Rev. Jesse Jackson injects race into healthcare debate with Davis comments

Rev. Jesse Jackson injects race into healthcare debate with Davis comments

thehill.com

The Rev. Jesse Jackson’s public rebuke of Rep. Artur Davis has injected race into a healthcare debate marked by disputes on immigration, abortion and euthanasia.

As the rhetoric intensifies on overhauling the nation’s healthcare system, Davis (D-Ala.) suggests he is accustomed to taking criticism from leaders in the African-American community.

(visit the link for the full news article)


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Racism at its best.

So....if you are not in favor of healthcare reform, you're not black.

From the article:

Davis, who turned 42 last month, has always been somewhat of an outsider in the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC). And his vote against the House healthcare reform bill earlier this month did not win him any additional friends in the caucus.


He came to Congress soon after winning a primary against a CBC-backed member, Rep. Earl Hilliard (D-Ala.), whose surrogates had questioned whether the Harvard-educated former prosecutor was “black enough.”


The CBC’s political action committee gave $10,000 to Hilliard to fight off Davis. Then-Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) gave even more. But when Davis faced his own primary in 2004, no such help was forthcoming.


“I’m sure I asked,” he said with a laugh on Thursday.


One CBC staffer quipped that Davis is part of the 42-member caucus “by default.” In an interview, Davis noted he bucked the party on legislation on terrorist surveillance and hate crimes, adding, “I was the only [CBC] member who didn’t sign the letter demanding that [now-Sen. Roland] Burris get seated. I didn’t think that was a racial issue.”


Davis has amassed a more conservative voting record than most Democrats in the lower chamber. He is one of only 23 House Democrats who opposed healthcare reform and climate change.


In announcing his opposition, Davis went so far as to say the health bill risks creating a “disaster.”

And the best part in my opinion:

Apparently, it did surprise Jackson, who came to the Capitol Wednesday to mark the 25th anniversary of his first presidential run. At a CBC Foundation reception on Wednesday night, Jackson denounced Davis’s vote, saying, “We even have blacks voting against the healthcare bill from Alabama. You can’t vote against healthcare and call yourself a black man.”

Also interjected within this article are comments referring to African-Americans not being able to be conservative, lest they are considered to not be "black" or worse, "not black enough".

The absolute worst part of all of this is the total double-standard.

Can you imagine, for one second, if someone stood up and said:

"If you vote in favor of healthcare reform, you can not call yourself white?"

That person would have committed political suicide. His/her removal would have been imminent.

What says ATS? Is the reverend allowed to make such sweeping comments? Is it fair to view healthcare reform as a "black person's" need?

thehill.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 20-11-2009 by lpowell0627]

Of course he's gonna "inject race" into any subject that's in the national spotlight it's how he makes a paycheck and stays relevant. It's not like he as anything else to do but make an issue out of everything. It's again how he makes a living and gets that ever important ego rub from being in the news....

Can anyone tell Jackson to just STFU? Please?

I mean really? If I ever met this moron, I would have to try real hard not to slap him.

Race? Really? Healthcare is now a racial issue? Are you Fing KIDDING ME?

A guy has an opinion against healthcare and all of a sudden hes not black?

My GOD! Someone please just tell him off for the love of all that is good and decent in the world!

Jackson is a moron.

I support health care reform. But Jackson is a moron. Jackson is one of those A holes that keeps racism alive in this country when it probably would have died about 10 years ago.

[edit on 11/20/2009 by whatukno]

reply to post by Redwookieaz


Agreed.

But why is this acceptable? How is it OK -- with all of the new "Hate Crime Laws" being advanced -- for any MAN or WOMAN, black, white, red, yellow, or striped, to make such comments.

Again, if a white person had said this -- removal from office would be the very next step. Certainly not praise and/or mere acceptance.

If people want to truly end racism, then I suggest we go after all examples of racism.

Lastly, since I personally am not aware of this, can you please define "not black enough" for me?

reply to post by whatukno


The problem really is that Jesse Jackson makes his entire living from racism.

If racism doesn't exist, his income gets drastically reduced.

Don't get me wrong, back in the 80's he had some very pertinent points.

But to say that, or even imply that, one can suddenly become NOT BLACK based on a vote -- is totally unacceptable.

reply to post by lpowell0627

But to say that, or even imply that, one can suddenly become NOT BLACK based on a vote -- is totally unacceptable.

Jackson just showed exactly how racist and irrelevant he really is.

reply to post by whatukno


Yes, but the double-standard is so evident it's sickening. Davis, the poor guy that Jackson referred to as "not black", is laughing it off. Worse, Davis goes on to say that he is accustomed to receiving such harsh criticism from the "African-American Community".

Originally posted by lpowell0627

What says ATS? Is the reverend allowed to make such sweeping comments? Is it fair to view healthcare reform as a "black person's" need?

thehill.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 20-11-2009 by lpowell0627]

Yes, Jackson is allowed to say it. It's protected by the Constitution.

I am allowed to say, " Jesse Jackson, You're a freaking racist."

There. I feel better now.

The real educated black people see right through Jackson's racism.

Jackson once claimed he supported Martin Luther King. I believe MLK is turning over in his grave because his student - Jackson, clearly didn't understand the message.

