During tonight's debate on MSNBC, Barack Obama was asked if he would reject outright the endorsement and support of Louis Farrakhan. He initially tiptoed around the issue, saying only that he denounces Louis Farrakhan and the statements he's made concerning the Jewish community. Only when backed into a corner by Senator Clinton, would he go on record as rejecting Farrakhan's support. The difference between denouncing and rejecting might not seem clear to Senator Obama, but there is a
distinct difference:
de·nounce
1. to condemn or censure openly or publicly: to denounce a politician as morally corrupt.
2. to make a formal accusation against, as to the police or in a court.
re·ject
1. to refuse to have, take, recognize, etc.: to reject the offer of a better job.
2. to refuse to grant (a request, demand, etc.).
3. to refuse to accept (someone or something); rebuff: The other children rejected him. The publisher rejected the author's latest novel.
4. to discard as useless or unsatisfactory: The mind rejects painful memories.
5. to cast out or eject; vomit.
6. to cast out or off.
Unfortunately, Senator Obama has another recent example of denouncing, but not rejecting, another controversial public figure's support. And anyone who's been following this campaign knows exactly who I'm talking about.
Donnie McClurkin
That's right, Donnie "I prayed away the gay" McClurkin. Anyone who doesn't know the details about Senator Obama and Donnie McClurkin, here's the short version. Senator Obama held a campaign rally in South Carolina in which he had invited several gospel singers to perform. The headliner of the evening was to be Donnie McClurkin, a public figure despised in the gay community because of his positions on "reparative therapy" and "curing" homosexuality. He has also called homosexuality a "choice", and a "curse".
Gay activists were appalled and rightly asked Mr. Obama to cancel his appearance at his campaign event. Mr. Obama
refused, but instead issued a statement saying that he strongly disagrees with Mr. McClurkin's views. This is what it means to
denounce, but not
reject. If he
rejected Mr. McClurkin's views, he would have never allowed Mr. McClurkin to set foot on that stage on his behalf. He even tried to explain away his decision not to back down, by saying that the only way to heal divisions was to bring people of opposing views together. How very quaint. So how many times has Senator Obama asked a white supremacist to headline one of his campaign events? He's bringing opposing views together... right? How many times has he asked a neo Nazi?
You can't, on the one hand, denounce a person's egregious positions regarding an entire community, yet on the other hand, legitimize those positions by allowing them to highlight a campaign event on your behalf. By rejecting Donnie McClurkin's positions, and not allowing him to appear at his event, Senator Obama would have set a clear example that divisive hate speech and homophobia would not be tolerated. He would have backed up his talk with action. But he chose not to take that path.
It's one thing to issue statements denouncing the hateful, destructive positions and statements of controversial figures or groups, but it's another thing entirely to reject them out of hand, and you shouldn't have your arm twisted to do so.
