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Maybe Jesse should cut off his tongue

July 18, 2008 12:15 am

SEN. BARACK Obama's bid to become America's first black president is hitting some unexpected stumbling blocks.

Members of his own race seem to be doing everything they can to derail his candidacy.

The Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Obama's ex-pastor, was first up. The press had a field day with several remarks that came out during a heated sermon and made the Chicago pastor out to be a raving hate-monger, which I am sure he is not.

Obama subsequently distanced himself from Wright, but then along came the Rev. Jesse Jackson with his now infamous off-air remarks during the recent taping of a Fox News show.

Jackson's comment that he would like to cut off part of Obama's anatomy has been played and replayed over TV and the Internet.

When Obama began to feel that this crisis was cooling off, Fox admitted that Jackson used the N-word to refer to members of his own race when he described how Obama was talking down to black people and telling them how to behave.

The N-word! My goodness! If I used that word in this column--even to quote the good reverend--both Jackson and the Rev. Al Sharpton, that self-appointed spokesman for all blacks, would be outside this newspaper's office before the ink was dry on the first paper to roll off the press.

The public use of that word would automatically label any white person as a racist and would bring the user's career--whatever it happened to be--to an abrupt end.

So why is Jackson allowed to utter it and, after issuing a small apology, all is forgiven? Why is Sharpton not calling for Jackson's immediate and unconditional firing--from whatever it is Jackson does?

Since the beginning of his candidacy, I have heard no white person speak badly of Barack Obama because of his race. In fact, if you will remember, Obama beat out a white woman for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Now, don't try to tell me that all those millions of votes came just from black people! White Americans, in large part, have put Obama one step away from the White House because they have both respect for and faith in the man, no matter what his color.

Then Jesse Jackson uses the N-word and threatens to pull out his castrating knife. Such remarks are not going to sit well with some white voters.

So what did Obama do to irk Jackson? Well, the good reverend said the presumptive Democratic nominee talked down to members of the black race.

Obama should be commended, not condemned, for urging Americans of all races to improve their lot in life.

If elected, Barack Obama will be a black president representing all Americans, not just black Americans. I'm not sure Jackson understands this and perhaps that is why he was never successful in his presidential bids.

And maybe that is part of the problem. Could Jackson be just a little jealous that Obama is standing at the White House door when he could not get that close?

It is ironic that a black leader has brought race into a campaign that had previously not been affected by color.

If America is to become a country without racism, then blacks have just as much responsibility as whites to leave color out of the conversation--no matter whether they think the microphones are on or off.

Republicans have long jested that this year the Democrats will somehow blow a presidential election that they could not possibly lose.

Jesse Jackson's crude remarks may be the first step to that end.

Donnie Johnston:
Email: djohnston@freelancestar.com