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Ron Jackson's Perspective
The Sunday Journal -
Think
Kankakee, Illinois
October 23, 2005
Jackson answers
column critics |
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On a daily basis, I have the
unique pleasure of working with kids.
Not by design, but over 90 percent of those kids just happen to
be black.
We share a common thread. Many of them, as I did, come from
low-income households. Poverty, dysfunction, and chaos replaced
baseball, hotdogs, and apple. Some of the kids are in "the system"
and live in foster homes. I share that experience, too.
On more than one occasion, when asked why the grade on a report
card reflected a less than best effort, the well-rehearsed reply has
been, "Cuz I'm black, and my teacher is prejudice."
In a most unconventional approach, I try to offer support.
First, the youth must be able to spell, define and use prejudice in
a sentence other than my teacher is prejudice. After that, if we
then prove that the failing grade was due solely to race and not a
reflection of lack of personal effort, I would personally promise to
take care of that teacher.
After clearly understanding that I will need to see evidence of
his or her work before approaching the racist teacher, the youth
declines my offer every time.
I will now extend that same offer to a fellow Kankakeean and
former mayoral candidate, Nickey Yates. Yates expressed in writing
and in person that he disagreed with my October 9 perspective on
William Bennett.
Mr. Yates incorrectly wrote that I think Bennett was right. I
never said that. I said he had the right to say what he said. I
stand by that. White people lost the right to own slaves. They
didn’t lose their right of freedom of expression. Making a stupid,
non-threatening statement that may offend a few blacks should not
warrant a revocation of one’s constitutional rights.
Yates went on to say I “refuse to acknowledge the overwhelming
presence of debilitating stress on Black and Brown communities
throughout our society brought about by decades of layered social,
racial, and economic injustice.” He even added a little slave
history. Even if I were to give his comments some credibility, I
could never accept them as reasons for failure. Too many blacks
have succeeded in spite of less than fair opportunities. I see too
many black youths with the potential to succeed if only we can keep
them from becoming infected with the notion that they are entitled
to fail because of the past injustices.
Too many blacks fail because they keep being told they are
supposed to. Now that should be a violation of the first amendment.
I put William Bennett in the same category with Al Sharpton and
Jesse Jackson as one who can stretch and test the limits of free
speech.
Again, my point is this. William Bennett cannot persuade any
black woman to have an abortion. I submit to Nickey Yates that I
can name black men who have convinced black women to have abortions.
Yates also wondered how with my religious affiliation I could
"systematically promote, reinforce, and advocate hate.” I wonder
how he came to that conclusion. As an independent person, any and
all positions I take are without any religious or political
influence.
Like Nickey Yates, I am a fellow former Marine, a native
Kankakeean, and former Hobbie Heights resident. I extend the same
support to him that I have to some kids. In an effort to “help a
brutha out,” if he shows me the person who puts daily pressure on
him just because he is black, I will take care of that person.
Yates thinks he lost the last mayoral election because of
racism. I know that he lost because too many voters knew that if he
couldn't handle the pressure of being a black man, he certainly
couldn’t handle the pressure of being mayor.
I am not sure what I have in common with another Voice of the
People pundit, Dr. Syed Saeed Bokhari, but thinking that politicians
will solve anything is not a thought we share. |
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