Well once again I have to come to bring a counter argument. Jesse Jackson is a good person really. But frustrated. What happened in Florida was a damn shame. Some speculate as many as 60-70% of those undervotes came from black districts. So for a man who marched for us to have the right to vote, sees this and for him its a never ending nightmare. For most of you the right to vote can be taken for granted. But just 35 years ago blacks were lynched, beaten, charged a poll tax, forced to take tests, the black women were raped, all because they wanted to vote. Jesse Jackson was one of the ones who marched and was knocked down with water hoses, beaten with batons, and attacked by dogs. All this just to vote. Is his words sometimes inflammatory or always right? No. But I truly understand how he feels. And if you think racism is any less today, its not. It just has a different face.
No there are no signs that say no "coloreds" allowed to eat or live here. But there are places we can't live. Places we can't eat. Schools our children can not go. Jobs that we can't have. If you see a black person with a nice car, he is dirty or a drug dealer. The police stop you becuase your black,not because you have done anything wrong. And if you think racism isn't in the heart of the men now in the white house, look at Dick Cheney's voting record:
DICK CHENEY'S RECORD ON CIVIL RIGHTS
"We've reached the point where affirmative action has been taken so far that, in fact, it's become an abuse." -- Dick Cheney. [CNN's "Capital Gang, 6/3/95]
HIGHLIGHTS
1983: Cheney Voted Against the Equal Rights Amendment. In 1983, Cheney voted against the Equal Rights Amendment, which read, "Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of sex."
1985-88: Cheney Repeatedly Opposed Sanctions on South Africa. In 1985, 1986 and 1988, Cheney repeatedly opposed economic sanctions on South Africa.
1986: Cheney Voted Against Resolution Calling for Nelson Mandela's Freedom. In 1986, Cheney voted against a resolution expressing the sense of the House that the President should urge the South African government to, among other things, grant immediate and unconditional release to Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners.
1986: Cheney Opposed Raising Minority Contract Set Asides for Defense Department to 10 Percent. In 1986, Cheney opposed increasing from 5 percent to 10 percent the proportion of Pentagon contracts that must go to minority-controlled firms.
1988: Cheney Was One of Only 29 Members to Oppose Collection of Hate Crime Data. In 1988, Cheney was one of only 29 House members to oppose legislation that provided for the acquisition and publication of data about crimes that manifest prejudice based on race, religion, sexual orientation, or ethnicity.
CHENEY OPPOSED SANCTIONS ON SOUTH AFRICA
Cheney Opposed Sanctions on South Africa on 10 Separate Occassions. Cheney opposed imposing economic sanctions on South Africa on 10 separate occassions. Cheney's votes against sanctions included: postponing sanctions for one year, opposing banning bank loans to the South African government, opposing prohibiting the sale of computer goods and nuclear power equipment and supplies, opposing banning new U.S. business investment in South Africa, opposing barring importation of South African coal, steel and agricultural products, opposing ending U.S. landing rights for South African airliners and allowing U.S. investors to continue to invest in South Africa. In 1988, Cheney "paired against" final passage of a bill to impose sanctions on South Africa. [1985 CQ Almanac, p. 44-H, votes #129, #130; p. 84-H, vote #262; 1986 CQ Almanac, p. 110, vote #390; p. 98-H, vote #350; p. 100-H, vote #351; p. 110-H, vote #390; 1988 CQ Almanac, p. 89-H, vote #282; vote #288; 1985 CQ Almanac, p. 38-H, vote #110]
1986: Cheney Voted Against Resolution Calling for Nelson Mandela's Freedom. In 1986, Cheney voted against a resolution expressing the sense of the House that the President should urge the South African government to engage in political negotiations with the country's black majority, grant immediate and unconditional release to Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners, and recognize the African National Congress (ANC) as a legitimate representative for the black majority. [1986 CQ Almanac, p. 86-H, vote #304]
CHENEY VOTED AGAINST CIVIL RIGHTS ACT
Cheney Repeatedly Voted Against Civil Rights Programs. Cheney repeatedly voted against civil rights programs in the 1980s. His votes included: opposing allowing a bill that sought to ensure application of four major civil rights laws to reach the House floor; voting against overriding Reagan's veto of the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, which provided broad coverage of four civil rights laws: Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975; and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. [1984 CQ Almanac, p. 74-H, vote #233; S. 557. vote #2041, 3/22/88; 1983 CQ Almanac, 16-C, Vote #14; 1983 CQ Almanac, p. 52-H, vote #162]
GENERAL CIVIL RIGHTS
1983: Cheney Opposed Federal Funds to Help Pay for School Desegregation. In 1983, Cheney voted against authorizing a program of grants to local school districts in FYs 1984-86 to help them offset the costs of school desegregation. [1983 CQ Almanac, p. 52-H, vote #162]
1983: Cheney Voted Against the Equal Rights Amendment. In 1983, Cheney voted against the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). The Amendment read, "Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of sex." [1983 CQ Almanac, 16-C, Vote #14]
1986: Cheney Opposed Raising Minority Contract Set Asides for Defense Department to 10 Percent. In 1986, Cheney opposed increasing from 5 percent to 10 percent the proportion of Pentagon contracts that must go to minority-controlled firms. [1986 CQ Almanac, p. 90-H, vote #323]
1988: Cheney Was One of Only 29 House Members to Oppose Collection of Hate Crime Data. In 1988, Cheney was one of only 29 House members to oppose legislation that provided for the acquisition and publication of data about crimes that manifest prejudice based on race, religion, sexual orientation, or ethnicity. [1988 CQ Almanac, p. 46-H, vote #138]
He also opposed a very well known program called HeadStart. Its a program for poor children where the federal goverment provides funds so that poor children can go to pre school. He said it costs to much money? Hmmm I didn't know investing in an innocent child's future is to costly.
There are some that I do believe are racists. Like Farrakan and Sharpton. But Jackson is not one. This man paid the price for me to have the right to vote. He is one that survived. Many others didn't make it. Martin Luther King, Evers, the three civil rights workers (2 white and 1 black)who were murdered in Miss. because they were trying to register people to vote. So for Jackson and black people the fight continues. I question his tactics sometimes, but the man's heart is in the right place. I just wish I could say the same for others, both white and black.