The HBCU Republican Connection

Who are you guys going for?

2007-09-10T19:34:00.002-06:00

After all the presidential debates and the inevitable entry of Fred Thompson, which candidate are you voting for? Since I'm in Tennessee you may be able to guess but tell me about your opinions.

Nathaniel Peete Jr.

Taxing Issues

2007-07-27T10:07:00.001-06:00

I have for sometime wondered what the forefathers felt about the size of the federal government and its powers. What would they say about the social programs like welfare, the health program, and the taxation system. Looking at the taxation in particular, what are the rights of the people and the IRS in terms of how we're taxed. An interesting case on the topic involved a lawyer in Shreveport, LA, who went up against the IRS in his pursuit to not pay taxes. The key of the case was that there aren't any laws that give the IRS the right to impose on citizens outside of "profits". What are profits? Well I'll tell what it isn't....income earned through labor! The definition would state the positive number from the equation revenue-expenses (at a basic level). According to this lawyers interpretation taxable income is for example dividends from a stock purchase, lottery winning, etc.. The Louisiana supreme court voted unanimously for the lawyer on tax evasion. I'm not crazy enough to think this would become federal law or anything but just made me think what would the country do if this was a law. Many unneccesary government programs would be abolished in order to create a balance from the income lost wouldn't it? I can only imagine the power of community institutions such as the church, for example to lead in community development and welfare in our community instead of underfunded inadequate governmental programs where are tax dollars get sunk into. Regardless this case was interesting read nonetheless. To find out more
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007707130321
as well as many other links.

Nathaniel Peete Jr.

Desegregation

2007-07-02T20:51:00.001-06:00

With the historical Supreme Court decision reversing the Brown v. Education I found an interesting article from Juan Williams of Fox News and NPR.

The New York Times
June 29, 2007
Don't Mourn Brown v. Board of Education
By JUAN WILLIAMS Op-Ed Contributor

LET us now praise the Brown decision. Let us now bury the Brown decision.

With yesterday's Supreme Court ruling ending the use of voluntary schemes to create racial balance among students, it is time to acknowledge that Brown's time has passed. It is worthy of a send-off with fanfare for setting off the civil rights movement and inspiring social progress for women, gays and the poor. But the decision in Brown v. Board of Education that focused on outlawing segregated schools as unconstitutional is now out of step with American political and social realities.

Desegregation does not speak to dropout rates that hover near 50 percent for black and Hispanic high school students. It does not equip society to address the so-called achievement gap between black and white students that mocks Brown's promise of equal educational opportunity.

And the fact is, during the last 20 years, with Brown in full force, America's public schools have been growing more segregated — even as the nation has become more racially diverse. In 2001, the National Center for Education Statistics reported that the average white student attends a school that is 80 percent white, while 70 percent of black students attend schools where nearly two-thirds of students are black and Hispanic.

By the early '90s, support in the federal courts for the central work of Brown — racial integration of public schools — began to rapidly expire. In a series of cases in Atlanta, Oklahoma City and Kansas City, Mo., frustrated parents, black and white, appealed to federal judges to stop shifting children from school to school like pieces on a game board. The parents wanted better neighborhood schools and a better education for their children, no matter the racial make-up of the school. In their rulings ending court mandates for school integration, the judges, too, spoke of the futility of using schoolchildren to address social ills caused by adults holding fast to patterns of residential segregation by both class and race.

The focus of efforts to improve elementary and secondary schools shifted to magnet schools, to allowing parents the choice to move their children out of failing schools and, most recently, to vouchers and charter schools. The federal No Child Left Behind plan has many critics, but there's no denying that it is an effective tool for forcing teachers' unions and school administrators to take responsibility for educating poor and minority students.

I have to agree with alot of Mr. Williams said, this is a step in the right direction. There needs to be an overhaul in alot of ways in the public school systems and families, teachers, administrators, and of course students need to take more responsibility. This can be a great moment in America if we embrace it and use it to our advantage.

Nathaniel Peete Jr.

Uncle Tom or New Negro

2007-06-19T21:11:00.001-06:00

One of the must read books of the summer is the Booker T. Washington: Uncle Tom or New Negro. The book in many aspects shows how many black celeberties (P. Diddy, Jay-Z, etc..) are following some of the same philsophies generations later. The book is based pretty much on interviews from 20 interviees broken up into essays. From the American Heritage magazine Christine Gibson writes:

"20 prominent African-Americans weigh in on those questions in Uncle Tom or New Negro: African Americans Reflect on Booker T. Washington and Up From Slavery 100 Years Later (Harlem Moon, $15.95), a new compilation of essays drawn from interviews conducted by the author Rebecca Carroll. Washington serves as a jumping-off point for a debate about issues of tribalism, permissible vs. impermissible blackness, what’s right and wrong about hip-hop culture, the gains and shortfalls of the civil rights movement, and modern black leadership."
Going further into the book review:

