STEALING $750,000 IS NOT A MISTAKE

Ex Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. Now I’m not going to pick on him because of who he is, no, I’m going to pick on him because of what he is. He is a thief who is  currently under indictment for fraud and conspiracy for illegally using $750,000 of his campaign war chest for personal use. That personal use included, among other things, a gold Rolex watch, furs and furniture. His wife, a former elected Alderman in Chicago, is also under indictment for falsifying income tax returns. She faces three years in prison and reports are that she has already offered a plea agreement. Jackson Jr. faces five years and, as of this writing, has not  yet offered a plea.

You may remember that he basically disappeared from view recently. It was reported that his absence was for treatment for bipolar disorder at Mayo Clinic. You’ll forgive my skepticism if I say that he probably knew what was coming down the pike and was looking for a way to excuse his “mistakes.” I don’t believe he was being treated for anything. I just think he was in hiding and with his advisors, trying to figure out an excuse strategy. Do you suppose one of his advisors might have been his dad, Jesse Jackson Sr?

Here is an individual who had been given every advantage in American life. He had a famous name, he had decent looks, he was elected to the US Congress and was considered one of the Democrat Party’s rising stars. As it turns out though, he is just a common thief. He has betrayed his constituents, his peers in Congress, his children, and his entire family. Do you suppose he learned betrayal and cheating at the feet of his father? Just wondering. And you know the worst of this is that he probably stole much, much more that has not yet been disclosed. This probably barely skims the surface.

Are Jackson Jr’s illegal acts common? Are other politicians stealing from their campaign chests to fund lavish lifestyles? Can I be the only person in America who thinks so-called campaign contributions are really just bribes? Aren’t campaign war chests really just amassed personal fortunes? How else would you explain how individuals arrive in Washington DC with little or nothing and retire a term or two later as millionaires? I have always been skeptical about the whole campaign contribution thing. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s probably a duck, wouldn’t you think?

Another thing that disturbs me about politicians is their seeming sense of entitlement. I am sure that Jackson Jr. believed that he should be entitled to the money he took. After all, somebody gave it to him. I am sure he saw himself as a big shot Congressman. Why shouldn’t he have furs and a gold Rolex watch?

Jackson Jr has offered his version of sincere apologies for his mistakes. The first thing I would like Mr. Jackson Jr. to know however is the meaning of the word mistake. Misspelling a word is a mistake. Taking a wrong turn on the highway is a mistake. Forgetting an important person’s name might be a mistake. Stealing $750,000 is a lot of things but it is not a mistake. Stealing $750,000, ladies and gentlemen, is grand larceny. And grand larceny is punishable by five years in the slammer.

Maybe, just maybe other thieves and future thieves might see what awaits people who make these so-called mistakes. Maybe, if justice is served, they will all understand that acts such as these are not mistakes at all. They’re just common crimes committed by common criminals. That’s all.

Ron Scarbro February 20, 2013