In "Dreams from My Father," Obama talks of attending the "Audacity of Hope Sermon" (pages 292-293). There is an audio book in Obama's own voice reading this passage. Obama hears Wright speak of Hiroshima and Sharpeville as examples of acts of injustice. A personal aside: My dad, a former Marine, served as a cook in a segregated unit and was stationed on the island of Guam in anticipation of the invasion of Japan. The invasion never occurred because of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which military historians believe saved at least 1 million lives.

What is Sharpeville? In 1960, the South African apartheid government shot down unarmed protestors, killing 69 black men, women and children. Most of the dead were shot in the back, and nearly 200 more were wounded.

Obama felt no sense of outrage to hear Hiroshima and Sharpeville mentioned in the same breath. Indeed, he was so inspired by the sermon that he uses the sermon's title -- "Audacity of Hope" -- for his second book, and as the theme of his campaign!

In "Dreams," Obama tells of how he met Wright. Obama made an appointment at Wright's church to meet the pastor. Wright was late. While waiting, Obama spoke with Wright's assistant, a single mom whose husband had just died. She told Obama that she intended to leave Chicago and move to the suburbs to escape the violence. She also wanted her son to attend a better school. Her son, she said, wanted to join a band, and his school didn't have one. His future school had a band and free uniforms (pages 280-284). "'He's always wanted to be in a band,' she said softly" (page 281). When Obama told Wright of his assistant's plans, Wright said he tried to talk her out of it. Why? Wright argued that the boy "won't have a clue about where, or who, he is"?! Obama joined the church.

Next week, more about Obama, including Bill Ayers, Iraq, ACORN and the financial crisis.