This image shows Jesse Jackson's son crawling to tape over an air duct blowing on his father
during a speech at the 1988 Democratic National Convention
Jesse Jackson has been in the news recently in connection with the revelations
of his parenting a
child with a mistress some years ago.
Political sex scandals are an old story, as old as politics itself.
Many historical sources
cite Julius Caesar?s indiscreet dalliance with Cleopatra as a determining
factor in the ultimately successful conspiracy
to assassinate him in 44 b.c. The story of the
Six Wives of Henry VIII is the birthstone of the Church of England. The American Public?s
fascination with the sexcapades of the Kennedy men from Joe to
JFK to Bobby to Teddy to John Jr. has been an ongoing 50 year media obsession. Those who
have read this page
over the years know about Christine Keeler and the Perfumo affair in 1963 which brought down
the British government
of Harold Macmillan. And the saga of Bill and Monica behind closed doors in the Oval Office
is still fresh in all our minds.
These are just a few highlights of the prodigious roll call of
political promiscuity which no one man could ever hope to study in its entirety in one lifetime.
Why after all these years has the tale of Jesse Jackson?s illegitimate child suddenly come
to light ?
And what is behind the very loud silence of the African-American community
leadership?s failure to
support
Jackson ? There are now many African-Americans entrenched in establishment positions of
great influence.
It is possible that the uncompromising confrontational tactics
of Jackson are an anachronistic
embarrasment that hinders their job performance and prospects.
The great irony is that these these very tactics used by Jackson and others over the years
are
largely responsible for these men being in the high powered positions today. If there was
ever a man who is a victim
of his own success, that man is Jesse Jackson.
Click here to go to an independent Jesse Jackson web site