Dr. Cornel West has been a source of inspiration, a well of truth, and a symbol of democracy to me since learning about him on the Tavis Smiley show (broadcast on WDET in Detroit, not here in Portland…apparently there is no audience for intelligent and insightful African-American centered shows here…).  I have learned more about Dr. West over the last few years and have read essays and books written by him as well as sought out his commentaries via the internet.  What this man has to say about our country, our liberties, our leaders, and Christianity is always derivative of deep thought and substance.  Cornel West is a patriot in every facet of the term.  Please take some time and read this article on Alternet from which the following quote is lifted:

Many of the Constantinian Christians are working people being pushed to the wall, who will not see that the very elites they defer to promote policies that are doing them in, doing their children in. You hear a lot of people these days say, “Well, I don’t really like either candidate, but I‘ll vote for Bush because he’s a Christian.” I say, “What do you mean by Christian?”

Do you mean someone who spouts pious platitudes and still crushes the poor with policies in which Leave No Child Behind is a slogan, but you withdraw the funds? One who talks about how important fighting for the nation is, but we have a fighting force disproportionately working class, disproportionately black and brown. 48% of the women in the US Army are black women, though they’re only 6% of the population.

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