Don Lemon Griills Jesse Jackson: ‘How Does Burning Down a Store Get You a Job?’

Tuesday on CNN, host Don Lemon took Rev. Jesse Jackson to task for claiming the riots last night in Ferguson were caused by “unending consistent pain and neglect” of urban plight and joblessness. At one point Lemon interrupted Jackson saying, “Reverend, with all due respect, if people need jobs in the community, why would you burn down a store or a place where you could possibly get work?”

Jackson said, “Well, it was chaos, but the looting preceded the shooting. We were there earlier in the year, it was very clear that that the unending consistent pain and neglect leads to anarchy and justice leads to peace. We must have some plan beyond focusing on Ferguson to let people know how national this crisis is and how usedly pattern is. It’s Brown in Ferguson, it’s Louima in New York, it’s Rodney King in L.A., it’s Trayvon Martin. We need a commitment for urban reconstruction to end the violence on both ends.” 

“Violence diverts attention from the real subject matter. The subject matter is the need for more jobs, more education, more justice and violence has a way of leaving no room for redemption, so I understand that very well. but there is a body of people who after a long train of abuses, Don, people simply explode.” Jackson added.

Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN