I wish some MSM person would bring up that Jesse Jackson is just jealous because all of Barack Obama's children are legitimate.
Okay, maybe that's tasteless. Lemme try again:
Illegitimacy, stemming from the huge gap in black male employment and wages, (black men don't get married because they can't get decent jobs, and black women don't expect marriage as a condition or consequence of pregnancy as a result) is a huge issue in and for the black community and actually, it's the real issue underlying the class and generational differences that spawned Rev. Jackson's unfortunate comments about Senator Obama.
Is that better?
"all of Barack Obama's children are legitimate"
ReplyDeleteThat we know of ... I couldn't resist.
What I found interesting about this is Jesse Jackson, Jr.'s response. It only took him a nano-second to toss his father under the bus.
BAC
BAC - Don't you mean "as far as I know"?
ReplyDeleteI couldn't resist, either. ;-)
oh, snap!
ReplyDeleteDamn!
ReplyDeleteGood zinger, but good serious points as well.
These issues of "marriage" and "pregnancy" have become separated. It used to be that, "you knocked her up, you do the right thing," but as I'm sure you all know, that just isn't true anymore. In the case of my step daughter and grandmonster, she and her mom where aghast at the idea of her marrying the complete idiot with by whom she got pregnant, yet her having and keeping his baby was fine. Sensible to them, even.
ReplyDeleteNow I would think that women would want (most of) the same qualities in a father as they would in a husband/long term partner, no? Apparently though, at least in the household into which I married, the two have no relation. No one has ever been able to explain this to me.
Doesn't seem to be a racial thing to me, rather it seems generational. Or maybe regional: The Pac NW has the highest per capita rate of unwed white mothers in the country.
I'll quit while I still can.
I think you are right to point out the convergence of race, gender, and economic class which led to these circumstances and by which they are maintained.
ReplyDeleteIt is generational to the degree that there are larger numbers of affluent persons of color who can take advantage of the recent absence of formal legal obstacles.
Women's economic independence was established at roughly the same time as the removal of racist barriers; men are no longer necessary to the economic survival of women and children, hence, the separation of marriage and being a parent.
My daughter did this through marriage, over a number of years, and is now saddled with a useless ex who gets "child support" for his use, and not the child's. It also gives him the opportunities to harass her as he wishes.
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ReplyDeleteThat is the underlying issue but I think the emotional component may be even larger. It is entirely understandable IMHO that JJ, who ran for president & was a significant leader, would be jealous or at least feel a bit of resentment toward Barack for achieving (seemingly so easily) what he had thought might be his - the Democratic nomination & hopefully the presidency. I think the fact that Barack was raised largely by his white grandparents & that he has an Ivy League education also makes him less qualified to be a leader of the black community to some - JJ may be among them.
ReplyDelete