"Although most of the interviewees in Uncle Tom or New Negro believe Washington had the best interests of blacks at heart, they disagree about the morality of his methods. To build Tuskegee and keep it afloat, he relied on white benefactors, since no black Americans at the time had enough wealth to donate, and he had to play a game with those whites. He charmed huge sums from the Carnegies and Rockefellers, but many feel that to keep the money flowing he sold blacks short, by saying what whites wanted to hear.
Nearly everyone agrees that Washington was looking for the best way to prepare blacks, who had just emerged from centuries of slavery with little or no formal education, to make their way in a horribly racist society. Northern intellectuals could perhaps afford to think about education and social change in the long term; impoverished Southern blacks needed to put food on the table right away. The author Debra Dickerson reminds us that Washington risked being lynched because of what activism he did show. Others, like the filmmaker Avon Kirkland, argue that regardless of the context Washington’s segregationism held blacks back and may continue to do so today.
The book’s consensus, if there is one, is to favor Washington’s economic policy, which encouraged self-sufficiency, and ignore the outdated accomodationist parts of his message. Washington sought economic equality for blacks first, expecting it to serve as a base for political and social equality. But as history has shown, true economic parity comes last if and when it comes. Whether because blacks have forgotten Washington’s teachings or because his tactics were ineffective or harmful, 40 years after the civil rights movement, black business ownership today is still nowhere near on a level with that of whites. Now may be the time to focus on the economic advancement Washington concentrated on 100 years ago. As Cora Daniels says in Uncle Tom or New Negro, if Washington were alive today “his approach would be much more on point; now is when we need black folks to care more about ownership of self and work, more so than of material excess.""

Nathaniel Peete Jr.

I Guess I'll Say It

2007-04-10T17:48:00.001-06:00

I don't know what is more offending, the fact that Michael Richards and Imus said what they said (I'm really not offended because I won't give them that much power) or that they go to the so called "voices" of black people. What ever happend to apologizing to the people that you hurt directly instead of cowarding to the "publicity pimps" as if their the moral authority, judge, and jury on race relations. The fact of the matter in Don Imus's case, is that he's been doing this for a long time to Jews, women, and blacks and he should have been punished a long time ago.
I can only say that we as the "hip hop generation" should follow suit in the matter. How can we demand respect from others, in regards to our black women, when we (I've been guilty myself in the past) don't even have the same respect. On a positive note, what I did see in all this, was a group of women on the basketball team, represent themselves in a way that showed, publicly, how foolish Imus really was.

Nathaniel Peete Jr.

Just A Thought

2007-04-08T09:36:00.001-06:00

The immigration issue stirs so much emotion in every discussion, I've seen. Nothing better illustrates that than the exchange last week with Geraldo and Bill O' Reilly. When I actually heard what was really being said closer, the whole discussion appeared more and more absurd. This is an interesting illustration I heard about recently:
How would you react if you come home and see a group of people if your fridge, using your bathroom, driving your car, etc... How would you react if you had to pay for whatever they needed, cook for them. feed them, cloth them, and everything else just because they decided to invite themselves in your house and yet if you kick them out and force them to ask before they ever come back, you're considered racist, cold, and insensitive. Lets be real, if we see people using what we pay for (and work hard for) in our personal homes many of us may embrace the gun laws willfully and happily. (LOL). Isn't this the same predicament we face in our country? The fact is that the United States is our house (may want to watch "Pride: to appreciate that one) Illegal immigrants come to our country, use our benefits, expect the rights than many people died for in our history. (and yes I do know the history of hispanics in the United States). Hispanics do have a great standing in our economy and there are many bigger issues at work but my point is when discussing the issue, its time to stop the justification and excuses being used and get to some real logical conversation.

Nathaniel Peete Jr.

Barack Obama Unfit for Presidency.

2007-02-11T23:10:00.000-06:00

Barack Obama has successfully masked his naivety and weakness through resiliency in rhetoric and speech, and now that he has taken his political game to an entirely new level, the implications behind his declaring himself a presidential candidate must signal to both the American public as a whole and more specifically the black community to call him out on his incapability of representing our nation at this critical point in United States history.

In speech, Obama spends countless lines of sweet-sounding rhetoric that only criticizes the current administration and societal structures, without offering solutions with substance. The war is bad, blah blah, we need to bring our troops home, blah blah... but when it comes to specific strategies on how to bring home our troops without jeopardizing their safety and the safety of American interests in the region and without completely compromising all of the hard work and initiatives invested to this day, Barack merely suggests '(working) with our military commanders to map out the best plan...' Question: what military background and experience does Obama have to factor into such discussion? (Aside from his work on the Veteran's Committee.) He goes on to tell the importance of diplomatic political discussions as the key avenue for peaceful relations between the conflicting factions in Iraq. His merely suggesting that simply talking through their problems is going to be the winning solution alone identifies Barack Obama's weakness and lack of political backbone and vision.

Aside for his lack of substance with regards to viable solutions to rectifying Iraqi inter-factional relations, Obama has not offered any insight whatsoever on how he as president would intend to approach Iraq as a potential ally and avenue for future business and trade. Then again, doing so may be too much of a Republican move, but it seems to me as though identifying all of the problems and conflicts and controversies does nothing in the way of encouraging Iraqis to take their country in the direction it needs. Obama offers no encouragement for promoting Iraqi nationalism, and his neglect in this arena only stifles whatever patriotism might be forming. This lack of faith certainly shoots down potential avenues for both American and Iraqi commercial growth and economic development, and this degree of empty pessimism is certainly not United States Presidential material.

