Jackson must walk the walk

Every now and then we get a glimpse of the unknown side of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, and sometimes what we see is not pretty.

His recent remarks regarding Sen. Obama's talk were nothing less than despicable and inexcusable. Here's a man who wants, and often demands, to be the moral compass of the nation.

None of us are entitled to cast the first stone. But then few of us pretend to be the moral compass of the country. Perhaps worse than the act itself was the way Rev. Jackson shamelessly professed his profound admiration for Sen. Obama after he realized his remarks were not private. It takes a very creative person to go from wanting to violently remove a delicate part of a man's anatomy to professing one's profound admiration for that same person. Or does Rev. Jackson simply lack integrity?

Leadership is a very demanding role. But if one chooses that role, one should live and behave accordingly. Not as Rev. Jackson did in his unbelievable response to Sen. Obama's talk. He's not a man who's leadership I would follow.

I'd like to see him get his nose a little dirty dealing more directly with some of the serious urban problems that plague the City of Chicago and cities across the nation, like street gang violence. But I don't think he'll do that. He seems to prefer to tell the rest of us what we're doing wrong rather than to try himself to effect change.

I devoted part of my early life to dealing with the problem of street gang violence, including in the Englewood area. Rev. Jackson and other leaders must know that as welcome and understandable are the marches and speeches, that alone will not reverse this tragic and critical situation. Perhaps this is a singular but complex problem area that Rev. Jackson and his colleagues can focus upon and provide some practical remedies. God knows, somebody must.

Frank R. Ardito Sr.

Huntley