European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 28, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Thursday May 28,1987 columns David Broder listen to what Jesse Jackson is actually saying when Jesse l. Jackson first broached the idea of a Black running for president a bit Over four years ago. He said the fundamental relationship be tween Blacks and the democratic party must be Rene Jackson s performance in the 1984 Prima Ries brought controversy galore but also credibility to his retort. Just three weeks ago the National journal said that As he approached his second Campaign Jackson was looking for respect but with the departure of Gary Hart Jackson is the Only Democrat with prior presidential Campaign experience. He can claim tic largest identifiable bloc of National support understandably his aspirations Are now much greater. With the change itt Jackson s Satus we must change the Way we report him. Most of us this reporter included have spent an exorbitant amount of time on his political tactics and his verbal pyrotechnics. We have focused on the questionable character of some of his supporters and the increasing racial ethnic and economic diversity of some of his audiences. But we have paid too Little attention to what Jackson is actually saying. Ultimately like All he other con tenders he Wil be judged by his personal qualities and his record As Well As his ideas. Voters evaluate the messenger and not Jusi the message. Bui the Content of what Jackson is saying is obviously important to the nation s political future. And his views have been summarized conveniently in a Brand new Book called straight from the heart a selection of speeches which he Calls a comprehensive representative collection of my thoughts and Given the heated emotions Jackson stirs when he is in full cry from the pulpit or the slump it helps to read his speeches in cold Type. This Book makes it Clear that Jackson possesses a fully developed internally consistent View of the world rooted in a religious philosophy which underlies All his political views. At the Center of every political economic Legal and social Issue is the spiritual moral and ethical dimension he writes. The religious sensibility weaves through All of Jack son s views giving a different cast to his utterances. But the truly distinctive element in his politics and his View of both foreign and Domestic policy derives from Liis historical perspective. For Jackson it is Clear the crucial american experience was not inc pc Volution or the Frontier not the Constitution or the new Deal. It was slavery. The crucial test of our current values and policies he asserts repeatedly lies in dealing with the heritage of slavery discrimination and racism. His Rainbow Ellen Goodman artific/achart5 coalition includes others who share inc legacy of Pov erty and powerlessness but the heirs to slavery Are Ai i lie coalition s heart other democrats May define thai r political base in terms that suit their own purposes in regional generational or philosophical terms. Only Jackson would say As he did to the last democratic convention my constituency is the damned the disinherited inc disrespected and the despised the slave children lie sees among the economic losers in contemporary America. The same inverse viewpoint shapes Jackson s View of International policy in inc most politicians of both parties see the world in terms of great Power relations emphasizing the soviet Union. Japan and Western Europe. Jackson focuses on the struggle of the nations emerging from colonialism and the Peoples still denied self determination whether the Issue is South Africa or corporate Power Jackson s religious philosophy and his interpretation of history both impel him to urge a re Versal of Power majority Rule in South Africa and employee influence in the Board rooms. We must look at every aspect of . Foreign and Domestic policy that has favored the Rich Over the poor the few Over the Many he says. As a nation we must change even though his ten commandment for Encl Ruee in education could be endorsed by conservative education Secretary William Bennett the change Jack recommends is Radical in every sense of that word. He does not propose to Linker at the edges of policy it proposes to turn it upside Down and shake out of this nation and the world the elements of economic and human exploitation he finds morally unconscionable. Jackson also has a theory of social change. Argue that an organized and self conscious minority can gain sufficient leverage to extract major change and conces Sions from apparently stronger ruling Powen. That is Why his philosophy and program and Candi Dacy demand close attention in from those who As sume he will never gain the presidential prize he seeks. The Man has a political base he Hai a strategy and he has ideas. And that combination should never be ignored. L or hurl Orfey Washington feuds while aids gains momentum imagine far a minute that you arc a citizen of Australia. Population 16 Mil lion. Number of aids cases 442. Turn on the icily Down under and you in be greeted with a government sponsored and that shows the grim reaper knocking Down aids victims As if they were pins in a Bowling Alley. Imagine next that you Are a citizen of great Britain population s5 million. Aids cases 750, just last january the postman would have dropped you a Leaf let from the government. One that a Rcd aids Don t die of Igno Rance but what if you ate a citizen of the United states population 243 million. Aids cases 35,500. If so you have seen no federally sponsored television ads and received no National mailings. Indeed in All likelihood you have heard More from Washington about aids feuds than aids facts. In our nation s capital aids and information health and education go together about As Well As the surgeon general and the Secretary of education c. Everett hoop and William j. Bennett. The people who regard aids As a medi Cal disease and those who regard it As a moral dilemma have Foughi each other and brought Progress to a standstill the proposal for a mailing to every household is currently stuck in a holding pattern. The piddling is million that s slotted for National television ads has yet to find its Way to an and Agency. The fed eral government is dealing with aids As if the virus was a problem that did t travel along interstate highways and was none of its business. It s this lethal National inertia in the face of inc most devastating epidemic of the late 20lh Century that finally prompted one congressman to strike out on his own. Gerry Studds has begun to treat his constituents like foreigners in the Host Way. The 268,000 households in his congressional District of Massachi kills Are about to receive the first mass mailing of the surgeon general s re port on acquired immune deficiency Studd s unique action came out of deep frustration his own and that of Koop who authored the report that s been languishing since in fall Publica Tion. When i talked with Koop said Studds he was despairing of Ever get Ting a National mailing out of this administration. Furthermore if we did get one out of this Bunch of ideologues ii would probably be such must it would t be wort i mailing. Given the fac thai the Only defence we have against aids at the moment is Public education 1 can t understand How there is any debate in any rational mind about putting the Best information in the hands of people. I think its unconscionable criminally negligent. 1 get so angry i m out of Studds asked himself if there was i something one member of con Gress could do besides dream up new adjectives of outrage. Ii occurred o me that we have one tool that is uniquely ours. The franking a s he Way that elected representatives routinely mail newsletters to each postal Patron in their District at taxpayers expense. The report that each postal Patron in the new Bedford and Cape cod area will get has been alternately described As Frank or it does t have copy or Catchy phrases it is not a graphic designer s Delight. It is not a Reader grabber. It s unlikely of be Asef festive As a serious and hip television Campaign. Bui the report does answer Basic questions about aids in an intelligible and direct fashion to even that Likely to be a problem someone asked me says Ludds what if it s lying around the House and children read it Well i Hope they Studds willingness to take on the ads education Issue and be out front with this mailing May come in part from his own open identification with the Gay Community. But he is convinced that others underestimate the Public s willingness to accept the Frank and the his aim is not just to inform one District but to break the Federal logjam. Or Portage around it. Ludds this month sent a Tetter to his congressional col leagues asking that they follow suit if Only 50 or 60 of the 433 members do so the pressure will build for a National mailing. On june a it will be exactly years since the first report of the disease we now Call aids. Since then the sur Geon general has said repeatedly that our Only weapon is education but the administration has spent most of this Lime fighting about aids instead of fighting the disease itself now at Leal some new engenders will be getting their defense lessons through la mail Slot