...but enough about Barack Obama as an incapable president; time to analyze Barack Obama as an incapable black American president. By announcing his presidential candidacy, Barack Obama has taken America into a bold new direction. His every expression, word, and wave of the hand will now have implications for the black community as a whole, and because of our vested interests resting on his shoulders, we must be his worst critic. We must test him on every level possible and imaginable: his strength, resolve, and competencies must meet our highest standards, and we must not settle. Barack Obama must earn our vote, and must show that he is deserving of our vote--not because he is black, but because he is the most qualified, most fit candidate. As of yet he has not proven to us that he is this person. Hopefully though, the population of black Americans who take the time to vote will be the same population who truly analyze their options before making their decision.

Freedom of Speech

2007-01-30T23:44:00.001-06:00

When going through other blogs I stumbled upon an interesting article about the government's proposal to require force bloggers and online grassroots to regularly report their activities to Congress or go to jail.

"Section 220 of S. 1, the lobbying reform bill currently before the Senate, would require grassroots causes, even bloggers, who communicate to 500 or more members of the public on policy matters, to register and report quarterly to Congress the same as the big K Street lobbyists. Section 220 would amend existing lobbying reporting law by creating the most expansive intrusion on First Amendment rights ever. For the first time in history, critics of Congress will need to register and report with Congress itself"

As I've seen John McCain is apart of the attack as well but its an actually interesting article on both ends. If you want more info on this http://infowars.net/articles/january2007/180107Bloggers_Prison.htm

Nathaniel Peete Jr.

Your Perception Our Reality

2007-01-10T09:28:00.001-06:00

The NAACP had a fascinating conference that aired the 6th of this month discussing the The Future of the Black Man, YOur Perception, Our Reality apart of their Leadership 500 series. The panelist involved were Dr. John Jackson (Professor at Georgetown University)Minister Daryll Simms (CEO of Evangucation), George Curry ( Editor and Chief of the National Newspaper Publishing Association Washington Bureau), and Lt. Gov. Michael Steele. I am proud to say no oreos were pelted at him this time and even prouder to say that his message was articulated in the hearts and minds of the crowd and to the reality of the black community. (To me showing that getting past the emotions most of us are conservative). Here are a few highlights of the discussion I found interesting:
Steele emphasized that It starts with us in our community. No excuses and what are we going to do for our community and our lives. Waiting for government is not an option. He then went along to his business procurement record citing his increase in minority governement procurement from 8% to 21%. As a MBA student, I know how key education and entrepreneurship are in disparities. Where are we in the discussions in government? If we don't have black officials at the table discussing issues representing out interest.
Darryl Simms: There has to be a self-actualization of being black and proud to be black. Look at our history. Our public school system and (white) teachers benefit from the miseducation of our kids. "The one that teaches you is the one that decides your destiny in which applies to parents and role models young children accept."
George Curry: We don't have anything to counter the Supreme Court discussing affirmative action. Conservatives like Ward Connerly have all this money and do study groups on this topic and the left has nothing to counter this with. Having your daddy not home is no excuse look at Barack Obama, Jesse Jackson, etc.. We need more mentorship programs done by black professionals at their specialty for example if you are a journalist working with students in a journalism workshop works. The sooner our kids know what they want to do, the better off they'll be.
John Jackson: The problems going on in the black community are social policy issues more than anything else because to acknowledge the other would say that black men are socially deviant and educationally deficient. Schools such as Harvard have professors that aren't intelligent enough to educate students from 2.25 to 4.0 high school GPAs like the HBCUs and thats why their important and key to his success in Harvard and life.
Me: First it was great looking at a program without the same ol "Publicity Pimps" who are said to be the voice of black America. Steele said something very powerful to me " Hope is not a strategy, its how we put hope into action so what are WE going to do. "We are not the generation of sitting at the diner, we are the generation of owning the diner". This reminded me of the history of greatness of blacks from Booker T. Washington to CJ Walker to Reginal Lewis and all the amazing individuals in between and thereafter. When these discussions come up I am always reminded of the reasons why I am conservative in the first place. We are born with the essentials of what we need to become successful. It is up to us to attack the public school issues funding and otherwise, it is up to us to mentor our younger generation, it is up to us to become role models and empower our community in more productive ways, it is up to us to vote and produce more quality public officials, and it is our responsibility to get the family and church in order. This goes to us controlling our money and investing more on cars than our children's education. There I go discussing problems instead of solutions which is usually the premise of the panels anyway. As Alice Walker said, "this is the best time in history to be alive because theres so much work to be done". The solution is almost always personal or begin there and we have a lot of ground to cover, so as Michael Steele asked, What will you do?

Nathaniel Peete Jr.

Any Comments, Concerns?

2007-01-09T10:28:00.000-06:00

Well, i got the info i needed, so the show is on. I am hosting an open forum at my University. This will be held in February. The forum will be held on the basis of history, educating my peers on THEIR party. Starting with the history of the radicals, detaililng how blacks were literally beaten and slaughtered into voting Dem, and then leading into to the face of the NEW black conservative. I dont know about you guys but I despise the fact that every time something needs to be said or done Politically, congress calls on Al " I ran for president 2 years after i got out of prison" Sharpton and Jesse "i'm milking this nonprofit for what its worth" Jackson to speak for the ENTIRE black community! This is seriusly getting out of hand- But at any rate- My officers and I will be discussing different topics with OUR liberal peers and answering their questions. What i need from you guys are topics of interest, with facts that can back them up. I want to talk about things that are affecting us as the younger generation, political awareness, the economy around us, and analyze hypothetical situatioins like; "What if our ancestors followed someone like Sharpton instead of Booker T. Washington?' - Can i get some help on this?

