Pastor Manning: White people, stop feeling gulity

Although I disagree with most of Harlem pastor JD Manning's "sermon," his key word is dialogue. Yes, we need a frank, open, and respectful dialogue in America about race. But when we sit around with our white/black buddies complaining about other races, that is not a dialogue, it is a monologue. When talking heads and pundits, like Rush Limbaugh or Al Sharpton, speak about race without representation from a different point of view, that is a monologue. Nor do two opposing monologues sailing past one another make a dialogue. For a courtroom analogy, take the plaintiff and defendent's opening and closing arguments: sure, both sides get a chance to air their views, but there is no sincere interaction, much less a desire for such, only choreographed opposition.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I daresay few of you yearn to stand in front of a large all white/black audience and give them this speech: "Let me tell you what's wrong with you people." If you do, I give you credit for having the biggest brass ones in America. There is nothing in the law preventing you from doing this; you should go ahead and organize it.

I'm all for racial dialogue, but it should not be conducted in such terms: "I'm an angry white/black guy and I want the freedom to complain, in my racial isolation, about other races without being called a racist." Well, I'm sorry, that is racist. Maybe nobody will find out about it, but let's call a spade a spade. And what's worse, it is not going to improve race relations one bit, as some race monologists claim.

What really irks some people is that they cannot make negative racial generalities in public without suffering social condemnation and stigma. Nobody can promise you freedom from the social consequences of your words. "You can't be worried about popular opinion," pastor Manning said. If you're not worried what people think about you, then by all means, go out there and preach the White/Black Man's Truth. As he said, "Stop walking on egg shells." Go out and tell some white/black people what you really think of them and their race. There is nothing in the law preventing you. I will stand in awe of your courage!

Reality check: if something you say to somebody, man to man, will likely earn you a punch in the face, it is probably not a respectful -- or wise -- thing to say.

P.S. -- Pastor Manning had the freedom and audacity to call Obama's mother "white trash who brought this devil in the world." He called First Lady Michelle Obama "ugly" before apologizing. He called Oprah Winfrey, Obama, and Rev. Wright the Trinity of Hell. (I can maybe agree with him about Oprah, but that's another discussion....) If that's the kind of refreshing and reasonable dialogue you want, then by all means, go out there an imitate him.

Pastor Manning has been interviewed by FOXNews, Michael Savage, Howard Stern, CBS, and I don't know how many other media outlets, plus he has dozens of diatribes on YouTube, so obviously his radical views -- just as radical as Rev. Jeremiah Wright's -- are getting wide exposure. Freedom of speech is alive and well.