Following the path of what I believe is a true Republican.// By anonymous ..
My feeling is
that President Abraham Lincoln represented what a true Republican is. I have,
after being a Democrat for 40 years, I have taken on the mantel of being a
Republican for three reasons.
1] I think the
back and forth banter over social programs has gotten Black people nowhere
except in a trap of poverty for about 40 % of our population and has left us as
very confused voters. Social programs, many started under President Roosevelt,
were not even available to Black people because of governmental racism back in
the 1930’s and 1940’s... When such programs are available to us, they often
lead to our being ``hooked’’ on the social program and not making much
financial and political progress. There
are people in our neighborhoods who promote socialism and communism. I am not
one of them. I think our biggest problem, aside from not trusting each other
and being deserving of such trust by not playing games and exploiting each
other, is our severe lack of access to the capital needed to start businesses
of our own and successfully maintain those businesses. We also need to support,
unequivocally, our own Black businesses and give such Black business owners
more than a second chance to do the best they can.
2] The other reason
I have become a Republican is the fact that the Democratic Party was started by
racists. Now the shoe seems to be on the
other foot, with Republicans being mostly the racist ones. My contention is
that both Republicans and Democrats are ``hooked’’ on White supremacy – for the
most part – and not interested in helping the majority of Black people get good
jobs, maintain those jobs, get good educations, and buy Real Estate, buy stocks
and bonds in their own companies, and do the best for themselves as Black
people and Black communities.
We have to take
on the mantel of these things ourselves and think positively, never betray our
Black Brothers and Sisters and keep our eyes on the prize. The prize, which in
my opinion is real freedom, real justice and real equality as well as real
opportunity, has to stop being just out of reach, and start being a reality
instead of an elusive North American dream.
We can provide these things for ourselves without going begging, hat in
hand, to the White man.
The key is to be
honest with yourself where ever your political philosophy is. Now Republicans
are quite racist. You might ask, ``What am I as a progressive and revolutionary
thinker doing among them? I rarely vote Republican. In the last Presidential
election I voted for Nelson Mandela for President; Angela Davis for United
States of Native America Senate ; and for myself as a Congressman. I wrote in
the votes. This gave me the power to lift my head high when I exited the voting
booth. I did not compromise. I did not vote for the gentleman who is now serving
in the White House, nor do I think I could considering his racist stand on many
issues and his conservative stand on many issues. I am a progressive and a
revolutionary. A Black man who is openly Gay and proud of myself for the achievements
I have made.
The racists have
tried to keep me back and hold me back for years and years, but, following the
path GOD has set before me, I have kept my head up and my spirits up, no matter
what. I have lost both parents in the last 11 years; and I have a good
relationship with people many people, but only one LOVer. Much of the estrangement of my extended
family has to do with my financial vilification and the fact that I have to
exists on less than $1,400.00 a month.
To me, this is humanly impossible considering the cost of rent and food and
other items in Philadelphia and other such big cities.
I have Big plans
to sell Tee-Shirts; sell my books; and get work that will be meaningful and
financially rewarding. At 60, I have found this very difficult to do, but I
keep working at it everyday and have made progress. It is not nearly the progress
I want to make, but it is progress none the less… The third reason I joined the Republican
Party was to get into the ring with the enemy and face them down right up close
and personal. I will probably find some allies, but I am a very liberal person
at heart. However, the Democrats have not promoted enough Black leadership and
haven’t had a true liberal since John Kennedy in the White house. I also am a
Republican so I can make some real and true money instead of the money I make
right now. I am on disability, but I know I won’t be for long, because GOD’s
path has and will lead to something much better. I don’t think people should be judged by
their party affiliation; age; sex; sexual orientation; gender status; eye
color; skin color; national origin; religion; or their ability to pay any
certain financial fee. I am tired of
Black people saying ``this is a struggle’’ and ``I’m part of the struggle’’. At
60 I should not be struggling any longer. I am also tired of Black people
saying they blame everything on the White man. Not when we are the ones not
supporting our Black activists who have dedicated 20, 30 or 40 years to the
forward movement of our Black people. Not when we are the ones who still spend
$80.00 among Asian or White people to get our nails done; not when we are the
ones spending $300.00 on Season football tickets when we hardly have food on
the table and our children’s schooling paid for; not when we spend hundreds of
dollars on lottery tickets and don’t even know where the Black bank is, never
visit and never open an account there.
These are thing that we as Black people can change over time. If we
change them and take positive action to eat better, live better and treat each
other more fairly, it doesn’t matter what religion we are or what party we
belong to. I am a Republican to learn and to teach. Not
to support any one candidate.
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