Iraq?

2007-01-07T11:14:00.001-06:00

With the death of Suddam and all the conroversy in the press, one is to wonder what does success in Iraq look like? As Saddam was hanged and taunted at the same time by his many enemies, there appears to be a definite civil war that will occur no matter what we do. The rhetoric from the Dems is to pull out immediately basically according to speaker Pelosi. Bush says to see it through. My question is what is the short/long term goal? The next question is if there anything we can do there that can be a long term fix or good as long as we make them? Are we in a sense imposing our ideals, beliefs, and cultures unto a culture that cannot digest it? If the same people who believe and support the war so much be as willing if there lives were on the line? This is not a shot against the war, the administration, or anyone involved but as a black conservatives we have proven to be critical thinkers if nothing else and this is a great platform for the conversation.

Nathaniel Peete Jr.

The Historically Black College or University - What Is Our Role In the 21st Century?

2006-12-17T16:46:00.000-06:00

Greetings HBCU-GOP,

Have you ever thought about the role of the HBCU in modern times? If we know our history, then we know that these institutions were founded because of and in spite of the bigotry and systematic discrimination that Black Americans suffered during post-slavery Reconstruction and Jim Crow. We needed institutions of higher learning that catered to our needs, and the HBCU was born. However, now that times are different, does the HBCU still continue to play a significant role in our society?

I ask this question because as conservative thinkers, the idea of an all Black learning environment may at times seem contradictory to our sociopolitical beliefs. Furthermore, as are most college campuses, HBCU campuses are havens of liberal thought, even more so because of our collective loyalty to the Democratic party. Most politically concientious students at HBCUs are Democrats with tendencies toward Black nationalism.

As conservatives, that is not who we are at all. I am proud to be Black, but Black is not what defines me. My race is only a portion of who I am, and although God created me as a Black woman for a purpose, that purpose was not to create a superficial basis for my identity.

We could say that we still attend HBCUs for the history, but if the truth is told, that history is mostly social, (the African American studies departments are tiny, and so one sided that they aren't relevant) and even that is dying out. I'm greek, and in case you didn't know it, the greek scene at most HBCUs these days is cat to say the least (using a little bit of vernacular), and the sophistication that once shrouded the serious, focused student bodies has been replaced by a gutter idea of being crunk at all costs. The marching bands are still hot, but that's far less than enough to justify the need or relevance of today's HBCU.

So, for a conservative thinker, what purpose does the HBCU serve? You guys are fortunate enough to have figured out which way was "right" while you were still in school...

So, post your thoughts. There is no right or wrong answer - its a purely philosophical kind of vibe...

I.C. Jackson
"Need some more? Visit the Black Conservatives Blogspot on MySpace!"
http://blog.myspace.com/blackconservatives

A problem with authority-

2006-12-12T23:44:00.000-06:00

Well, i have a problem ad as usual no one seems to be able to help me so maybe you guys can you seem to know alot more than the others... I plan on having a Black history forum ad of course I'm starting early (I'm dealing with my people) to start early i need to get OUR account info from OUR advisor. Here's a little history- she is a very busy lawyer who is a single mom and a professor and blah.. blah.. I have been calling her on her cell 4 times a day and i call the office and i get the same "secretarial" answer. She is a white lady and race has nothing to do with it but she doesn't know who i am dealing with SUBR! what do i do i am trying to prior plan because that alone prevents a piss poor performance, but i cant get people to move with me. And also what are some freshman recruitment ideas.. "help me PLEASE"...

The Great Black Hope Illusion

2006-12-12T00:46:00.001-06:00

With all the excitement on Barack Obama tonight I had to google him and found an article that identified to a sinking feeling I had by Benjamin Wallace-Wells "The Great Black Hope". He goes into similar stories of ivy league, presidential aspirant Cory Booker and his rise in popularity among whites and his disappointing loss at New Jersey mayor. Similar to Obama he served as a sign for white America that things are changed and everyone favored and loved the guy. The New York Times to CBS news couldn't stop discussing him as a potential presidential candiadate. Like Obama he was a neophyte, like Obama he was charasmatic, and like Obama he was infectious in the media. He was a great speaker and was a smoothest fundraiser seen. With all the promise in him there was still one major issue. He was black. He always ws going to be black. No matter how the media wants to hype up Obama, there will always be that same issue. Booker lost by 3000 votes and was proclaimed afterwards of being too young, brainy, and inexperienced. Furthermore, Wallace- Wells added:
"For this small group of black politicians, race has been an advantage because whites see in them confirmation that America, finally, is working. Blacks, after all, aren't just any minority, the moral equivalent of Asian-Pacific Islanders but six times the size. They are the victims of much of our country's most vicious oppression, the cause of our deepest historical divisions, the stubborn counter-example that suggests our system isn't as fair or just as we would like it to be. The act of redressing these injustices has absorbed much of the political and emotional energy in America for 150 years. And while all Americans can take some pride in what racial progress African Americans have made in recent years, what whites—and indeed blacks—really want is for the whole awful nightmare behind them. The ultimate proof that we have finally done so would be for a black person to be elected president of the United States. In Barack Obama or Colin Powell, whites, giddily, begin to see not only figures who can command both white and black votes but also the promise of a real racial unity. Their candidacies are thrilling because they carry with them the notion that the symbolic gap between the races may be beginning to close."
The problem is in essence that these talented individuals are elevated too high way too fast. I've read the "Audacity of Hope" and it is high on inspiration but low on policy. The media is looking at him as president and we have no idea what he even stands for. With the media's track record, they will send you into orbit in one moment and plan your demise in the same breath. So far all what I've seen, in terms of voting record is: Yes to GOP initiative of limits on class action lawsuits and the confirmation of Condoleeza Rice as Secretary of State and yes to just about everything else his colleagues voted for (which sounds a little scary considering the left wing of the party's track record), No to the Consumer Bankruptcy Abuse Act, but has done nothing really "knee jerking".

