OPEN LETTER FROM AFRICAN AMERICANS TO THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY

FreeRepublic | this spring | Frances RIce

[BackInBlack]

This is very interesting material, and I admit it's making me rethink my position to some extent. It's still baffling to me that a white supremecist could vote for a party that favors affirmative action. I could see voting for local Democrats, but that's a different story entirely -- not sure if that's what you mean. But there's certainly barely a presence of the KKK (or Council of Conservative Citizens types: www.cofcc.org) in the Northeast or Pacific Coast -- the heart of Democrat country. And the Council of Conservative Citizens certainly seems to support Republicans far more than Democrats.

Irrelevant to this general line of thought, MLK Jr. actually favored affirmative action explicitly. He is misremembered in that regard. But I disagree with him on that.

[Waryone]

You obviously don't live in the South, and you have never seen a 'yellow dog democrat.'

I assure you those Democrats exist today, and for the longest time (think even today's KKK Robert Byrd) the Democrats have tried all they can think of to keep them voting Democratic here in the South. Democrats have never let principles get in the way of keeping power.

I for one think they should be pressed to pay up. If Shallow AL Sharpton is looking for his 40 acres and a mule, he'd do best to get them from his Democratic friends who are the ones who kept those promises from us.

[hoosiermama]

Thanks ...I had tried to find this book at a bookstore....couldn't remember the name....Do appreciate the link.

[bellas_sister]

bump for reading later

[cuz_it_aint_their_money]

Hoosiermama, you’re preaching to the choir. I was not being sarcastic with my post, nor was I questioning or “dissing” Ms. Rice in any way. I think it’s great that an obviously well educated Black female is standing up to the DemonRat political machine.

My question was a simple honest inquiry that I had hoped one day Ms. Rice or someone else in the Black community could answer.

And yes I was taught some of this information in school. Of course, I’ve also been accused of being older than mud. And, I went to school before the liberal brain washing NEA took control of the school system.

So I’ll again throw out the question for anybody to answer.

With survey after survey stating that the “typical middle class Black” wants the same things for his/her family that President Bush and the GOP have tried to provide, (and that which the DemonRat party has promised year after year after year ad-nausea and has never delivered on), such as school vouchers and limiting abortion on demand, why does “typical Black America” continue to vote a straight DemonRat ticket?

[Coffee_drinker]

ping-pong

[BackInBlack]

You make some excellent points. Your graph on the county-by-county voting is instructive. However, there are other factors at play, which I'd like to address.

First, I'd be interested to know whether the margins of Republican victory in white southern counties are greater than in rural northern counties. Given that cities like Atlanta aren't preventing massive Republican victories in Georgia in national elections, whereas Portland can hand Oregon to the Dems (for instance), this is a question worth pursuing.

Second, you ask, what's the racist wing of the Republican Party? It's people who subscribe to the views espoused by groups like the Council of Conservative Citizens: www.cofcc.org. Those folks ain't voting Democrat.

You say no racist Democrat switched parties other than Thurmond. The Dixiecrats were a party, not just one man. And the Dixiecrats were Democrats who had, yes, switched parties. Not necessarily to the Reps, but not Dems.

Plus, it's hard to deny that the South started going Republican as a result of the civil rights movement, which was propelled by northern Dems (and voted for by northern Reps). Remember, non-southern House Dems voted for the CRA 141-4. That's not the only factor, but it certainly matters. The sheer strength of Strom Thurmond's candidacy demonstrates that many southern Democrats were not content with their party and were looking to switch. And do you count people like Jesse Helms? Or Whitten? Albert Watson? Or even Trent Lott, who opposed integration at his college and was affiliated with the Council for Conservative Citizens? Besides, why not consider folks like David Duke, a Republican?

Again, I'm not saying I support the Democrats. I don't. But there IS a racist wing of the Republican Party, and it is significant.

[BackInBlack]

See my post to tuckrdout for an answer.

[Outlaw76]

"The letter mentions how the KKK was a wing of the Democratic Party, but I think you'd be hard pressed to find a KKK member today who would vote Democrat."

You don't live in the south do you?

I am from a rural district in north east Arkansas. ALL county offices are held by Democrats and have been since reconstruction. All races are resolved during the primaries.

