The loss of a few million bucks last year may have lost Jesse Jackson his red-marble enclosed West Los Angeles Rainbow/PUSH offices. The loss may have been responsible for his organization's move into a brown brick building in a modest neighborhood more dominated by the downtrodden brothers he claims to represent. But never let it be said that Mr. Jackson doesn't have the hardcore audacity and willingness to continually humiliate himself despite karmatic hints the size of houses being dropped on his head.
You just gotta hand it to the man. He doesn't know when to shut up.
And you've gotta hand it to our American culture as it is today, because we just seem to eat his shenanigans up. That this man can still be even considered influential - much less actually be influential - is pretty good evidence to me in favor of arguments of modern moral de-evolution.
Jackson has been exposed in full as a fraud, a liar, an adulterer, an extortionist, a thief, and a bigoted drama queen who, if he had white skin, would probably have remained on the Hate Hunters Hit Lists for a lot longer than he did after that "Hymietown" crack.
Witness even our president, considered one of Black America's Greatest Enemies (to hear it from Jackson, heard the man lately?), bending over backwards to send ambassadors to Rainbow/PUSH's Wall Street Project. Outrageous that a president from the party that purports to be friendly to business feels his Administration would have anything to gain as far as corporate insight from the bloviations of a shakedown artist and his toadies. Like we don't have enough trouble cleaning up ethics in government as it is.
When considering a reason why even conservatives who voted for Bush accept this pandering as a necessary homage to diversity for partisan political viability, I can't decide which is worse - either they've been brainwashed by the "diversity over unity" argument, or they've plain exchanged their consciences to become part of a political collective. Those who once called to hold feet to the fire now approach, snarling and snapping at criticism, yet their tails firmly between their legs.
What happened to rugged individualism? Is this the "diversity" freedom-loving Americans care to embrace, defined as submission to the demands of profiteers whose sole purpose in life is to use their race to prop up themselves and their hoodlums in wealth and power through thought policing and extortion?
And while I'm thinking about it, how did this "Rainbow" jive come into his mini-Mafia's moniker? Every representative I've ever seen from the "Rainbow Coalition" has two things in common - black and believing that people they don't even know are indebted to them and should be ready to pay up.
And don't be fooled...you have to be "really" black to be on this Reverend's Sugar List. Those black Americans who call him to task for his reprehensible con-artist tactics and misbehavior ill becoming a man who calls himself "Reverend" aren't "really" black and are subject to Mr. Jackson's thuggish styles of retribution against those who have strayed off his plantation. And apologies aren't enough, brother. You'd better be prepared to pay up or show up or shut up or edit your movie or whatever else Master Jackson commands.
JESSE PETERSON - A RAINBOW OF HOPE, A PUSH IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
One of Jesse Jackson's former admirers and followers had arranged on Martin Luther King Day, for the fourth year in a row, a rally to coincide with the black American icon's birthday. As it had been three years running, it was entitled National Day of Repudiation of Jesse Jackson, and as always, was sponsored by Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny (B.O.N.D.). Jesse Lee Peterson, president of the organization, was once a very angry man, the type that reveled in the rhetoric of Jesse Jackson and Louis Farrakhan, inspired by their rage and the destiny they promised him as an aware and angry black man.
How he became the man he is today, publicly rebuking Jesse Jackson and others he calls "problem profiteers", is detailed in his book From Rage to Responsibility, which I highly recommend to all. He pulls no punches in his book about his opinions, his experiences, or even about himself.
For all the pulpit-pounding by the PC Police about "diversity", the gathering before the Rainbow/PUSH office in Los Angeles easily put them to shame - not only diversity of color and ethnicity, but diversity of thought and opinion. Bush Republicans, Democrats, independents, Libertarians, all gathered to proclaim their unity on one subject: Jesse Jackson, shakedown charlatan and self-appointed dictator-for-life over the New Perverted Civil Rights Movement, a man with a plan and a penchant for gladhanding despots and Communist strongboys, must be completely rejected as a man worthy of as much influence as he has over the current fabric of America.
No matter what one's feelings may be for Dr. King, certainly the idea of judgement based on content of character is noble and the presentation of such an idea amidst hostility takes some kind of guts. Jesse Jackson, who basically is understood to be "bearing the mantle" for Dr. King, has a lot of nerve, but no guts at all. His reaction to mere criticism of him is certainly not indicative of one who honors freedom of speech, for all his own continual lipping off that is fully intended to provoke. Yet Master Jesse is demanding the shears be taken to Barbershop for offensive comments one character makes about black civil rights leaders, including using the Big Four-Letter Expletive before uttering Master Jesse's name.
And suddenly, Master Jesse, race-baiter, food-spitter, et c., et c., turns into a Southern belle in a swoon. Bizarre. The producers apologize, hoping to appease him. Now Master Jesse wants them to trim the offensive scene out of the movie. No diversity of thought permitted, either, on Master Jesse's plantation.
Suckers.
Yet all this seems to be overlooked. It's astounding that the words "civil", "rights", and "leader" could be put together and used as a description for someone like Jesse Jackson. It's even more astounding that black Americans - with full encouragement of policymakers and movers and shakers on both sides of the aisle - have permitted themselves to be foisted with a "leader" at all who preaches that there are people who are to be considered less as people than others due to their skin color.