Nathaniel Peete Jr.

For those who call the truth a big whine

2006-12-09T10:45:00.000-06:00

Many people seemed to be upset with my original post, calling it bascially a whine that does not exist. Of course many liberals and so called "independents" who have never pulled the lever for anyone other than the Democratic Party are perfectly content to accept liberal dogma as truth and come to the conclusion that there is no liberal bias in news, despite the fact that 88 percent of reporters are registered Democrat. These people also don't like the idea that there is a liberal bias on nearly every college campus, not to mention the fact that there is a large bias towards Black radicalism as well as radical left wing politics on almost every college campus because of the nature of youth combined with tenured radical professors. If you can't see that, you are either blind to the facts, or like most liberals, you ignore the facts for your own misguided beliefs.
But since the critics clearly never read past the opening line of my original post, allow me to clarify what I mean when I say loneliness of Black conservatives. My point is that African-American conservatives are left out of the discussions on how to reform Black America. If you can point to the occasion where prominent Black conservatives have been invited to Jesse Jackson's Rainbow/PUSH convention or the NAACP convention, please write back and feel free to let me know. However, since I was there working as a membe of the media and asked both why there were no African-American conservatives represented, I think you will be hard pressed to prove me wrong. The fact is that the Civil Rights generation is so in bed with the Dims, that there is no way that any prominent Black leader over the age of 50 will invite Black Republicans to work with them because of the perception that Black members for the GOP are "working for the man", or are simply Uncle Toms. If you don't think this is true, lookat the Oreo pelting that Michael Steele endured, and the painitings of Steele in Blackface, and how no Civil Right "leaders" rushed to defend him. Yet you can bet if the shoe had been on the other foot and if Republicans had painted Harold Ford Jr in Blackface, the Democrats would have painted the entire GOPas a party of racist rednecks. There is a double standard for Black conservatives, and the lonlieness factor comes into play when the majority of political Blacks don't even look to Black conservatives for ideas and a GOP that is unwilling to play the same racial card the the Dims have been using since they pretended to stop being the party of slavery and instead have moved to pretend they are the Party of Civil Rights. This is still the Democratic Party of Senator and Klansman Robert Byrd who used nigger on live television last year; again no response from the "party of equality". You can call this a whine, but you cannot ignore plain and simple facts.

We Made Booker Rising

2006-12-08T05:27:00.000-06:00

Shay is like the black female instapundit and she did this blog a huge favor by linking to it yesterday. Thanks!

The blog as a whole caught a lot of slack for the "Loneliness Of A Black Conservative" post with many of Shay's readers labeling it a whine. Without getting into how obvious it is that those visitors didn't read past the title--which for many, I understand, would be asking far too much-- I would like to speak a little bit about why I NEVER complain about the lack of black ideological cohorts.

1. Beginning to even care how another black person thinks is a page straight out of the Democrat playbook for Negroes.As black conservatives, we've all seen the noses turned up and the smacking of the lips when some black people hear of our political affiliation. I don't know why they care and I think it's stupid to get any emotions going because some body's ideology and race don't "match" in your opinion.. Black conservatives, libertarians or whatever shouldn't even mind that most black people want to identify themselves with the Democrats. Their loss.

2. I think most of us who attend or have at one time attended HBCUs are quite happy that MOST of the students at our schools don't want to be aligned with us.

3. Being a political minority has its perks. We are able to mobilize a lot easier and our groups tend to have more active members on HBCU campuses since like-mided people are so happy to learn of each other. At Texas Southern we had over 40 members, with about 20 who were ride or die.

Re: Did Ford Race Create A Bridge In Tennessee

2006-12-06T20:26:00.000-06:00

Your point is well taken...

I worked for the College Republicans and a lot of my time was focused on their efforts on the Bob Corker race. You would never believe how many dirty looks I got when black people found out what I was doing. How dare I work against a black man, even if I think he's a flake and the ultimate son of privilege?

The 95% number touches on three things- 1. How blacks think they must vote for the person who is black--as long as they are a Democrat; 2. How blacks will not tolerate any dissent, especially when it comes to blacks voting against other blacks--as long as they are Democrats; 3. Finally, how blacks blindly vote.

Harold Ford campaigned as a strong conservative Democrat. Steve Cohen, who ran to replace Ford at the congressional level campaigned as a liberal Democrat. Both overwhelmingly got most of the black vote. What does this say about black people? I believe it says most blacks (or at least the ones who voted for both Cohen AND Ford) have no values, they only have party, all they know is the D is good and they are sticking with it.