Illuminati stooge trying to keep us divided my race! Hopefully we're too smart for that old ploy.

I thought I'd to investigate this race card and see what this was all about, so I actually read the article.

Not necessarily a Jesse Jackson fan, who's a mere government operative, meant to appease the Blacks after MLK was assassinated.

After reading the article it did clarify his point, which was essentially to support the people from the district whom which voted you into office.....who coincidentally, are predominately Black AND Poor. Davis’s district is 62 percent black and 25 percent live in poverty.


Excerpted from the article:

Jackson also said he wasn’t saying black members should vote alike, but that they should represent their districts.

He said Alabama has some of the highest poverty in the nation, and desperately needs healthcare services.

“The poorest people need healthcare protection,” Jackson said. “They have the highest infant mortality and the lowest life expectancy. They’re dying from lack of access.”


What is so racist about this? Telling some politician about Accountablity ? accountability to his predominately Black constituents ?

What IS racist about this though, is the clandestine genocide in the US of the poor. Whether it be in Alabama, Appalachia or on Indian Reservations.

The mere fact that in this day and age, these people, citizens of one of the wealthiest nations in the world, most of whom are paying federal income taxes, are living and dying from lack of access to health care.

Especially when you look at the billions of tax dollars we piss away like drunken sailors only to fight "enemy combatants" who without an air force or Navy to speak of but are armed with no more than RPG's and AK-47's and re-use our own artillery shells against us in the form of IED's?




[edit on 20-11-2009 by nh_ee]

reply to post by nh_ee


With all due respect,

What is so racist about this? Telling some politician about ..... accountability to his predominately Black constituents ?

Yes, that is racist.

The nature of the inclusion of race as a determinant factor of accountability is, logically speaking, racist. Constituents are constituents; their color is irrelevant. Their faith is irrelevant. The only relevant thing is their collective will, democratically speaking. Apparently they respect his character enough to have elected him despite the 'popular' opinion of the caucus.

But then, there is a large body of people who believe, as is their right, that black African Americans can not, by definition, be racist. So the quandary becomes one of sophistic argumentation and political dialectics.

As for Jessie. This isn't the first time that he has either intentionally or otherwise used the concept of race as a political tool of persuasion. It most likely will not be the last.

I live about 30 minutes outside of Chicago. I have the privilege of hearing about Jesse and Farakhan more than the rest of the nation. Here, Farakhans son was in a car crash that severely injured two older people. He didnt have a license or insurance on the Hummer he was driving. Since it was in the name of the "Nation of Islam" they became part of the lawsuit.

During court it was stated that he had no income, only an allowance that his dad gives him. Which was like, 15k a month. Anyrate, the Indiana courts laughed him out and imposed a huge penalty against him. To date, not a cent has been paid.... But on to Jesse...

One only needs a light googling of that guy to see what he is. A professional extortionist. He once launched a boycott of Budweiser because there were no minority owned distributorships. So what did Anheiser-Busch do? Gave one to Jesse's son. Boycott dropped. His own son won the congressional seat from the district that Jesse lived in. He was in the running for the senate seat Obama left open until it was revealed that he wasd working for the government, recording phone calls to Blago, trying to set him up.

That whole family is disgusting and talk to most educated black people and they will tell you a secret.. They hate Jesse too. There was a time he was needed, but that time was 25 years ago. He is irrelevant, panders to the lowest common denominator and if no one paid him attention, he would melt away.. Try it!

Why does this suprise anyone? It's Jesse Jackson, he is all about keeping racism alive, it makes him a rich famous man.

reply to post by nh_ee


Saying that "unless you vote for this you are not black" is not an example of accountability -- it is racism.

Politicians are supposed to represent what's best for the people they represent -- not only represent what color they are.

This is why we hold elections.

Further, 25% of his district are poverty-stricken. What about the other 75%? Do they get a say?

reply to post by whatukno


I wonder what would happen if J.J. would suddenly become mute. Do you think he might explode or would he take the time to look deep into himself and see the man he has become?

I personally think he might explode from all of the racial rage burning within him. But I guess it is possible that he might take a close look at himself and decide to change.

I for the most part am sickened by both him and Sharpton but I tend to ignore them and laugh them off as being nut cases. I am rather surprised they did not show up though for the woman close to here that had a case where she was claiming racial discrimination for her own actions. Of course the videos that showed what took place did not help her. See went for a plea deal that dropped the felony charges of assaulting police and settled for misdemeanor charges.


Raist

I think it's acceptable for black people to talk about black people and call them black.

The Congressional Black Caucus was formed in order to debate and/or support each other on issues that affect African Americans. The CBC and the Rev. Jackson are committed to the fight in favor of health care reform. They are therefore bringing their influence to bear on Rep. Davis.

The African Americans I know, even the ones who oppose reform and/or are not fans of Jackson's, are not bothered by Jackson's remark. It's just par for the course in politics.

IMO most of the people who are reacting negatively to any mention of race are white and oppose health care reform.

If Jackson said if you're black, you should not vote for HRC, there probably wouldn't be so many objections on here.

BTW I don't think it's a good idea for people who are not black to talk about blackness. That's like a men's club talking about women's menstrual periods. Besides, white people already have their own Congressional caucus, which is most all of the Senate and the House.

[edit on 23-11-2009 by Sestias]