Why Blacks Don't Get The Conservative Case (But Should)

I am an Independent conservative, and I found this writers( James Thindwa) liberal comments very interesting. He spoke as a resident of south Chicago. I know the racial climate couldn't be any worse there, than it is here in Memphis TN. Politics in this area, are definitely racially polarized. I thought it would be interesting, to address this writers arguments one by one. The writer who labels himself, as a progressive leftist Democrat. Has done the same in regards, to a Republican commentators comments. I'll consider this as my response, to his response to her. He started like this:

I just recently came across conservative commentator Star Parker’s January 18 article “The Credibility of Black Conservatism,” in Townhall.com, a conservative Web journal. Parker’s piece was apparently prompted by the storm then surrounding Armstrong Williams, the discredited black radio and television commentator. Williams, we recall, got in trouble when it was revealed that he received payment from the U.S. Department of Education to plug George W. Bush’s “No Child Left Behind” program.

This is my rebuttal to his comments, I'll start like this:

I say liberals are so sensitive. When it comes to what conservatives say. They don't exercise the same courtesy when confronted with a difference of opinion. When you observe a conversation between the two sides. Who is usually calling names, and making disparaging remarks? "Star Parker" the Republican in question. Referred to the New Orleans victims having a welfare mentality. She could have possibly used a better choice of words. Can you imagine the things she's been called as a Black conservative? The unfortunate thing is, she was telling the truth. New Orleans had a population of about 480,000 people, with less than 250,000 people working. I said that to say this. Many of the people of New Orleans were on welfare. They were only exhibiting the mentality they were familiar with. Would you prefer they dressed it up for the camera? If the shoe doesn't fit, you don't have to wear it. We can't hide that out of control cousin, in the backroom. And act like he isn't there, when company comes. When disaster strikes, we have to save him too.

I don't think the conservative agenda is to round up dependants. Unlike that of the Democratic party of the past. I'm sure that strategy is going to change. It's not working anymore. Neither of the parties hold the solution to our problems. We have to get it right among ourselves. In my humble opinion that can only be accomplished through God.The goal here is to teach people to be self sufficient as possible. Maintain and keep, more of what you have. Let's not pretend Katrina only struck New Orleans. It hit the state of Mississippi as well. What about the cities on the Gulf coast? They were destroyed too. Looking at the media coverage, you would think only New Orleans got hit. If your motive is truly correction. How do you approach someone, with something other than the truth. That's one of the main problems here, we've been dressing up a lie. It's easy to drag up some isolated occurence, to compare the inequities of our government. I bet it's easier to name something you know that happens everyday. That cost the taxpayers a fortune. You just don't talk about it, because you don't want to tell. The truth of the matter is, it's tough but it's fair.

Blacks are voting liberal-Democrat because of tradition. We are sold on the fact that we are victims, so we assume we should stick together. Only problem is, we come together for the wrong things. Jessee Jackson and people like him are not credible to me and others. Many Blacks just dismiss the thought of even listening with an open mind to the other side. The raising of the minimum wage and a living wage, to most working Blacks aren't major issues. Even if it were raised, who want's to hoover around that rate? I dare say to you,we aren't prepared to pay $5 for a hamburger. What we should be concerned with, is tax reform and keeping more of their money. Raising the minimum wage would discourage starting business. Which is something we need to do. We always focus on how much, we can get from someone else. Instead of focusing on obtaining our own. If Wal-Mart closed tommorow who do you think it would hurt the most? Probably the workers themselves. Not to mention those who shop there religiously. The Waltons are five of the richest people in the world. It's unrealistic to concern yourself with the money they spend personally in regards to Black economics. All the money Oprah gives away she can't even make a dent.