This is why I personally have no problem with black people voting lock-step with Democrats. Most of my black republican friends get caught up in this whole outreach mirage, they think that most black people would vote Republican if they knew what the party actually stands for. I'm getting to the point of thinking that if you are an adult, and don't know what a major political party stands for then you are the last person I want in my party. As a matter of fact if Bob Corker was getting 95% of the black vote I would seriously have to reconsider my support since it would say a lot about him.

I do believe younger black people are less beholden to a party, but they aren't the major voting bloc. Until they are, I doubt we'll see any change in voting habits.

--Scooter Jackson

Perceptions of the Black Community internal and external

2006-12-06T09:47:00.001-06:00

I’ve found myself reading articles on blacks and the conservative movement, black collective voting, and just conservatism in general. Some have especially made me think a little broader. I read an article in the Fall 2006 Public Opinion Quarterly (Vol. 70 no. 3) titled "Ideology and the Affective Structure of Whites' racial perceptions". The researchers took data from respondents that would consider themselves liberal or independent leaning to the left and conservative or independent leaning to right (those in the middle were kicked out of the research study) and attempted to mediate between the conflict between humanitism and individualism as it applies to conservative views and perceptions. The study found "that whites with a college degree and higher levels of political expertise were associated with more positive perceptions of blacks, while greater conservatism was associated with more negative perceptions of blacks." (Vol. 70 no. 3 POQ). (Just in case I will site it) but their were a lot of conflicting views and perceptions within the conservatives. Also, the results of the liberals were not mentioned. The reason I brought this up isn't necessarily the case study itself but what is our own perceptions and conflicts within ourselves? The conservatives and liberals in the study were equally sympathetic on the struggles blacks encountered during the civil rights era and prior no matter what ideology they had. The difference was that the conservatives took a more individualistic tone on blacks and the community. No special treatment needed etc.. and success comes from personal choices in this day and time. This made me think of how Bill Cosby was attacked in all directions when he made his statements for us and about us by telling black America to take a look in the mirror. It seemed that many blacks applauded him while many took shots at him and even wrote books attacking his credibility. Many blacks I have come into contact with feel the same way as the white conservatives in the survey. There seems to be a standard of being black that gets fuzzier as one turns conservative. We have the same conflicting issues in our community though we have a disproportionate ideology when looking at our voting patterns. This ties into to the article in which Lorrine Crenshaw wrote on RBE website, in which the black vote is so polarized that Russell Simmons had to do a public statement explaining to black America why he endorsed a republican, which I think is totally insane or the Tennessee Tribune listing an article of blacks in the Nashville community who do not vote with their home numbers and addresses. I know this post is a little random but it I think it is still something that we as young people should discuss.

Nathaniel Peete Jr.

Did Ford Race Create a Bridge In Tennessee

2006-12-01T02:31:00.001-06:00

The Ford/Corker race brought something into light for me. Listening to talk radio host, Phil Valentine after the race there was another racial debate going on the shoe Let me first say that Ford, agree or disagree with his politics, accomplished an amazing feat for the black politician in Tennessee. He got reportedly 40% of the white vote and 95%b of the black vote. It was said to be the end of the era of the hidden white vote that says they'll vote for a black man but just can't pull themselves that direction in the booth. Back to the point, it opened up a dialogue in which I have never heard. Blacks were said to be more racist or as racist as whites. First, I didn't know so many black people listened to Phil Valentine LOL, but all races were telling the way they really felt. No one there to judge them. I heard whites say that wouldn't vote for Ford because of race and stood by that...... I respected the honesty. I heard whites accused the black community of being uninformed and "blind voters" (95% is a large average but what is the story behind the number? I would say blacks are more conservative and too conservative to be any where involved with democrats. Regardless, this type of forum was helpful, in my opinion, because there are several parts of Tennessee where blacks are scarce to none and hearing a black point of view helps especially a black conservative view. The forum caused anger and laughter at the same time and it almost felt like a moment of healing to a extent. Ford didn't win but he came close. He may have alone set the stage for the first black senator in the south since Senator Blanche K. Bruce (first to finish a term) of Mississippi and Hiram Rhoades Revels from Pre-construction. It will happen and maybe sooner than most think.

Nathaniel Peete Jr.

Political Triangle

2006-11-28T13:06:00.000-06:00

This is something i think WE all can relate to... Does any of this sound familiar to anyone??

CATHY YOUNG

Balancing views on campus

By Cathy Young | November 27, 2006

DIVERSITY in higher education was a major topic of discussion at a recent conference in Cambridge . The focus, however, was not on the familiar concept of diversity as a desirable mix of races, genders, and ethnic groups. Rather, participants deplored the lack of intellectual and political diversity on college campuses.

The National Organization of Scholars, which held the conference Nov. 17-19, emerged in the late 1980s in response to "political correctness" in the academy. The group is widely perceived as conservative, much to the consternation of some members who are liberal Democrats but are put off by the prevailing orthodoxy in the universities. One star speaker at the event was Boston-based lawyer Harvey Silverglate, a liberal champion of civil liberties, who noted that many statements that would be considered normal, if debatable, expressions of opinion anywhere else are regarded as discriminatory on college campuses.