Now I can't say that everyone of these people don a white sheet and sing Kumbiah around a burning cross - but I do know that a few have, and that things like that still occur in that neck of the woods.

Democrats are very strong in the more racist regions of this state. NE/SE/SW . They are loosing strength in the central region and have little power left in the NW.

I suspect this is a trend throughout the south. As racism and hate falter, so does the democrat party in the south.

[BackInBlack]

Sorry, I should have clarified. I meant that KKK and Council of Conservative Citizens (CCC) types wouldn't vote for Democrats on a national level, because those were the ones associated with the civil rights movement, affirmative action, and welfare. Forgive the vagueness of the previous reference.

[Go Gordon]

BTTT

[BackInBlack]

I, too, admire Condi Rice a great deal. Your question was this:

"With survey after survey stating that the “typical middle class Black” wants the same things for his/her family that President Bush and the GOP have tried to provide, (and that which the DemonRat party has promised year after year after year ad-nausea and has never delivered on), such as school vouchers and limiting abortion on demand, why does “typical Black America” continue to vote a straight DemonRat ticket?"

You are right that many blacks oppose abortion on demand, but blacks don't tend to vote on that issue. For me, being pro-life does affect my vote, but I'm the exception, not the rule. As for vouchers that issue has only gotten hot in the last couple of years, and isn't so monumental as to make people change their votes when issues such as income redistribution, the minimum wage, gun control, and affirmative action are on the table. Those tend to be the most important issues to black voters. Try as I might to convince my friends that welfare is a road to nowhere, that's not the prevailing view.

[Waryone]

Sorry but I do not believe your answer to tuckrdout applies to my post.

You said: Now don't get me wrong; I vote Republican, straight down the ticket. But that doesn't mean I respect the racist wing of the party. And come on, let's not kid ourselves: the national Republicans capitalize on that wing.

I know that there are some racists within the Republican party. There are racists in both parties, but I don't agree with your belief that Republicans have been able to capitalize on that "wing." As someone who has lived in the South and is well over forty years old, it has always been the Democrats who have capitalized on the yellow dog racists.

You continue: The letter mentions how the KKK was a wing of the Democratic Party, but I think you'd be hard pressed to find a KKK member today who would vote Democrat.

You may be hard pressed to find anyone who would admit they were a member of the KKK, but most of them educate their children with instructions similar to those given to black children -- "always vote the straight Democratic ticket."

The difference being that the KKK members almost always add that they will never forgive what the Republicans did to them in the Civil War.

I take issue with this continued statement of yours: So in this debate, I think we should stick to the issues -- welfare is harmful, affirmative action breeds resentment -- rather than this imagined line of descent from racist southern Democrats to modern northeastern Democrats.

The line is clear historically, no imagination is necessary. As for a select group of "modern northeastern Democrats," as I said to you, they have courted the southern yellow dog Democrats for years in order to keep their power. They have had a great deal of practice doing a strange dance similar to what Kerry does today, they said one thing to the black audiences one day and something else to the southern whites the next day.

Spend a little time learning about history as it really occurred. (Read Wayne Perryman's book Unfounded Loyalty) Then carefully examine the political history of the South and see how long the northern Democratic political machines were able to play on the southern white racists' vehement hatred of the Republican party.

There is a reason why the first black (full term) US Senator was a Republican from Massachusetts, and the until fairly recently, Republicans could not get elected in much of the South.

[TXnMA]

Whereas reconciliation and healing always begin with an apology and an effort to repay those who have been wronged,

' Took only two "Wheras'es" to get around to reparations, I see...

[Monkey Face]

Because they have not been allowed the EDUCATION that they should have been granted. They have been oppressed and kept in ignorance for one reason only: To further the needs of the "Democratic" party.

It is logical and comes from common sense...if one is a victim of the Mushroom Syndrome, one only knows the mushroom caves.

[BackInBlack]

You make a compelling argument. One thing, though. You say: "[Modern Northeastern Democrats] have had a great deal of practice doing a strange dance similar to what Kerry does today, they said one thing to the black audiences one day and something else to the southern whites the next day." I'd genuinely be curious to know what Kerry and other northeastern whites in recent years have said to southern whites that might be offensive to blacks. It would be good fodder for debates with black friends who vote Democrat!