Jesse Peterson has been fighting against the rhetoric of his former spiritual mentor for over a decade - not only through the media, but through action, working with young black men in troubled situations to turn their lives around, to train them not only to be productive members of society abiding by Godly ethics in all aspects of dealing with people, but responsible men with respect for the institutions of marriage and family. And although Mr. Peterson has eschewed the rage which consumed him so long ago, there's still plenty of spark to fuel righteous anger against Jesse Jackson as a false shepherd, especially during these trying times when, like it or not, we are ready to engage hostile forces and send our military overseas.
The day before the Repudiation rally, Jesse Jackson joined with anti-war demonstrators in repudiating the Administration for involvement in post-9/11 military action. And what chaps my hide about this is not the expression of anti-war sentiment. I hate war myself. Good people get killed, and call it a "girl-thing", but I'm kind of sensitive about that. But a majority of these "anti-war" demonstrators are not so much anti-war as they are big fat hypocrites, because a majority of these people - including Jackson - were nowhere to be seen in mass demonstration against aggressive government action overseas when it was initiated by a Democrat President desperate to create a smokescreen during that whole Monica What's-Her-Name period in the Oval Office.
Jackson, who has committed himself repeatedly to anti-war efforts as long as it guarantees big hyper-leftie attendance to listen to his rants, was in full gale force at the rally. Boss Jackson and Mrs. King herself showed up to proclaim for peace and, of course, against the warmongering of the Republican Party. (Where were they again for that aspirin factory incident a few years ago? I forget. But I do recall a little over a year ago, Boss Jackson was showing his love for peace by setting his goons on Jesse Peterson for questioning Rainbow/PUSH's presence and influence over a Toyota corporate meeting.) Reverend Peterson has offered Jackson a one-way ticket to Iraq if he thinks it a better place to find his brand of freedom and justice.
The next day, Jesse Peterson was joined in repudiating Jive Jesse by Jane Chastain, radio talk show host and columnist; Wiley Drake, radio talk show host and pastor of Buena Park First Southern Baptist Church; Rabbi Nachum Shifren, educator, known as "The Surfing Rabbi" (!); Ted Hayes, activist and founder of Dome Village for the homeless; and Barbara Coe of California Coalition for Immigration Reform. B.O.N.D. heavyweights Patrick Rooney, Ermias Alemayehu, and Malcolm Jones took charge of the proceedings. Safety was assured by a patrol vehicle observing us directly across the street. There were really no incidents of any kind, although the tight-knit gathering extending down the sidewalk did get some curious glances from the locals.
Ms. Chastain focused upon the fact that her organization, Judicial Watch, is participating in Jesse Peterson's lawsuit against Jesse Jackson's Fraud Squad for assault. Pastor Drake critiqued PUSH, claiming it stood for "Poisoning the Understanding of the Spiritual Home". Rabbi Shifren beamed at the sight of an American flag in the crowd, lamenting the fact that, working in the LAUSD, there is no flag in his classroom. Ted Hayes blasted Jackson for his unwillingness to address the problems of the black community - homelessness, fatherless homes, gangs, teen pregnancies - choosing instead to focus upon extorting money from business to enrich himself.
And although one might think that being so close to the inner city that the attendees may have drawn the ire of the locals, instead they received a large percentage of positive feedback from the passersby. Many of my friends were in attendance for the proceedings, waving signs, chanting, applauding the speakers with gusto. RonDog, ALOHA RONNIE, abigail2, gc4nra, NRA_Lifer_RC, and Joy Angela from Free Republic, all there. SixString, my photographer and handler. D.J. from Liberty Belles. Connie Ruffley from United Republicans of California. Reed Heustis and Paul Hannosh from the American Independent Party. People I didn't even know who drove long distances to be there. People of every color and background whose first Repudiation it was and people who had attended every year. We took issue with those who give Jesse Jackson a pass on his nonsense, who validate his influence by looking to placate and pander to him despite the fact that at the same time they posture for accountability of those in power.
And Jesse Peterson will continue to take issue with with Jesse Jackson until Jackson repents. This may well be the Neverending Repudiation, but from one of the FReepers who attended, I learned a young friend of her family, whose father is black, was encouraged by his dad to attend the rally in order to "hear both sides". The young man was very intent as he listened to the speakers and was very much impressed by what he heard.
Jesse Peterson wasn't the first follower of Jackson to turn from him, and he won't be the last. Perhaps the rainbow of hope for black Americans lies in the message of self-sufficiency and responsibility from Jesse Peterson - a push, if you will, in the right direction, rather than reliance upon the lying words of a self-appointed "leader" looking to recruit for his Cult Of Skin.
It might take a long time, convincing black Americans (and other anxious misguided "diversitists") that they don't need a "leader" to tell them what to do, but the spirit of righteous resistance can be very powerful...and at times, even successful. Who knows? The message of individuals unified under freedom rather than the rush to racial warfare might resonate with an increasingly cynical and inquisitive American youth.
And as cynical and doubtful as I myself can be at times, it certainly is something over which to be pragmatic. Still, hope and prayer should never be jettisoned simply because of the power and influence of those who act wickedly.
Where there is resistance to wickedness, there is still hope. And while we are still free to do so, we can and will - and must - resist.
Fret not.
Code Name: Mercuria index
Jane Chastain, the nation’s first woman television sportscaster on both the local and national levels, turned her attention to politics over a decade ago and has been an outspoken commentator on the moral and social issues of our time in the print and broadcast media. A columnist for WorldNetDaily.com, she built-up a tremendous following on talk radio with her nationally syndicated commentaries and program, What Washington Doesn’t Want You to Know, before deciding to take a break from the rigors of daily broadcasting last year. She is the author of I’d Speak Out on the Issues if I only Knew What to Say and the host of dozens of video documentaries.