Numerous studies confirm that most college faculty lean left, especially in the more prestigious institutions. At a time when political discourse in American society in general has shifted noticeably to the right, some people wonder why an academy that tilts left is a problem: The universities, they argue, are islands in a sea of conservatism. But no academic institution can thrive on uniformity; liberalism itself can turn illiberal when isolated from different ideas. What's more, the marginalization of right-of-center ideas in the academy may have a lot to do modern conservatism's transformation into a caricature of itself.

That marginalization is evident. Some academic programs, particularly in such areas as women's studies, education, and social work, explicitly push for left-leaning social change. On one panel, Brooklyn College historian Robert Johnson offered a striking example of intellectual uniformity. He noted that, according to its website, the University of Michigan history department has 26 full-time professors teaching American history. Eleven of them focus on race and ethnicity in America, while another nine specialize in women's history. There are no military or diplomatic historians.

To what extent this imbalance penalizes alternative viewpoints is hard to establish. In a recent survey by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni at 50 top colleges and universities, nearly half of students said the presentation of contemporary political issues and controversies in classes, campus panels, and lecture series was too one-sided, and nearly a third felt they had to agree with a professor's political views in order to get good grades. On many campuses, there is a general sense that you have to be a liberal to fit in. In a post-conference interview, Johnson said that the problem was not so much retaliation against students with dissenting opinions as "one-sided instruction to students that don't have the educational or intellectual background to detect the bias and challenge a professor's viewpoint."

Some conservatives advocate legislative interference as a solution. Activist David Horowitz has been pushing for an "Academic Bill of Rights" that would not only protect dissenting students from classroom retaliation but also guarantee the inclusion of balanced viewpoints in the curriculum. This effort has gone nowhere.

In his talk at the conference, Johnson took a dim view of such efforts. Given conservative support for including "intelligent design" in the biology curriculum, he noted, a mandate of "balance" in teaching could be used to smuggle creationism into science classrooms at public universities. Yet he also outlined legislative remedies that could work: Fund programs that would expose students to ideas currently neglected or marginalized in the academy; conduct oversight hearings on the lack of intellectual diversity on campuses; abolish speech codes that often result in suppressing politically incorrect opinions on race, gender, and sexuality within college courses.

When stifled on campuses, right-of-center ideas don't just go away. These days, they are expressed -- in pungent manner -- on talk radio, and in overtly political journalism and publishing. Such outlets have increased in prominence, and universities have lost influence over American politics. When intellectual life is seen as a bastion of the left, conservatism devolves from intellectual giants like the late Milton Friedman to intellectual thugs like Ann Coulter -- with dangerous consequences for the political climate.

Cathy Young is a contributing editor at Reason magazine. Her column appears regularly in the Globe.

The N.A.A.C.P: Friend or Foe.

2006-11-28T00:39:00.001-06:00

I was browsing the RBE site today and was happy to find this link. Not because I get any particular joy out of seeing more black Republicans being involved with the NAACP; but because the idea of us being involved with the NAACP is one I've internally debated for years. I should note, when I refer to the NAACP in this post I am talking about the national organization, although some local NAACP groups fit the same description

By all means today's NAACP is a left-wing organization. Like its ideological counterparts, Rainbow Push and BAMN, it has become a mouthpiece and PR machine for the Democrat party and other left wing causes. Sometimes I wonder why the DNC even needs a black outreach program when the NAACP subserviently does it for them--for free!

The puppet masters who really control the NAACP put a so called "moderate", Bruce Gordon, at its helm in an obvious attempt to take attention away from their extreme left wing views. From Julian Bond to Hilary Shelton, the NAACP's true power brokers are all committed Democrats with communist leanings.

Do we really serve the conservative or even moderate causes by aligning ourselves with them? Does giving the group any type of recognition contribute to the widely, yet ignorantly, held view that the NAACP represents "us" as a whole?

In my honest opinion, I think black conservatives and black Republicans would be better served by joining black conservative and black Republican organizations. This would be a perfect time to stake out a move like this. The NAACP, contrary to popular belief, is growing weaker and weaker by the minute. I recall Gordon saying its membership total had them at a little over 200,000 members. This means there were more black Bush voters in 2004 than are members of the NAACP. It's time for right of center blacks to start reaching out to these people, drawing the line in the sand and engaging in political warfare with the NAACP and its ilk.

Make no mistake about it, the NAACP is our adversary and they've put themselves in that position. Joining them and paying them membership dues would be the equivalent of Michael Newdow joining the 700 Club. As long as we credit them with our involvement and membership dues we help them spread the lie that the NAACP is fighting for "black people".

