What More Does Jeremiah Wright Want?

Now comes Jeremiah Wright, speaking at the National Press Club. Fox News has the transcript.

Most of what he says I can agree with. Reconciliation is sorely needed in our country. But it's hard for me to read Wright's words and think that he's really trying to foster reconciliation:

What I said about and what I think about and what — again, until I can’t — until racism and slavery are confessed and asked for forgiveness — have we asked the Japanese to forgive us? We have never as a country, the policymakers — in fact, Clinton almost got in trouble because he almost apologized at Gorialan (ph). We have never apologized as a country.

Britain has apologized to Africans, but this country’s leaders have refused to apologize. So until that apology comes, I’m not going to keep stepping on your foot and asking you, “Does this hurt? Do you forgive me for stepping on your foot?” if I’m still stepping on your foot.

Understand that? Capiche?

Christian/Western civilization is unique: it holds that each individual has such intrinsic worth that it is worth fighting and dying to extirpate bondage and slavery. The British Navy was the most effective anti-slavery institution in history.

Closer to home, maybe the Reverend Wright should re-read Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address:

One-eighth of the whole population were colored slaves, not distributed generally over the Union, but localized in the southern part of it. These slaves constituted a peculiar and powerful interest. All knew that this interest was somehow the cause of the war.

[....]

Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said "the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether."

Not only did Lincoln apologize for slavery, the nation paid for it in blood. Over 360,000 Union soldiers died and 280,000 more were wounded in the American Civil War fighting to free the Negro slaves.

What more does Jeremiah Wright want as an apology?