Another Example Of Anti-Jackson Prejudice That Taints Perspective

I've been in some spirited discussions about the whole controversy that now includes LeBron James, formerly of the Cleveland Cavaliers and now of the Miami Heat; Dan Gilbert, formerly of class and now owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers; and the Rev. Jesse Jackson, once considered a hero of the civil rights movement now a point of attack for a variety of reasons.

Here is my original commentary: http://sandygholston.blogspot.com/2010/07/jesse-jackson-has-strong-words.html

Rev. Jackson made some controversial remarks in discussing Gilbert's hateful comments and actions toward James in the wake of his decision to leave the Cavaliers, as a free agent, to join the Heat.

Here is an excerpt from an online commentary I recently read from Gregg Doyel of CBS Sports. His commentary is titled, "Jesse Jackson's opinion makes other side look better." That is quite an interesting title and indicative of how a large number of people tend to feel these days with respect to Rev. Jackson. What he says is less important as what he stands for in the eyes of different people. To many whites, Jackson is a painful reminder of an era they would love to forget. For many of these same people, he represents a lot of what makes them angry today with regard to blacks and civil rights: affirmative action, the browning of America, etc. To many blacks, he is a person who draws the ire of whites and that adversely impacts the race.

Here is part of what Doyel had to say in his article:

Jesse Jackson complained about Gilbert.

Sorry, that was too subtle, and Jesse Jackson doesn't do subtle. Jesse Jackson didn't simply complain about Dan Gilbert. He compared Gilbert to a slave owner. Which makes LeBron James the slave.

Which makes Jesse Jackson the biggest idiot in this story, and that's saying something, because this story includes Jim Gray and his question about fingernails.

Gilbert ought to be home free, because the enmity of Jackson is basically a free pass. If Jesse Jackson thinks you're a disgruntled slave-master, then you're not. Simple as that. A lunatic on the fringe, a liberal version of Rush Limbaugh, Jackson lost the right a long time ago to be taken seriously on race -- but in recent years Jackson has come to represent the inverse: When he says one thing on race, you can believe the opposite.

So when Jackson compares James to an oppressed, impoverished slave, you can believe the opposite -- that LeBron James is one of the richest men in America, that he has been treated opulently and lavishly since he was a teenager, that he stands to become a billionaire.

This is another in a long line of examples of people reporting that the forest can't be seen because there are too many trees in the way.

Perhaps Doyel would like for Gilbert to be home free, but he is not. While a large number of people would love to shift the focus on to Jackson and free Gilbert from scorn, it's not going to work. The prejudice that so many people feel toward Rev. Jackson is irrelevant to what he said and the greater point behind what he said.

This is not about being an "oppressed, impoverished slave." Such a point is insane. We know "that LeBron James is one of the richest men in America," but that is irrelevant.

The fact that he could become a billionaire has nothing to do with the issue.

Later, Doyel gets to perhaps his real point:

At the moment, I'm having a hard time believing the comments Jackson made Sunday night, though at the same time I'm relieved he made them. Because his comments take the attention off Dan Gilbert, and focus it directly onto Jesse Jackson. Which was Jackson's point all along, of course.

"Doyel is "relieved he made them. Because his comments take the attention off Dan Gilbert." Is that the real motive here? Is Doyel really happy that Gilbert gets off in this case.

Doyel contends that Jackson's intent was to gain attention for himself. This is an old and tired argument used against Rev. Jackson and it is designed to marginalize the argument by attempting to discredit the person making it (perhaps that is what Doyel wanted all along).

Here is a thought, maybe Gilbert trashed James to take the pressure off of himself for not being able to surround James (the two-time MVP) with championship-level talent. Maybe Gilbert jabbed at the raw emotions of Cleveland fans to make James the target and absolve himself of responsibility.

Later, we see more hatred toward Rev. Jackson as the true motive continues to reveal itself:

But I can't ignore this, and here's why: Jackson is poisonous. Rainbow PUSH? My ass. He's a coral snake, a small little creature cursed by Mother Nature with the venom of 10 poisonous serpents. And the thing is, it didn't have to be this way. When it comes to right and wrong, good and bad, Jackson comes down on the side of right. Racial equality? That's good. Once upon a time, Jackson was a positive factor in this conversation.

Today? He's a carnival barker. He's the racial conversation's version of PETA, a great idea gone bad, an attention-seeking missile aimed directly at one of society's most vulnerable fault lines. Jackson stopped being part of the solution a long time ago. Now he's part of the problem, and Gilbert was his most recent prop.

Clever commentary about PETA, but it all shows a simmering hatred. He calls Rev. Jackson "poisonous," a "coral snake," a "small little creature cursed by Mother Nature with the venom of 10 poisonous serpents," a "carnival barker" and so on. There is a lot of hatred in Gregg Doyel's commentary and it is all aimed at Rev. Jackson.

While I agree he could have used a less controversial analogy. I think his words touched a wound that many Americans do not truly want to heal. It's a wound that people hide from, make excuses for, and ignore with the hopes it will just go away. The wound is racism. And, no amount of attacks on Rev. Jesse Jackson will move us any closer to deal with those wounds.

Rev. Jackson's comments were not even necessarily about race, but people like Gregg Doyel desperately want it to be about race so they can attack Rev. Jackson as a race agitator.

He reminds people of past sins, current sins and future sins.

Fear is a large part of why he is so frequently attacked and what he actually says is typically ignored.

Once again, the Rev. Jesse Jackson is met with scorn while Dan Gilbert is given mostly a free pass.

CBS Sports:
http://www.cbssports.com/columns/story/13637053/jacksons-opinion-makes-other-side-look-better