seeing celebrities and politicians squirming when they get off-script and candidly reveal that the mighty are not entirely perfect.

So what is it about Dr. Jeremiah Wright’s current difficulties that make them so exceptionally interesting to people, other than the fact that Hannity & Colmes and their ilk can use it to drive ratings? Obviously it’s a two for one deal. Wright, taken out of context, can be made not only to look like a foolish zealot himself. His confident assurance that the world is not flat also impugns the logic and character of another, much more prominent man, who has come to seem larger than life to many – particularly his detractors. So, by skewering Wright’s conclusion while ignoring the logic he used to get there aspersions are cast on Senator Barack Obama as well.

The narrative humanizes Obama. It delights many of his opponents, though Senator McCain has already expressed confidence that the views of Wright are not those of Senator Obama (as documented here.) Yet how many have listened to even one complete sermon by Reverend Wright? So here’s where you get to squirm.

My assertion is that you have no right to judge if you are relying on sound bites and the rhetoric of commentators. Everybody knows there’s slant, bias, tilt, spin, or whatever term you prefer in reporting this story – to deny that is to render your opinion hopelessly ill-informed by definition. So I dare you to listen to twelve minutes of Dr. Jeremiah Wright as he leads those at his church along the path of his logic. Excerpts about Senator Clinton from this very sermon could point out what divides us, because Wright describes that along the way – but his message is not scary, or anti-American, it’s hopeful. He is arguing for a better future, as a man who was born when white people in this country routinely practiced color-based discrimination, as a man who has seen progress but knows we have a long way to go.

I offer you that sermon. The video quality is poor, but the message is in Jeremiah Wright’s words. He does take people outside their comfort zone, as most religious preachers do. His frank discussion of the realities of discrimination in the U.S.A. does not make him a racist, it makes him a brave man.

So tell me – why do you believe the earth is round?