Let me be up front. I have never been a fan of Jesse Jackson. I appreciated the movement he tried to create, but always was leery of the man himself. I was viewed with some suspicion by some of my white liberal friends because I didn't jump on the Jesse Jackson bandwagon, but the truth is he creeped me out.
The first chance I had to directly observe Jesse Jackson in action was when then bishop Desmond Tutu came to speak at UC San Diego where I was a student. This was back when Tutu had to be very careful what he said or he might join Mandela in prison. His speech was amazing, and had the main message that too often America put itself on the wrong side...and for once we should do the right thing, back the right horse.
Through the entire event, Jesse Jackson was there, often pushing himself to the forefront and hogging the spotlight. I found his presence irritated me, and this despite all the good things I had heard about him from fellow liberals. And it seemed to me, though I may have just been projecting, that Tutu himself seemed to look a bit askance at Jackson.
Years later I had the opportunity to hear Nelson Mandela, newly released from prison, speak to a full house at the LA Coliseum. The standing ovation he received moved him, and many of us, to tears.
Once again, through the entire event, Jesse Jackson was there, pushing himself to the forefront and hogging the spotlight. With Tutu it seemed merely disrespectful. With Nelson Mandela it seemed down right unacceptable for Jesse Jackson to be acting that way.
But I chalked it all up to a personal suspicion I have of preachers, whatever religion or race. I feel they are trying to sell me something. While I have no problem with your average rabbi, bishop, monk (Christian or Buddhist), etc. I find preachers to be sort of the used car salesmen of religion. That was particularly the case with Jesse Jackson.
Truth is Jackson was an important leader. He was the first black leader in my experience who could inspire many whites. And even if he was hogging the spotlight, he was instrumental in helping many civil rights leaders in America and abroad. He has also been instrumental in some very difficult negotiations with foreign nations in a capacity similar to what Jimmy Carter and Bill Richardson have excelled in. I appreciate what Jackson has tried to do, but I have never liked the man.
Years later, people who were far more on the inside of civil rights and anti-Apartheid politics in America than I ever was told me many black leaders had a similar view of Jesse Jackson that I did. I was told that South African leaders have distanced themselves from Jackson for some of the very reasons I describe above. Jesse Jackson, though without a doubt a major civil rights leader, is also a self-centered, egotistical opportunist. Okay, big surprise. Combine a preacher and a politician and perhaps that is hard to avoid.
I think Jesse Jackson reveals his true, rather ugly self, when he feels no one is listening. His "hymietown" comment was only peripheral to my awareness at the time as I was living in California and had little interest in New York. I also already was aware that you can't always trust what is said in the media, since I very clearly saw discrepancies between the reality in Latin America and the media reports that mostly spouted Reagan propaganda that proved largely false in the end. But at a bare minimum it sure seemed like Jackson was using some really bad judgement making such a statement in any situation where he might be overheard. Furthermore, he compounded the problem by at first denying he said it (a lie) and accusing Jews of conspiring to defeat him. It was a glimpse of an ugly side to Jesse Jackson.
Now we have some truly ugly comments made, again when he thought no one was listening, about Barack Obama. I couldn't help remembering the Jesse Jackson I had seen years ago seemingly trying to steal the spotlight from Nelson Mandela at one of Mandela's greatest and most moving moments. I can't help but think Jesse Jackson is angry and vindictive because HE had wanted to accomplish what Obama is accomplishing. But Obama and Jackson are very different people. Both can be amazingly inspirational and both are, without a doubt, ambitious men. But Jackson always seemed to want to emphasize his own importance by diminishing those around him. Obama never diminishes anyone. His strength is in making all around him feel uplifted and important alongside him. Jackson was never able to do that.
Jesse Jackson: sometimes you should just shut up. The torch has passed from you to a new generation and you should look with pride at this new generation, one that you helped shape. Your petty comments are what diminish you, not anything said or done by Barack Obama.
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