On the issue of racism, why is it so important that Black conservatives speak out. There is really no reason to do so. The liberal Black community is doing an adequate job of that themselves. Anything that remotely resembles racism, we're on it, like a duck on a junebug. We've got it covered. To imply anyone supports the mistreatment of their people is deceptive, if not dishonest. Because as a group they aren't holding news confrences. Doesn't mean they are absent in protesting violence. What exactly can we do outside of vigilante justice. To change hate crime legislation, could have an undesired effect for some. People like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton wouldn't have a job. Everything they usually say could be considered racist propoganda. We don't have exclusitivity on facing prejudice. We just focus on it more than anybody else. While we were fighting over our seat on the bus. Jews were being stripped naked and shot. Why would you associate racism with conservatism? Instead of with biggots and racist, where it belongs. Has it ever occured to you that's the way it's planned? Kind of like the old saying. "If you don't want Blacks to know something, put it in a book".


To say Blacks respect intellectual and political independence is simply not true. That's largely the problem, we don't respect the ideas of others. The William Bennett statement ruffled a lot of feathers. The statement he made, in the context it was used. It could have applied to any race. He really was responding to someone elses question to him. The liberal media took the statement and ran as usual. It's not a major issue anyway, it's not like it's going to happen. It's just one mans opinion. In light of all the social issues, we can't seem to solve. It would stand to reason someone would offer controversial solutions, or some we find offensive. I'm not saying I agree with his statement,but I understood it. Most people wouldn't concern themselves with what William Bennett said, if certain people didn't make it their business to remind them.

As a black man , I can see the ill affects of affirmative action on our race. What it has done is emasculated the Black man. The best way to handle a race of people, is strip the power from the man. Affirmative action was needed, and unfortunately it may still be. The thing is we didn't put it to good use, when it was timely. It ended up being the tool to put the Black man, in competiton with the Black woman. Killing two sometimes three birds, with one stone. Hiring a minority, a woman, and sometimes getting a booty in the process. We won't get another forty years to get it right. Our time has come and gone. We are no longer faced with the same issues we were during the crest of the civil rights movement. If it really worked, or created it's intended purpose. Someone should be charging Blacks, of the offences we accuse others of now. In hindsight we have used it against ourselves. How many people have been given jobs because of the hook-up? Another name for the procedure is networking. It's the same thing, just a different level. We have and will continue to compromise our position with our refusal to do it right. We are now guilty ourselves, of what our complaints have been about others;

I'm glad liberals are even talking about enviromental concerns. It allows yet another oppurtunity to reveal the facts. We recently dealt with this issue in our community. Our Black Democratic elected officials played politics with the issue. They took the popular way out. Twenty years from now, liberal politicians will be blaming their decision on enviromental racism. Instead of telling the voters the truth. They said what they needed to say, to try and get elected. And appeal to the generator of the revenue. They delayed the final decision for three years. The voters will have forgotten all about it by then. The will and health of their constituents, took a backseat to economics and politics. I think that's always the case. It's not personal, it's profit driven (business). Decisions are based on the bottom line. Remember the bestselling book and #1 movie "Erin Brockavich"? That's just one of the more popular cases;

Blacks oppose the war under any circumstances. They don't want to fight. No one was complaining when they were being paid to be weekend warriors. Using hurricane Katrina as a reason not to support this administration is a cop-out. Everything bad that happens. We want to blame the conservative agenda. President Bush may be a powerful man,but he doesn't control the elements.Since when do you join the Army, if you aren't prepared to fight? Everyone in the military volunteered;


Everyone that has community healthcare is going broke. Though it sounds good it doesn't work. No one bothers to tell you, it might take a year for an x-ray. Or months to get a simple shot. A C.T. scan is out of the question. Things we take for granted become a luxury ;

Historical racism will never disappear. Why should we focus on something that we cannot change? We can only use it as a reminder, of where we've been. And help us not to return there again. We cannot honestly say things haven't changed dramatically in the last 20 years. Even if there is yet a long way to go. We only want to look at the side of the issue that affects us. Not racism as a whole. I can't name an organized group of Blacks, that have sought out particularly whites.Other than maybe the N.O.I.,until recently. They've watered their speech down quite a bit.It was largely just speech anyway. The minority, usually don't go after the majority. Except in instances of being ordained by God, it usually doesn't work. On the other hand I can name several groups blacks have organized to assist in their own peoples destruction. The Crips and Bloods for instance. That would be an article in itself. I don't discount the injustices of the past. Why are we not more recognizant, of the fact that it's not happening now?

