Many of you know I am hard on Barack Obama. And, I will continue to be - not because I dislike him...I have nothing against him: I've actually met him and think he's a nice guy. My issue is not with him...my issue is with us - Black people.
My criticism is because we cannot afford to simply rubber stamp any candidate - including a Black one. Yet, in the absence of any real choice (any choice that the majority will research) - and being faced with the lesser of two evils, it's a catch twenty-two. Do we elect the Black candidate (lesser) and at least have a Black man? Or, do we vote against the Black candidate (lesser) and prevent America from blaming Black people for the mess that will come, regardless of if it's McCain or Obama?
To achieve reparations requires us to make tough choices that may seem far fetched. But, that's the reality.
Yet - as I say constantly - I am race-first...not anti-anyone. But, I understand that of all Americans - Black Americans have long been furthest from the Cause of Liberty. And, ultimately Liberty is what we want. So, I must think thus: what puts us closer to the path of Liberty?
Honestly, the best thing would have been for Senator Obama to have lost the Democratic Primary. For or goal is to "capitalize on the new American political landscape." The problem is as Brother Malcolm said:
If Obama had lost in the Primary - if Hillary was allowed to steal the election, maybe Black people would have awakened to a new sense of awareness: neither Party has the interests of Black people at heart...neither has a solution. Maybe if he had lost, the stranglehold of the Democratic Pary would have been loosened, and we would have begun to challenge all Parties to speak to our issues. But, he won...so we move forward.
And, still hoping for a political awakening forces me to realize that only an Obama victory even has the potential to fulfill that goal. For, if he were to loose, the only thing we would do is blame racism - specifically Republican racism. This, in turn, would deepen our blind allegiance to the Democratic Party - leading us further down the road to serfdom.
This is why Obama must win. Or, maybe herein lies yet another angle for why he must not? What do you say?
Come and Get Your Reparations!
My criticism is because we cannot afford to simply rubber stamp any candidate - including a Black one. Yet, in the absence of any real choice (any choice that the majority will research) - and being faced with the lesser of two evils, it's a catch twenty-two. Do we elect the Black candidate (lesser) and at least have a Black man? Or, do we vote against the Black candidate (lesser) and prevent America from blaming Black people for the mess that will come, regardless of if it's McCain or Obama?
To achieve reparations requires us to make tough choices that may seem far fetched. But, that's the reality.
Yet - as I say constantly - I am race-first...not anti-anyone. But, I understand that of all Americans - Black Americans have long been furthest from the Cause of Liberty. And, ultimately Liberty is what we want. So, I must think thus: what puts us closer to the path of Liberty?
Honestly, the best thing would have been for Senator Obama to have lost the Democratic Primary. For or goal is to "capitalize on the new American political landscape." The problem is as Brother Malcolm said:
The black man in North America was sickest of all politically. He let the white man divide him into such foolishness as considering himself a black "Democrat," a black "Republican," a black "conservative," or a black "Liberal"...when a ten-million strong black vote bloc could be the deciding balance of power in American politics...Right now, Blacks are stuck in the Democratic Party. Not because we necessarily agree with their platform, but essentially because that's what we know. We don't challenge either Party on issues of particular concern, specifically to the Black Community. We simply accept their "cookie-cutter policies" hoping that one day 'ole massa will do right by us!
If Obama had lost in the Primary - if Hillary was allowed to steal the election, maybe Black people would have awakened to a new sense of awareness: neither Party has the interests of Black people at heart...neither has a solution. Maybe if he had lost, the stranglehold of the Democratic Pary would have been loosened, and we would have begun to challenge all Parties to speak to our issues. But, he won...so we move forward.
And, still hoping for a political awakening forces me to realize that only an Obama victory even has the potential to fulfill that goal. For, if he were to loose, the only thing we would do is blame racism - specifically Republican racism. This, in turn, would deepen our blind allegiance to the Democratic Party - leading us further down the road to serfdom.
This is why Obama must win. Or, maybe herein lies yet another angle for why he must not? What do you say?
Come and Get Your Reparations!
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2 comments:
This is for the reason Obama MUST win. We as Black people will blame Republicans for being racist and somehow cheating. We would also lose the excitement of new black voters. I too am a Obama supporter but I still keep asking myself the question why is Obama not polling tens of points ahead of John McCain and his discredited party. But Obama has been a sure shot only with blue collar workers, college students, animated not only by Obama's intellect, but also by his "diverseness" and its symbolic import for showing that what our ancestors endured in the past is THE PAST.
The News would quote Angry Black people on the streets for weeks, while racist white people smiling on the sidelines. Don't t talk about 2009 We would spend the year blaming the republican party for ALL our misfortunes instead of using this opportunity to remind us that to be black is still to be a victim.
This would also hold back other BLACK Leaders: For years to come, we would remember the 2008 election as a lesson about racism rather than about a heartening near-victory that no one could have imagined as recently as 15 years ago.
I often ask why as black people are we so pessimistic. Is because of insecurity? Is because we are unsure of our worth is so called "whit America"? My opinion is that as Black people seek the crutch victimhood as a substitute for a true pride.
I have seen Obama being compared to MLK. If we understood MLK's lesson as truly being equal we must understand that RACE is not the only reason Obama could lose. If he did not win WE NEED TO CELEBRATE HOW CLOSE OBAMA CAME TO BEING OUR NEXT PRESIDENT AND HOW FAR WE HAVE COME IN "WHITE AMERICA". There is still a lot of work to be done. Hopefully, when he wins Black will not become too relaxed and look to him for encouragement and see where he came from and what he has achieved.
I think you're right...there's a lot of work to be done - either way. I do think it will be more difficult should Obama not win. If he wins, we'll battle complacency. If he looses, we'll battle cynicism. Which is worse? I don't know...
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