RUSH: A man of the cloth, a pastor, has asked the mayor of Chicago to change the names of two parks in his neighborhood.
Bishop James Dukes, pastor of the Liberation Christian Center, says Chicago has no business honoring George Washington and Andrew Jackson. He says that both were slave owners, which is especially offensive in Chicago’s black communities.
He told the media: “When my children and grandchildren walk through these parks and say, ‘Grandfather, wasn’t he a slave owner?’ how do I explain that? And how do I reconcile that with their views of what heroes are?” Pastor Dukes says that he isn’t trying to eradicate history, he just wants it put where it belongs so it can be taught properly.
Now, who does pastor Dukes think is worthy of having their names on community parks? He offered a couple of ideas: Reverend Jesse Jackson or Michael Jackson.
Actor Leslie Odom Jr., who performed in the Broadway musical Hamilton, also weighed in. He told TMZ that pulling down statues of Washington and Jefferson should be on the table for discussion.
Perhaps the better question for Rahm Emanuel, the mayor, Pastor Davis, and Mr. Odom – isn’t what the name of the parks oughta be. It’s whether children and grandchildren who visit the parks in Chicago these days stand a good chance of getting out of them alive. I mean, there’s a lot of people getting shot in Chicago, you remember that, right? Kids, too.