The Chicago Tribune headline says it all. "Did Jackson call Obama 'White' on Jena 6?" the paper asks. It doesn't lead with the latest news on the Jena 6 students or the civil rights march through the town. It doesn't highlight what Barack Obama said about this issue or update his standing in the race for the Democratic ticket.
No. The headline is all about Jesse Jackson. The article that follows has Jesse Jackson in its opening and, in 10 paragraphs, cites Jackson by name nine times.
The controversy, of course, concerns whether or not Jackson said Obama was "acting like he's white" in his comments and with his approach to Jena 6. According to various news sources, Jackson says he doesn't recall making the statement...but he doesn't deny that he did. And that, at least in my opinion, is a problem.
In a matter of moments, the spotlight moved to Jesse Jackson. In the blink of an eye, attention was deflected from the Jena 6.
What bugs me about this is that Jesse Jackson is a talented orator. His ability to turn a phrase is legendary. His prowess with the English language is exceptional. His vocabulary is huge.
If he doesn't agree with Obama's approach then, by all means, he should say it. But guess what? He can come up with something better than "acting like he's white."
Senator Obama deserves that.
The Jena 6 deserve that.
The thousands of people marching, writing, calling and demanding action deserve that.
And, frankly, Jesse Jackson's legacy deserves that too.
At least that's my opinion.
Jan
Jan Thomas
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