Jesse Jackson, embroiled in a new furor, has been here before

Now many people have had comments regarding the recent Jesse Jackson comments and I for one have been one of them. Regardless of how you feel about Jesse and how you feel about Obama, his comments were harsh to some degree and right in another. However the question of whether Jesse is relevant is poor for anyone to ask as if Jesse is less of a person. While Jesse Jackson probably isn't the black voice for the black people as he used to be, he is still a significant and key person to where we as African Americans have come from. Jesse has done some good things in his life and some things that I do not agree with. Nonetheless, I refuse to allow the news media to tear down this man or any African American figure just because they make comments they don't agree with.

Jesse's comments have gotten more air play and more talk from all types of press and it kills me for so many people to be mad at Jesse for simply speaking his mind. I applaud Jesse for having an opinion because like many of us, we all have opinions about Jesse and Obama with some being harsher than Jesse's comments about Obama. Now in Jesse's case, he got caught saying it publicly but that's what's wrong with us as a people, Jesse is not running for office and does not plan to run for any more political offices so his words about Obama are real and uncut. While many of us talking in our private circles 17 months ago about whether Obama was black enough or Hillary was feminist enough, we never once had the guts to say to our co-workers and others how we truly felt about the candidates.

Also many of us go to work every day not liking our co-worker or our boss and we never want to say how we truly feel about certain subjects at work because of fear of being talked about and lambasted just as Jesse is being done by not only the white press but the black press. Jesse apologized for his comments and that is all a man can do. Don't get mad at Jesse for simply speaking his mind. Regardless if it was ego or not, I want to point that at least Jesse apologized for his comments before it did more harm than the press really wanted it to do. That's why I hope that we all understand that regardless of our differences, don't feed into the none sense of our press who wants to divide us as people.

Jesse Jackson said how he felt and got caught but he did not do any harm to Barack Obama's candidacy and he still supports Obama's candidacy and that is the main thing. Is Jesse significant in the black community any more? Does Jesse's words resonate with black people especially the Obama generation? Those are the questions that many news outlets were asking and those are the things that we should have been discussing whether than discussing Jesse's comments. Jesse's comments were simply his opinion concerning how he felt about Obama. Jesse didn't use any foul language, only some harsh words to describe his frustration with Obama regarding how he was speaking to black people.

Let Jesse's comments rest and let's move forward and challenge the news media on the way they portray certain stories compared to others. That's where the real discussion should be.

Other Comments by Others on the Jesse Matter:
Hey all, I just wanted to know what you guys thought about Jesse Jackson's comments on Barack. (For conversational purposes only, I value the opinion of those in this group) For those who don't know what he said "Barack Obama has been talking down to a lot of Black people....faith based, I just want to cut his nuts off"......whoa. ...That's what Jesse Jackson practically said for more or less but read more about it by googling it.What do you guys think?

To be quite honest, I don't agree with Jesse Jackson on a lot of things but let's face it, Obama has been doing the same dog and pony show lately. First he gives a speech in a black church about absentee fathers on Father's Day. While the speech was aimed toward all Father's, the media ran it as a speech about absentee black fathers. Everyone knows that the pulpit in the black community has been used to motivate and turn out the black vote. Thus Obama's showing up at the church on father's day and giving the speech he gave was all political and campaigning. You can go to Obama's website and look at all his speeches since 2004 and you can't find one that he has given on previously Father Day's about the same topic.

Second he recently gave a speech this week in a large African American community about education and how black kids need to stay in school and how they need to stop with all the hype of believing they will be the next Little Wayne or Kobe. While Obama's statements are true, I believe his image is being targeted toward one race when he gives these type of statements when statistics in America show that more African Americans are going to college than ever before and are graduated from high school and college at higher rates than whites. While the statistics can be misleading since African Americans are the minority and whites are the majority but the real issue is that Obama's message on the issues needs to be targeted toward all Americans.

His message on absentee fathers is an American problem because just as recently as the week before he gave his speech a research study was released that can be found in a blog I wrote: http://essenceofpolitics.blogspot.com/2008/06/obamas-beat-up-on-black-males-fans-old.html that shows that black fathers are more connected in the home than white fathers. Thus although black fathers don't stay in the same home as their child, the research shows that when put in the same category against white fathers, black fathers keep in touch with their kids far better than white fathers. Thus all I am saying Jesse's comments about cutting his nuts off were too much but the issue about talking down to black people is what Obama has been doing since he started running. Him and Hillary were scared to really speak out more against Jena 6 while Edwards constantly talked about. Hillary and Obama both vaguely talked Hurricane Katrina while Edwards has been lobbying for Katrina since it happened and has been hundreds of trips to New Orleans to rebuild homes and corridors in Louisiana.

I'm not proclaiming Jesse is the spokesman for black people like I'm not proclaiming Obama as the spokesman because neither grew up in the times that we face today and are doing anything about it. Just like at Chicago. If any of you watch WGN news than you see practically everyday another youth being shot and killed in Chicago especially on the Southside. So for those of you who believe the hype that what Jesse said was out of line that I can see where you are coming from but not all of what Jesse said is out of line.Will Jesse's comments hurt Obama no. Will they help Obama no but what many blacks should do is not just give their vote to one party but we should make the political parties earn our vote. Why have we voted Democratic all these years when they have delivered virtually nothing for the African American community. I'm not saying Republicans are our friend either but at least we should think about having the Democratic Party court our vote like they go after the white collar vote or Latino vote.

