Don Lemon Gets Intense With Jesse Jackson During Controversial Debate About Ferguson Riots

Don Lemon and Jesse Jackson definitely have opposing views where justice is concerned. While the famed civil rights activist feels protesting and rioting sends a message of substance, Lemon has questioned the effectiveness of such actions. Needless to say, the controversial topic of discussion got a bit intense during Jackson’s recent interview on CNN.

Basically, Lemon does not understand the message behind burning down a place of business where someone works. As a matter of fact, he doesn’t see the effectiveness of rioting at all, because destruction does not denote change. However, Rev. Jackson feels otherwise. The 73-year-old activist shared a different perspective of such demonstrations.

Here’s a portion of the conversation that took place between Lemon and Rev. Jackson.

“If people need jobs, in the community, why would you burn down a store or a place where you could possibly get work? What does one have to do with the other? What does lawlessness have to do with lack of jobs?” Lemon asked.

He continued, “If you want a job, if you want to be educated then you go look for a job, you go look for an education, what does it have to do with burning down your neighbor or burning down a store that someone needs for their livelihood? Someone needs the income from that store. That is their job. Someone needs that income to pay their bills. What does one have to do with the other?”

“Sometimes pain can lead to irrational conclusions. Sometimes when people are in pain they cry out,” Jackson said. “For example, in that city if you have with fifty-five police and three African-Americans, and the same is true in the fire department, if you had a fairer distribution of those jobs, you may have had an amnesty of peace in the first place. So there is an irrational dimension to pain,” he said.

“But to be locked out of police departments, fire departments, contracts and schools, those factors matter. And that’s why I hope, Don, that we will not just look at Ferguson, except as a metaphor for the abandonment … You had 120 cities marching last night. 120 cities. Because there’s a sense that there’s a neglect of urban America that must be addressed whether it’s in Ferguson, Missouri, or Newark or Chicago or L.A.,” he explained.

Although Rev. Jackson gave a detailed response to the controversial questions, Lemon refused to back down because he still could not understand his justification of rioting. The 48-year-old news anchor cited how a substantial number of Americans refuse to pay attention to the true message rioting is supposed to send due to the illegal activity that comes with such demonstrations. Stealing and looting dilutes the true meaning of rioting, which is suppose to promote political advancement and change in the community.

While Don Lemon has definitely been in hot water this week for a number of questionable reports in reference to the controversy in Ferguson, this conversation with Rev. Jackson has definitely caught the attention of many viewers. A substantial number of viewers even agreed with Lemon’s perspective via YouTube.

“Jesse Jackson is completely wrong. What the Grand Jury showed, was that the ONLY injustice was that committed by Michael Brown, and Not from officer Wilson, who was exonerated and a hero in the situation, [sic]” Aaron Neal said.

“Rev Jackson does not want to admit that looting and the destruction on their own community is wrong cuz he lives off of it that’s his income, otherwise rev jackson Will be on food stamps looking for a job himself, [sic]” another viewer wrote.

Do you feel rioting is effective? Share your thoughts.

[Image via YouTube]