GREEN JOBS "ADVISOR" NAMED - MAINSTREAM MEDIA IGNORES APPOINTMENT

August 21, 2009

We've been waiting to see what kind of coverage Obama's appointment of Van Jones as the U.S. Green Jobs Special Advisor would get from the mainstream media. it was of interest because of Mr. Jones' previous affiliations and "social justice" beliefs. He admittedly has advocated for social unrest and describes himself as a "communist" and a "rowdy black nationalist".

Now, we've tried to be pragmatic when reporting on issues affecting the country, but it's difficult to understand why this appointment has been largely ignored. Considering the coverage Obama's relationship with Reverend Wright got from the press, it's strange that this fellow has flown under the radar.

Granted, Mr. Jones has advocated for increasing our focus on using green technology for a number of years and has published a book entitled "The Green Collar Economy". But, given the background and admitted beliefs of Mr. Jones, should he have been the primary choice to fill this position? What good does it do for the Administration to have a man described by NewsBusters as having "a very checkered past" deep-rooted in radical politics, including black nationalism, anarchism, and communism" guiding the Nation's green technology interests? There were no other candidates with equal or better qualifications and with less polarizing ideas to fill this position?

Again, putting aside politics and focusing simply on the best interests of the Country, why introduce such an admitted social radical into the top-levels of government? We need people in Washington that are concerned with doing the right thing, rather than radicals from either side pushing special-interest agendas. These type of appointments are disturbing, especially since they evade the normal "consent" process that Congress has over confirming Cabinet Secretaries.

Our charge is to give our readers the facts as we can best discern from information gather from numerous sources, especially when important stories are ignored by the mainstream media. Therefore, we will give you the background of Mr. Jones and let you decide whether he is the best choice.

We've already pointed out Mr. Jones advocacy for green technology and promoting the creation of jobs from increased use and his published book on green economy. An active advocate for a number of years. Now, let's look at his past. Jones is an admitted San Francisco extremist who says he was "radicalized in jail".

The National Review Online reports that Jones was a co-founder of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, a San Francisco–area organization once focused exclusively on so-called social-justice issues. Now, actively involved in the green movement.

In a 2007 entry on the Huffington Post, Jones marked the 15th anniversary of the riots that followed the acquittal of the four LAPD officers accused of beating Rodney King. Attached to the post is an essay he wrote in those heady days of 1992, which includes this account of the genesis of his revolutionary ardor:

"Our rallying cry was for justice; our demand was that the System be changed! Yes, the Great Revolutionary Moment had at long last come. And the time, clearly, was ours! So we stole stuff.Y’know, stole stuff. Radios, tennis shoes. Well, not everybody, of course.The vast majority (me included) just marched around and chanted slogans. But some set trash cans on fire. And smashed in car windows. And some kids stoned a few passing cars pretty good. And stole stuff, like I said."

So it's obvious that Mr. Jones at one time at least felt that he was part of "the Great Revolution" and they felt the need for "justice", which was demonstrated by stealing merchandise from neighborhood stores.

We just have to question Mr. Obama's choice, it seems too in-line with previous affiliations with Frank Marshall Davis, Jeremiah Wright, and Bill Ayers. Again, we do not need polarizing figures with radical agendas deciding policy for our Country.