fitch@inmet.UUCP (03/01/84)
#N:inmet:7800063:000:886
inmet!fitch Feb 28 11:05:00 1984
I am appalled at the treatment that Jessie Jackson is getting from
the public and press. Since admitting to making the 'hymie' comment,
it's clear that the leader of the rainbow coalition is not quite as
sincere as he'd like us to think he is. As incredulous as the comment
might be, and despite the fact that he had previously denied making
it, it seems that he is now, in the eyes of the world, seen as noble and
righteous for apologizing and admitting his mistake. If Jackson was
white, he would have been roasted alive for this whole affair, and
treated as a fringe candidate from the start.
Once again we are shown that the public would rather believe the
mythical public characters that politicians develop in themselves instead of
facing reality.
Geoff Fitch
Intermetrics, Inc.
733 Concord Ave.
Cambridge, Mass.
...{harpo|ima|esquire}!inmet!fitchmsimpson@bbncca.ARPA (Mike Simpson) (03/06/84)
***
6 March 1984.
Several years ago, other people of color were struggling
to achieve equality in Caucasian-dominated American society. We
wished to be treated just as equals, with no favoritism or
tokenism.
Unfortunately, the 'kid-gloves' treatment that Jesse
Jackson has received from the press is still tokenism, because he
is being treated as if he can't take the heat for his 'Hymie'
statement.
Had, say, John Glenn or Walter Mondale made such a
statement, he would be lambasted from one side of the newspapers
to the other. And let's not even imagine what would have
happened had the President made such a gaffe.
So why am I so down hearted? Because, like Jackson, and
like one in ten Americans, I am Black. And this kind of
treatment not only demeans Jackson, but other Black people as
well.
Sigh. Maybe my children will see true equality in
American politics. I'm working on it, but now see even more
clearly how far we still have to go.
-- Mike Simpson, BBN
--
-- cheers,
Mike Simpson, BBN
msimpson@bbn-unix (ARPA)
{decvax,linus,wjh12}!bbncca!msimpson (Usenet)
617-497-2819 (Ma Bell)