Shooting Crabs in a Bucket

A prime example of why I've been critical of so-called leaders within the Black community like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton (and the like) took place this past week. Rather than embracing the honor and magnitude of Obama's candidacy, and amazing opportunity that may soon follow, Jesse Jackson opens his big spotlight-stealing mouth in order to cast a negative light on Obama's campaign.

During some recent speeches, Obama has been calling upon the community to take a greater sense of responsibility/accountability for the current status of the community. Obama was quoted as saying, "Any fool can have a child. That doesn't make you a father. Too many fathers are AWOL, missing from too many lives and too many homes," to the 20,000 member congregation at the Apostolic Church of God. Last week, while appearing on Fox News, Jackson suggested that Obama was "talking down to Black people" and that he would like to "cut his (Obama's) nuts off." If Mr. Jackson seriously had an issue with Obama's comments, then why wouldn't he have asked for a private meeting in order to voice those concerns?

I don't exactly follow how Mr. Jackson could determine Obama's call for accountability/responsibility regarding parenting and education as 'talking down' to the Black community, but I can say the follow-up comment about "cutting his nuts off" is just ridiculous, and sounds as though it is routed in bitterness and jealousy. Its seems like a classic example of the 'crabs-in-a-bucket' syndrome that has plagued the Black community for years now. In case you are not aware of the issue, simply put, its the mindset of not wanting/allowing anyone else to succeed and rise above the level of the proverbial 'bucket'. Rather than rejoice and/or be inspired by the success of a fellow member of the community, those stricken by this syndrome would rather snap and claw at the individual's ankles and yank them back down with the rest of the pack. These individuals fail to realize they are doing exactly what dominant society wants them to do. If you keep an economically 'inferior' class in a subservient position by allowing them to fight amongst one another, then they will never understand the need to band together in order to succeed.