Great post, Ryan! The Langston Hughes poem is excellent - a great summary of the heart of the issue.

One question: I wonder why you refer to America (as Empire and homeland) as a SHE? I know you are picking up on John's language about Babylon, but.... why?

I think it's important to note in all these discussions about the other, newer Jeremiah's patriotism is the fact that Wright spent six years of his life, during a war no less, serving in the US military - which is any Empire's most important manifestation of loyalty - while the folks now running our country, like Dick Cheney, obtained deferment after deferment to not have to show that loyalty in the imperial language. As pacifists, you and I might not like that form of loyalty, but I think it's pretty hypocritical of anyone to discount Wright's patriotism when he made the commitment an Empire most desires of its citizens.

It gets me wondering - what would 'upstanding citizens' have thought about the older Jeremiah's patriotism? Would they have proof-texted his sermons and writings in order to spin slander against him? Probably - I guess that might be the Empire's innate defense mechanism. But it's a bummer we're still needing the same prophetic voices, from Jeremiah the Ancient to Jeremiah the Wright to Ryan the Dowellish Baum.