We as African Americans are still the major minority for now and we need to position ourselves in that way. Michael Jordan said it best, both Democrats and Republicans buy my shoes. Therefore we as African Americans need to understand that both Democrats and Republicans vote on the bills that affect the black community and all of America but we are the only race that hasn't figured out how to play the middle against the end. Clearly Obama is moving to the center so why can't we as all Africans Americans move to the center so that the Democratic Party will stop taking our vote for granted and so that our black politicians on the local and state levels as well as U.S. Congressional races stop taking our votes for granted but they actually produce results that make a significant difference.

Our economy isn't bad because of Republicans but because of both parties. Food prices, gas prices and mortgage foreclosures are all problems that both Democrats and Republicans must address but is the real issue that we as African Americans need to discuss not what Jesse Jackson said about Obama because everyone is entitled to their opinion so let Jesse have he's.

--Hodari P.T. Brown

I would like for everyone to think about this. What if this whole thing is just a way for Obama to reintroduce himself to the white community? What if Jesse did this on purpose? How would this effect the black vote and how would it impact the white vote? I have come to the conclusion that maybe this is a political move.

I am going to take you back to the whole Reverend Wright situation. Remember when the media first caught a glimpse of Wright's speeches. Obama did not denounce him, he instead gave this magnificent speech on race and our American culture. The media criticized him, and the white community grew further away from him. Then just when you think all is well and is gone, the Reverend appears again, only this time he says something so absurd that Obama doesn't have a choice but to repudiate him.

Now the white community is happy, but they are still weary, and again he vanishes. Obama understands that if he wants to win America he has to win the white vote, so now we have this hypersensitive Obama who tackles the black community in a way that is appealing to whites but is it enough. It is not enough and he realizes that he has to make it appear as if he is not just biased towards blacks needs, so here comes Jesse Jackson.

Now think of this, Jesse has been in this situation before, I think in 1984, he called New York City “Hymietown" while speaking to a reporter off the record. Now twenty something years later he does it again. My guess is Jesse is a very intelligent man, smart enough to not make the same mistake twice, but he does. So we have this situation where Jesse, who is a known African American figure and advocate of Black rights speaks against Barack Obama. This is astounding to some whites. Now they feel a connection with Obama, he is someone who they could possibly trust to reflect their views, and most of all he is not as black as they thought he was. Obama wins. Obama wins the black and white vote while simultaneouslyppealing to the black and white community. --Female Activist 1

The argument you propose has been made. I'm a sort of conspiracy theorist so I don't think anything is impossible. But the Reverend Wright speech was made before Obama was running for office, and somehow reappeared while the primaries were happening. Jesse Jacksons comments might have been intentional, but I dont think the white community is so distant they believe Jesse Jackson speaks for black America. His statements although wrong, do not carry any weight, hell half the black community pays him no attention. I say that to say, if this was calculated, I think they should have chosen a more credible person whose opinion is valued outside the black community, to make it seem real. At first glance, It looks like Jesse Jackson said what he meant and meant what he said. He has nothing to lose, but then again, like some are saying, is exactly why he was the right person for the "job"?--Female Activist 2

I am not talking about the speeches themselves, I am talking about when Reverend Wright gave an national interview and stated that Obama expresses the same views as he does. That was something that until that point that Reverend Wright had never stated. More so, why would he make a statement like that and just disappear? It makes zero sense.

You are correct Jesse Jackson doesn't hold much respect in the black community, but it is not important that blacks believe or respect him but it is imperative that whites do. When whites think of Jesse they think of black activist, and when blacks think of him they think of washed up advocate. Jesse is the perfect candidate. He can make a comment and piss the black community off, but not repel them from Obama and at the same time draw attention to the whole issue of Obama being too black.

Female Activist 1

I think it's funny how history repeats itself. Jesse Jackson didn't win the Presidency in the 80's because of him running his mouth, and now in 2008 he's messing up relationships with a Presidential candidate for the same reason. Personally, I feel like Jesse Jackson has been undermining the intelligence of Americans, black and white, for far too long. That comment Jesse Jackson made wasn't about Obama, it was about his footing with Black americans. During the campaign, there's going to be nothing that Barack Obama nor John McCain can do that will not be misconstrued as strategy. What Obama has said in his speeches was right. Fathers need to do better, period.

Barack Obama, in my opinion, has done a good job in speaking to all nationalities. There was no murmurs about him targeting his audience when he announced his candidacy... well none besides the fact that the media was saying he wasn't "Black enough." Now, he's talking to Black people, getting in Black churches and in front of Black peoples faces and he needs to talk to everyone again. The man can't win.

As far as the Jena 6 thing goes, it's good that John Edwards said something in defense of it. But mentioning the Jena 6 for a candidate is like only treating a runny nose when you have a cold: it's only addressing symptoms. The real problem, racially, is systematic and institutional racism. While the crime committed by those children was not as haneous as the punishment might have suggested, they did commit a crime. That problem isnt solved by sending buses of college students and your favorite rapper to Jena, La. That problem is solved at the gubernatorial level forcing states to be fair on their sentencing across the board.

As an independent and thinking man, you know I very much appreciated this: "Why have we voted Democratic all these years when they have delivered virtually nothing for the African American community[?] " It's a good question. while Republicans were the majority choice of the African American population until the 1960's and 1970's, Democrats were the ones who tried to keep schools separated in the 50's. How soon we forget. It's important to not let your vote be fleeced by either party. A vote is an investment, decide carefully where you want to spend your next 4-8 years so that you get the best return. --By Mr. Man

References:

Jackson apologizes for 'crude' Obama remarks http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/07/09/jesse.jackson.comment/?iref=mpstoryview

Jackson Apologizes for Obama Remarks http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/09/jackson-apologizes-for-obama-remarks/?hp