Black Republicans

That clip, no matter how unfair it seems, is my view of MOST black republicans. I have respect for some. I've always had the utmost respect for Colin Powell. I was excited to find out he actually backed Barack Obama in this election and it shows me that he isn't the typical stereotype I have of black republicans. I think black republicans let their white friends tell racist jokes to them, the people who feel special when white people tell them "they're not like the others", they are the people who say "I don't date black men/women because .......", and they are the folks who want to distance themselves from anything black as much as possible. They are the people I envision who believe weave, perm, and color contacts are the only true way to be beautiful, and for a woman to not do so is shameful.



I also to a certain extent have much respect for Condoleezza Rice, because I know she isn't the stereotype either. She served as a foreign policy advisor to Gary Hart, even though she had switched parties. I know her father became a Republican after being refused the right to vote by a Democratic Register in Jim Crow Alabama. I don't agree with her views of Affirmative Action, but I respect her position and find her to be the one ounce of intelligence in the current administration.

I am going to take my issue with black republicans point by point, so people don't assume I just dislike or stereotype folks just for the sake of it.

The argument of the black republicans is typically that the democrats are who kept black people in slavery and Jim Crow and that the Republican party was founded by abolitionists. This is true, but when it came time to end Jim Crow many of those Democrats of yesteryear, the dixiecrats switched to the Republican party who was in favor of state rights, and who felt that segregation was a state rights issue, not a federal issue. If we waited for certain states to come around on the concept of Jim Crow, we would be still utilizing Jim Crow, in fact Jim Crow is implemented in not a so overt manner in many neighborhoods, social organizations, and schools. The republicans of today are not the republicans of yesteryear, same could be said of the democrats. Blacks pretty much until Roosevelt's New Deal voted republican.

Many black republicans tend to believe that education and professional excellence is all it takes to get ahead in society. In white society yes, but they tend to forget the racial inequalities, and just because some make it, doesn't mean all will make it. Not to mention, I think most rational blacks believe in advancing their education and getting a job, but in some cases the resources aren't in place and the knowledge isn't there on how to do such things. My mother didn't know about how to get in and pay for college, her parents didn't either. She had to go to her aunt, who had been to college to learn. What if no one in your family had ever been to college and what if you parents wouldn't or couldn't help you on how to figure it all out? If you are going to an inner city school where the turnover of teachers is on a regular basis and you don't have a computer lab, or guidance counselor who actually cares about their job, and you have parents who can't help you, what are you options in knowing and learning how to advance? This is really a class issue versus race issue, but honestly I can't deny white privilege, call me racist if you want.

I think many black republicans are under the belief that the black community treats criminals like victims. I don't think the "liberal" black community does, but what they do is note and point out the difference in how black criminals are treated versus white criminals, and if race is truly not an issue, why do we not look at the discrepancies and remedy them? Why is it wrong to get upset because Tyrone gets two years of jail time for the same crime Brad committed, and Brad only got community service, and they both had the same judge. In Paris, TX we had Shaquanda Cotton as a prime example of this. Seven years in prison for pushing a hall monitor with no prior record vs. a girl getting probation for burning down her family's house to me says that there is an issue with how our justice system is carried out. Don't get me started on Dallas County's false conviction rate.

Black republicans are under the impression that black americans aren't patriotic. I think black americans are some of the most patriotic people there are. We have fought in every war of this country since it's beginnings, and some fought knowing they would return to a country that didn't treat them as a whole citizen. So I don't get how blacks aren't perceived as patriotic unless they go republican.

They believe in independence and self help. Who doesn't but really who doesn't need help at one time, and aren't we are glad that there are safety nets in the country for those hard economic times to protect people. I don't think most black people believe in sitting on their butts and getting a check every month. Even Rush Limbaugh has been on public assistance, even though he is vehemently against it. Of course I have issues with anyone black who would align with that man. Of course I don't understand how you can align yourselves with people who think like this either:



They want free enterprise, but let's get real, if you open up a business in a crime infested, poverty stricken neighborhood, how are you going to generate money, and how will you get people from outside the neighborhood to frequent it if it has a bad reputation, and let's say you do end up with a bunch of successful businesses in the neighborhood, and you start to build it up. You know have to deal with gentrification, and how and what do we do with those who can no longer afford the neighborhoods and taxes on the up and coming neighborhoods. We didn't fix poverty and crime, you just swept it under the rug and moved those people elsewhere.

I do agree with republicans on one thing. The welfare system did eliminate the role of the black father in the black community, but I won't deny that welfare is needed, not as a lifetime option, but a temporary option. Job assistance, and education is key to getting off of welfare, and if we continue to cut these programs, like this current administration has done, you will do nothing to end welfare.

Now I will go on to the most favorite topic. Affirmative Action, many black republicans are against it. I say it is needed, and what irks me even more is the amount of black republicans who are probably recipients of such programs are now so opposed. The perception of black people in America is that we are crime prone, less intelligent, and unable to be in positions of authority in corporate America. That is just the cold hard truth, and if you do manage to disprove folks wrong, you are the exception and not the rule. I think many black people who are republicans get this treatment and believe, they want to prove how different they are and they want to believe that the others didn't get ahead because they all sat on their tails waiting for a welfare check. I am going to tell folks a secret, MOST BLACK PEOPLE AREN'T ON WELFARE, and if we look at sheer numbers the biggest recipient of welfare benefits are white women. My husband after his parents divorce was on welfare for a short time. His mother brags that when they were on welfare they ate better than any other time in their lives. Steaks, lobster, and everything else was common when the welfare check came. My grandmother was a divorcee who raised three boys, and never once was on welfare, she instead worked three jobs at a time. If people were to put both women side by side, who would they most likely assume to be on welfare? Affirmative Action is needed and the proof is in the unemployment rates and the income discrepancies between races in this country.

Now this goes along the lines of my last non entertainment post. I disagree with conservatives that the principles of this country were founded on religion. I always don't think this nation should be a Christian nation, it should be based upon religious freedom, which is what I think this country was founded on. Not all the founding fathers were Christian, some were deists. I found it crazy that it is socially acceptable to assume most muslims supported 9/11 or Al Queda, that Jews are going to hell, and that children, regardless of religion should be forced to pray in school. As I say this, I do think the majority of black Christians tend to be very conservative because the black church is somewhat conservative in terms of social issues such as abortion, sex before marriage, and homosexuality.

Overall I think the that black republicans don't get it, and if they do "get it" they tend to turn their backs on others, and like the idea of being the exception, not the rule. They want to believe the media portrayal of black people, it makes their star shine brighter.