I would like to ask your thoughts on the Council for Conservative Citizens. They clearly favor Republicans, and I see them as paradigmatic of the "racist wing" of the Republican Party. Are they non-representative? (I ask that genuinely, not rhetorically.)

I also wonder what you see as the reason behind the southern shift away from Democrats (in national elections) over the last 60 years. The Dixeicrats were, of course, not Democrats, by definition. And their big issue was segregation, right? And what happened after 1964 besides the Civil Rights Act that can explain why federal Democrats, especially presidential candidates, have a tough time winning southern states, when they used to take that for granted? Again, a genuine question. If the conventional wisdom is wrong, I'd like to hear why.

[hoosiermama]

"the liberal brain washing NEA took control of the school system."

BINGO!!!!

I taught school for 30+ years and yes those of us older than dirt did receive some of this material in our education. Have you looked through any of your state adopted history books lately.?....You'll be shocked! Then again maybe you won't...Rewriting History is not something invented by the Clintons....

Then again, Ask Trueblackman, mhking, they might have more insight to your question than I do.

[windchime]

This, IMO, was one of the best speeches President Bush has given:

Addressing Urban League, President Bush Offers African-American Community a Real Choice   7-23-04

~snip~

Does the Democrat party take African American voters for granted? (Applause.) It's a fair question. I know plenty of politicians assume they have your vote. But do they earn it and do they deserve it? (Applause.) Is it a good thing for the African American community to be represented mainly by one political party? That's a legitimate question. (Applause.) How is it possible to gain political leverage if the party is never forced to compete? (Applause.) Have the traditional solutions of the Democrat party truly served the African American community?

That's what I hope people ask when they go to the community centers and places, as we all should do our duty and vote. People need to be asking these very serious questions.

Does blocking the faith-based initiative help neighborhoods where the only social service provider could be a church? Does the status quo in education really, really help the children of this country? (Applause.)

Does class warfare -- has class warfare or higher taxes ever created decent jobs in the inner city? Are you satisfied with the same answers on crime, excuses for drugs and blindness to the problem of the family? (Applause.)

Those are legitimate questions that I hope people ask as this election approaches. I'd like to hear those questions debated on talk radio, I'd like it debated in community centers, in the coffee shops. It's worthy of this country for this debate to go forward and these questions to be asked and answered.

I'm here to say that there is an alternative this year. There is an alternative that has had a record that is easy to see. If you dream of starting a small business and building a nest egg and passing something of value to your children, take a look at my agenda. If you believe schools should meet high standards instead of making excuses, take a look at my agenda. If you believe the institutions of marriage and family are worth defending and need defending today, take a look at my agenda. (Applause.)

If you believe in building a culture of life in America, take a look at my agenda. If you believe in a tireless fight against crime and drugs, take a look at this agenda. If you believe that our men and women in uniform should be respected and supported 100 percent of the time, take a look at my agenda. (Applause.)

If you're struggling to get into the middle class and you feel like you're paying plenty of taxes, take a look at my agenda. (Applause.)

If you're a small business owner who is trying to expand your job base and are worried about excessive lawsuits, increasing taxes and over-regulation, take a look at this agenda. (Applause.)

And finally, if you believe in the power of faith and compassion to defeat violence and despair and hopelessness, I hope you take a look at where I stand. (Applause.)

You see, I believe in my heart that the Republican party, the party of Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, is not complete without the perspective and support and contribution of African Americans. (Applause.)

And I believe in my heart that the policies and actions of this administration, policies that empower individuals and help communities, that lift up free enterprise and respect and honor the family, those policies are good for the nation as a whole. That's what I believe. And I'm here to thank you for giving me a chance to come and express those beliefs.

[JulieRNR21]

I posted the original on 6/4/04 after I received it in an email from my friend Frances Rice.

Here's that thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1147682/posts

Frances will be happy to hear that her 'Open Letter' is getting wide distribution.

[hoosiermama]

Thanks Julie.....I had printed a couple of copies but had failed to bookmark it....Bluegrass found it again when it was mentioned on another thread. We then decided it needed to be posted again....