The media likes to make a great deal of the turbulent politics of the 1960's and how those who came of age during that time will aways be defined by their experiencing those events. The simple truth is that no matter when you grew up, those times affect you and will, to a certain extent, define your own political philosophy.
For me, and many other Gen X'ers, that means we came about during the wacky politics of the 1970's and 1980's. This was a time when the dorm room activists of the previous decade were still attempting to live out their dreams and the personalities of the past were still revered and part of the process. The ideals of the Great Society and Civil Rights were still being debated in campaigns and in the halls of government.
Fast forward to this week. The Reverend Jesse Jackson, a man who worked for Martin Luther King, Jr. and was at one time a leader of the Democratic Party [his 1984 Democratic National Convention speech is legendary] has been reduced to the level of a side show act. His comments regarding Senator Barack Obama on Fox News [I won't repeat them here, after all kids read this] were perhaps the final act in his long and sad decline.
One could argue that this began with then-Governor Bill Clinton's handling him during the 1992 presidential campaign, but I believe something else. We are at a crossroads in America, both in our culture and our politics. The Jesse Jackson's of the world are out of place in today's America where a majority of people want to move past the campus battles of the 1960's and early 1970's. They no longer feel the discussion about race should be handled the same way any longer.
Now, this is not to take anything away from the work that Rev. Jackson, and countless other leaders of the Civil Rights movement performed selflessly for decades. Just the opposite is true. What they did worked. We have nominated an African American to be the nominee of the Democratic Party, something few believed would happen in their lifetime back in 1968. Many great things have been achieved, but with that means times have changed.
So it is a little sad to see Reverend Jackson now just a pundit, commenting on campaigns rather than being a part of one. His iconic status reduced to that of a side-show in this year's presidential campaign. Some journalists have even referred to this recent flap as Senator Obama's "Sister Souljah" moment - certainly a slap in the face to Jackson. Perhaps it is best to remember all that he has accomplished and his legacy will be that work, and his own son's service as a member of Congress for a new generation?
2 comments:
I hope this doesn't mean you'll stop doing your impression of an impression of Jesse Jackson.
Also, calling me back like you said would be nice.
My sentiments exactly. Except when I expressed them to myself (please, no comments about me talking to myself) I simply said, "Jessie Jackson -- what a joke." He has become irrelevant in today's politics, much like labor unions have nearly become irrelevant.
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