When it comes to trade agreements, and the American economy. I take a simplistic view,labeled supply and demand. The same people making this argument are most likely to buy something made in "Korea". Wal-Mart stores are open 24 hrs. a day. We want to earn more money, but we want to spend less. Why buy one bic lighter and spend $1.59, when you can buy three no names for a $1.00. You save money but coupled with others doing the same, you cancel an American job. If Hugo Chavez is doing so much in Venezuela, why don't the cheerleading Americans go over there? The truth of the matter is. It's better to have less in America, than more elsewhere. It's hard to imagine the majority of Blacks flocking to anything until it's too late.

The whole liberal argument revolves around what someone else has. And how much of it, you can get. Lawsuits aren't the answer to Black economic woes. That works on an individual basis, much like the lottery. For every winner there's a million loosers. Liberals want the goverment to force those that have, to share with those that don't. To a degree more than they already have. The 2% of the population creates the economy for the rest of us. What if this 2%, just decided to take their money and leave. That would put the rest of us in a heck of a fix. The Democrats criticized a plan to give those people a tax break. Those are the people who create the jobs for everybody else. It's like the situation with Saudi Arabia. They possess like a 1/3 of the money in American banks. We can't just break ties with them, because of an out of control nephew (Osama Bin Laden).

As long as people like Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and Louis Farrakahn are what's considered our leaders. We don't pose a serious threat anyway. Control their opinion, they influence the masses separately. These three leaders have never united for anything, that I can remember. They have never been on a stage together, for a single combined cause. I'm not saying they don't have legitimate gripes sometimes. It's just overshadowed by all the bogus claims they make. It bothers me that their opinion carries so much weight. I have no problem with their opinions being heard. I just wish the Black conservative opinion, would be given the same attention. More than likely between all three of these people, you still don't hear my position.I see these people on the television all day long, for the Black conservative I have to search. Larry Elder comes on early in the morning,at least he used to. Star Parker doesn't come on at all. Anybody that listens to political arguments, knows who uses the inappropiate language. These people called attack dogs are just responding to past experience. After a while you get tired of being called an "Uncle Tom or sell-out". Most Black conservatives have developed thick skin. As far as the character of those we consider leaders goes. If you take the positive aspects of their character, and dismiss the negative. You aren't weighing this issue objectively.

Respect still matters among Blacks depending on who we are talking about. To the contrary we are breeding an atmosphere of disrespect for authority in the name of culture. We want to go to their arenas and enforce our cultures, traditions and wishes on others. We have to lead by example. And strive for perfection through practice. The discipline of old regardless of where it came from. Isn't being exercised with consistency, in the Black community today.

In addressing the various concerns above all one thing has stood out. Black people much to our chagrin, aren't necessary to win anymore. We want to come to the table and negotiate, when we have nothing to offer. Our support isn't indicative of the final result. We are no longer the majority minority, as we've been in the past. A distinction we have enjoyed for quite some time. Instead of focusing on what the conservatives should offer us. Maybe we should reverse our thinking. They're the ones in power. They don't have to have our support. In case you haven't noticed, the conservatives won. We need to appeal to them. Why is pointing this out to Blacks, by a Black considered betrayal? We are robbing those conservative Blacks, of their significance in the political arena. Based on our prejudices among each other. Considering we represented who we supported by 88%, we did our part. It just wasn't enough. Instead of the message changing to fit the people. Maybe the people should change to fit the message. Which approach is working? Certainly not the one we've been using.