Revelation, chapter 9 "19": For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt. "20": And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: "21": Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts. So Jesse has had his day in infamy......Jackson 5 now Jackson 6........woe is him. Saba | Return to Lifestyles | Perform a Search | Browse by Date | seattletimes.com | seattletimes.com Lifestyles Copyright © 1999 Seattle Times Company Posted at 02:58 a.m. PDT; Tuesday, May 4, 1999 Erik Lacitis / Times Staff Columnist Jesse Jackson works his magic, and it must drive the old pols crazy So there is Bill Clinton and the NATO spokesmen talking about how the bombing of Yugoslavia really is working, and what is the split-screen on CNN showing? The Rev. Jesse Jackson and the three freed U.S. servicemen. How can a politician compete with the image reported in the news of Jackson and the three young soldiers, hand in hand, marching across the Yugoslavian-Croatian border, chanting, "Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty, we are free at last." It must drive them nuts - the professional politicians of all ilks - to once again see Jackson all over the evening news. He just won't go away, and, what probably exasperates them the most, they can't ignore him. Which is what professional politicians would like to do, whether it is a Democrat or a Republican in the White House. Sure, Clinton had Jackson over for prayers at the height of the impeachment scandal. The thing about Jackson is that a politician never knows what he might blurt out. That's why you'll notice that politicians always keep a certain distance from Jackson. For example, speaking of Clinton, Jackson said, "There's nothing he won't do. He's immune to shame. Move past all the nice posturing and get really down there in him, you find absolutely nothing . . . nothing but an appetite." Trust me, I also found plenty of quotes from Jackson about Republicans. I wonder what Slobodan Milosevic, a dictator who certainly knows how to manipulate the media, must have thought at that meeting with the minister, when Jackson suddenly called the group to stand in a circle and pray, holding hands. The reports are that Milosevic looked befuddled as Jackson reached for his hand. The stories later said that "critics," whoever they are, viewed the prayer as "inappropriate." I don't know what's so inappropriate in getting a lifelong communist, despot and butcher to take part, for even a minute, in prayer. I'd think that's exactly who needs to talk to the Big Guy. And, you never know. Perhaps Jackson could make some kind of human connection with Milosevic, who might at least consider stopping the atrocities, since one of the world's biggest bombing campaigns hasn't. In past years, I've had two occasions to watch Jesse Jackson work his charisma. The first was a long time ago, back in 1976, when he arrived in town to kick off the Black Arts Festival. The audience was full of kids acting the way kids often act, which is bored. Jackson looked at them. He asked them to repeat, slowly, that saying he's famous for: "I am somebody." You've heard people talk about an event, and say that you had to be there. You had to be there, as Jackson kept repeating the phrase, each time his voice rising, each time drawing the bored kids to begin paying attention. I've been to very few events where you could, literally, measure the electricity in the air. I don't know if his appearance made any difference in the kids' lives. I'd like to think so. That day in Seattle, his message to them was of belief, hope and taking control of their destinies. Years later, covering a Democratic national presidential convention in Atlanta, I stopped by a hall that was some distance from the main venue. The temperature that day was 104, and some 600 people of various races, ages and backgrounds crammed the hall. The same thing happened again, as the preacher took to the stage. Jackson began talking slowly, quietly, picking out specific people in the audience to address. Then his voice turned louder, more dramatic, again with the message of hope. A female delegate, who was not a Jackson supporter but had come to satisfy her curiosity, told me, "I was so emotional after his speech that if they had taken a vote right then, I would have voted for him." Yes, Jesse Jackson is a little too much in love with the news cameras. Still, he went to Yugoslavia, he got Milosevic to pray, and he got three young soldiers safely home. It must drive the professional politicians nuts: the grandstanding preacher, once again on center stage. But I know there are some soldiers' families who were thinking: Go, Jesse, go. Erik Lacitis' phone number is 206-464-2237. You have reached the end of the file. Top of Page Return to Lifestyles Perform a Search Browse by Date Arts & Entertainment Business Editorials & Opinion Education Health & Science Lifestyles Local News Nation & World Obituaries Special Reports Sports Technology Travel Classified Ads seattletimes.com Copyright © 1999 Seattle Times Company
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