I am a 70-year-old white male and I’m mad (re: “Black anger and the pulpit,” Erin A. Kaplan, March 20). I have been supporting Barack Obama’s candidacy first and foremost because of his opposition to the Iraq fiasco. His race was an added bonus, to me, because it showed the progress Americans have made in accepting a candidate based on qualifications. I’m not so sure now, his laudable speech notwithstanding.
Ms. Kaplan’s sweeping generalizations about “white people” cannot be commented upon in this limited format. A few points: I don’t really know how angry Reverend Wright is. I do believe he found a niche to exploit. I don’t approve of that kind of negative exploitation, no matter where it comes from.
Speaking of nuance, I found grains of truth in some of the reverend’s sermon; that said, the last thing we need is Reverend Wright’s brand of hate mongering, no matter which race, ethnicity or religion it comes from.
ó Walt Knapp
Salisbury