"Dear Dot: Just in the inter=
ests
of accuracy, the talk by James Wolfensohn was significantly mis-cited. It is
represented as being given in 2004, and Wolfensohn is credited with prescie=
nce.
But the actual site shows that the talk was delivered in January of this ye=
ar.
He is referenced as giving a talk at Stanford in 2004, but it is not includ=
ed
among the speeches on his website at the Bank, so it is not clear that he s=
aid
the same things in 2004, or that the earlier talk was accessed. As any
journalist knows, it is important to get the facts right. Just wanted to br=
ing
this to your attention."
In response to this thoughtful mi=
ssive,
we issued a statement to the reader acknowledging the error, which was the
result of a lack of due diligence. Also, we are creating a corrections and
updates column as a venue to publish errors and oversights and provide upda=
tes
on ongoing issues.
We would be remiss in not address=
ing
the tenor of the negative responses. Some of the adjectives used were downr=
ight
insulting and do not bear repeating. Besides demanding that they be removed
from our listing, these angry readers called me anti-Semitic, a charge I
categorically deny.
There is nothing anti-Semitic in
stating facts. Ironically, none of those issuing this ugly charge offered a=
ny
evidence to back up the claim; they just made it and closed the door to any
future dialogue.
By no means shy about my views when it comes to religion, I, as a rule, esc=
hew
the organized variety. Product of a Southern Baptist upbringing, granddaugh=
ter
of a Missionary Baptist preacher, whose daughter, my mother, stopped attend=
ing
Sunday service because "the church was full of sinners," her words
not mine, I took my mother's advice and guidance on the topic of religion to
heart. As a spiritual being, I do not require organized religion to praise =
my
God. No preacher is better than me at transmitting a prayer and seeking
forgiveness for a transgression. No church building is necessary, because my
God is in me; I take Him wherever I go, as He is my witness.
I am neither for nor against any
religion. I view organized religion like any other business. In the case of
Jews, the rich and powerful ones control US mainstream media, dictate =
US
Middle East policy and run Wall Street and just happen to intersect my worl=
d in
all the wrong places while conducting their business. Consequently, I reser=
ve
the right and duty to object to their predatory practices. However, doing s=
o does
not make me anti-Semitic.
![](3D"Corrections_and_Updates_files/image001.gif")
Update
2010
&=
nbsp;
![](3D"Corrections_and_Updates_files/image001.jpg")
Bishop Eddie Long apparently has a
great deal of support from members of the New Birth Missionary Baptist<=
/st1:PlaceName>
Church. A new billb=
oard
of Long has appeared in Atlant=
a,
with the words "Love Like Him, Live Like Him, Lead Like Him." Som=
e in
the community have interpreted these to be the words of Jesus, but others a=
re
wondering if another message is being sent by the supporters of Bishop Eddie
Long.
On
one hand, we could easily argue that those who've built this ill-timed
billboard are most certainly talking about Jesus with their words. The prob=
lem,
however, is that they don't have a picture of Jesus next to the words. Inst=
ead,
there is a picture of Bishop Eddie Long. If Long's supporters were trying to
communicate the words of Jesus, they should probably have considered includ=
ing
a picture of the person to whom they were referring.
In
business school, we teach a concept called "co-branding." Now, I'=
m no
marketing expert, but simply put, co-branding is effectively the act of
strengthening one's brand name by connecting it with another. For example,
there is a reason that Nike pays LeBron James millions of dollars every yea=
r.
By associating their brand with his name and face, they are elevating the v=
alue
of their own product.
The same is true when connecting a disgraced public figure like Bishop Eddie
Long with the name of Jesus. Jesus is probably the most valuable brand in t=
he
history of the world - as perfect, pristine and respected as you can get. S=
o,
by using Jesus' words and putting them next to the face of Bishop Eddie Lon=
g,
his supporters expect that they are scoring a public relations touchdown. <=
o:p>
What's
most sad about this billboard is that there are many people who will be foo=
led
by it. The deep commitment that many Americans have to God and Jesus can
sometimes be utilized by those with malevolent objectives. I can't say for =
sure
if Eddie Long is the person behind the billboard or whether he's guilty of =
the
terrible actions for which he's being accused. What I can say, though, is t=
hat
in the event that a person in the pulpit may be doing harm to our children,=
we
cannot allow our commitment to a higher power to make us both blind and
ignorant.