Blog 255 – 03.22.2016

I had a lot of fun writing yesterday’s piece on three powerful black voices. Today I would like to try to entertain, to provoke thought, and hopefully to encourage you with a blog about four guys named Jesse, two white, two black and a lady named Jessie.

From the time I was a small boy growing up in the 1950’s I can remember hearing part of a folk/western song (and yes I know country/western is a more familiar term but, hey, I am the “skewed view guy.) The line from the chorus I recall was, “That dirty little coward that shot Mr. Howard and laid poor Jesse in his grave.” Jesse James was an American folk hero like Robin Hood was to the English and for the same reason. He robbed from the rich, powerful, and oppressive and gave to the poor. In the Robin Hood stories the bad guys are the King, the Sheriff, and the Church. And in the Jesse James stories the bad guys are the banks and the railroads. I think perhaps Bernie Sanders has tapped into a lot of people’s anger at the status quo and those in authority that seem to care so little for the poor, the young, the marginalized. Donald Trump on the other side is appealing to a lot of the same folks. I think Bernie and Donald see themselves as a modern day Jesse James or Robin Hood. It remains to be seen how many they can convince that they are the hero many people are looking for.

There is a popular Insurance commercial that ran at the movies some time back where a cowboy named Jesse tells his girl, “I’m a loner and loners need to be alone” then rides off only to be knocked off his horse by the The End words across the screen. His girl cries out, “Jesse.”

And then there is the preacher/politician/ civil rights activist Jesse Jackson. I think he has tried to help others think differently. I have listened to his views and I think he has a lot of good things to say. Too bad most people have there minds made up already on most issues and are not open to new and different perspectives.

Such was the case in Germany at the Summer Olympics held in Berlin when Hitler was in power. Many of those people believed they were a part of a Super Race. I am so glad and grateful that another of my black brothers ran in an important race and won. You see he showed them and us all that he too was a part of a Super Race, the Human Race.

Some years ago when my son was still a child, he and I were working on our family tree we came across an entry that one of our great, great great…grandmothers had a baby by a bond servant (slave) in Alabama named Owens. We were thrilled that we might be related to Jesse Owens. I think we are all related. And I am proud of all my brothers. See the rainbow, be the rainbow.

My maternal grandmother’s name was Jessie. I never knew her. She died when my mother was a child. All the best to all you Jesse(s) and Jessie(s). Did you notice how many times I said “I think” in this piece? You may not always agree with how our what I think but I hope I can encourage you to do some thinking of your own and not just believe (think) the way everyone else thinks you should.

Your friend and fellow traveler,
David White