--Scooter

The loneliness of Black Conservatives

2006-11-26T00:26:00.000-06:00

One of the major problems today is that when we look at Blacks in politics, we are often overrepresented by one Party and under represented by the other Party. African Americans are the Democratic Party's largest, most conservative and most loyal constituency. Yet, it seems when election years roll around, the Democratic party is much more keen to talk about getting out the vote while actively courting constituencies whose values directly contradict those of African-Americans. We have always been a church going people-from the spirituals born out of freedom, to the church leaders that led us through the Civil Rights movement, to today where African-Americans clergy have warned against the dangers of abortion, which kills 450,000 black babies every year. But with the Democrats actively courting the pro-abortion feminists in a campaign to preserve the Roe v. Wade Court decision that they could never pass in a legislature, Blacks are being left behind. And with a wave of illegal aliens coming in, taking away jobs from poor Americans, one would think that the Democratic Party would stand with Republicans in supporting the construction of a border fence and preserving jobs for American citizens. Instead the Democratic Party has courted the illegal non citizen vote, and Blacks are being pushed out of the Democratic Party's Small Tent, which begs the question, are Blacks ready for the Big Tent?
President Bush stated before the Urban League in 2004 when he came to court African-American voters, "Blacks are gagging on the donkey, but don't seem quite ready to swallow the elephant." Indeed Mr Bush, fair or unfair, the perception of the GOP as hostile to African-Americans is one that the GOP must actively work to get past if the GOP is to erect the permanent majority that it claims to want. Indeed it is why former RNC chairman Ken Mehlman has spoken at over 500 Black events since 2004, and why the GOP ran 2 African American candidates for governor, and 2 for Senator, doubling the Democratic Party's efforts on both counts. Now to quickly answer the question what about Obama? Obama is the Democratic Party's hero more for his story than who he is-a man with a white mother from Kansas and an African father from Kenya, than for his positions. Obama has called the idea of removing God from public life ridiculous, and called for the Democratic Party to embrace evangelical Christians. The on top of that, he campaigned for Harold Ford Jr, the Black pro-life Senator that tried to out conservative his Republican opponent in the election, yet was defeated by the Republican in extremely Republican Tennessee. So what are Blacks to do-leave the Party that has historically been the Party of Civil Rights? Well, yes-and some are starting to here that message.
Losing Senate candidate Michael Steele was able to capture some of this Black disaffection gaining more than 30 percent of the Black vote, well over what Republicans have garnered in recent elections. If Harold Ford ran his same campaign as a Republican, he would have won in a landslide. The fact is, the GOP is trying to reform its image as the racist party by giving minorities more opportunities than before. From Bush's Cabinet where he appointed the first Black and Black female secretaries of state, the first Black National Security Advisor, the first Black secretary of education and had a Black domestic chief advisor, to the elections where the GOP tries to recruit Black Republicans to run for state and national offices, the GOP is trying to grasp onto disaffected Black conservatives whoa re lonely within the Democratic Party and give them opportunities in the Big Tent where Blacks belong. Remember, Blacks started out as Republicans, and should end up as Republicans. In the words of Ken Mehlman, "The Republican Party will not be complete until more African Americans come back home." It's time to go out of the lonely wilderness into the open arms of the Big Tent.

Where is the Love?

2006-11-21T11:55:00.000-06:00

So much is happening in the party right now I don’t know which way to turn! But something stuck out o me. I read an editorial on RealClearPolitics.com and it's headline stated- The Only Real Option: Leave Iraq Now.
-WHAT! I need my American people to sit down and really look at what they are asking for! If we pull out of Iraq do we honestly think that that will be the end?? (Of course not) No one starts a war and then says -"Oh, we are sorry for disturbing your life, we are going to leave now and expect you not to form alliances, and retaliate against us. We are going to take the advice of our citizens and "pull-out'! No people it doesn't work that way. Wars are not just won over night. This country was built to last- because of war! This is an excerpt from the article- - Sen. John McCain has planted his flag at one extreme of the debate, making the counterintuitive argument that the way to get out of Iraq is to send in a lot more U.S. troops who would stabilize the country as a necessary prelude to withdrawal. By "counterintuitive," I mean, "divorced from reality as we know it." For one thing, the troops McCain wants to send do not exist -- the military is stretched paper-thin as it is, and I don't think Rep. Charles Rangel's proposal to reinstate the draft is going to get very far. For another, McCain doesn't specify how all those magically conjured reinforcements are supposed to accomplish such a mission. - This was stated and I found it a little alarming being that I am around veterans and current military officials on a regular. This is what I found on the Army's web page. (www.army.mil/recruitingandrentention)-On October 11, 2005 the Army announced that the active-duty Army, Army National Guard and Army Reserve exceeded Fiscal Year 2005 retention goals for the year, with annual recruitment numbers falling short of projected enlistments.

• the active-duty Army closed the fiscal year at 108 percent of its retention mission. The goal was to re-enlist 64,162 Soldiers and 69,512 Soldiers actually reenlisted.
• The Army Reserve closed out fiscal year 2005 at 102 percent of its retention mission, with 16,485 Soldiers reenlisting. The goal was to retain 16,248 Soldiers.
• The Army National Guard finished 2005 at 104 percent. The Guard reenlisted 33,804 Soldiers, surpassing its goal by 1,233.
- With these FACTS, I would like to say know your research before running off at the tongue. Wars take time, and they take encouragement, and also a little force and maybe some mistakes. But don’t be ignorant, be AMERICAN and be glad there aren’t bobs flying over your head as you take that redundant trip to McDonalds with your happy-meal indulging offspring.

Congrats to Democrats

2006-11-12T21:23:00.000-06:00

Well, i hvae never had bad sportmanship, CONGRATS TO THA DEMOCRATS! (Just dont do anything TOO liberal) I also wanted to address the issue of How many of my peers dont know their history. Sometimes i have to wonder- you say that you are democrat but the democrat candidate may not even sahre the same religion as you, nor do they have the same beliefs as you. But you are voting for them JUST BECAUSE your mom and dad told you to vote democrat, or my abosolute favorite- "democrats help the black people". - which hasn't been done under their control for the last 40 years.

Welcome

2006-11-12T20:24:00.000-06:00

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