Jesse Jackson was on the news Monday morning in the wake of the nightclub stampede. Not surprising - the Rev. Mr. Jackson shows up everywhere. I was touched by the absolutely pastoral tone of his comments. Just talking about Jesus and grief and comfort - all sweet and nice.
In fact, I chided myself for expecting him to be full of bluster and demands for retribution. Perhaps I had been to harsh in my estimation of him. He is a clergyman and comfort naturally should be his first priority. Not until Tuesday did he call, in a rather tempered tone, for an investigation of what had happened. Yeah, right.
But community activist Derrick Mosley said Jackson's calls for an investigation need to be heeded with some skepticism. He said Jackson is ignoring the fact that his friend, co-owner Dwain Kyles, and club owner Calvin Hollins, disregarded warnings as well as city orders to keep closed the second story of the club, where the chaos began in the wee hours of the Presidents Day holiday. The fact is safety codes were not enforced and it’s the job of inspectors and officials to do just that,” Jackson said in calling for Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan to ensure a "credible response" to the incident.
“We are 10 blocks from the police department, less than that from the mayor’s house. … [Police] knew people were here,” he said.
Jackson did not respond to Fox News' requests for an interview but so far stands out as one of the few deflecting accusations against the owners, whom Chicago officials described as law-breakers.
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