The River Flows (Part One)

Via my new blogad patron, Angela Winters (give her a few clicks), I finally had a chance to peruse BlackConservative.net—a clearinghouse for commentary on issues deemed important to black conservatives--and found this block-buster: Black Denial.

As often happens with the onion-pealing nature of Internet commentary, the article is a transmission (by a third party) of a fax of a letter. The origin of the letter is a Seattle-area black Christian minister, Reverend Wayne Perryman and the recipients are Terry McAuliffe, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, with courtesy copies sent to various news and professional organizations. The letter was forwarded back in April of this year. (For the record, the who-sent-what-to-whom recount is unclear here. I sent an email to Rev. Perryman asking him to help. If he does, I’ll post it in an update.)

To sum up things, the letter is a point by harrowing and gruesome point indictment of the Democrat Party for its past crimes against black Americans and its various methods of hindering full participation of same as citizens. (Like the incident depicted in this misleading flyer.) It’s a long, bloody history, to be sure, and the surface is only barely scratched in this letter. (The terrorist acts listed here seem strangely familiar…)

The upshot is that Rev. Perryman thinks that the Democrat Party should tender an apology to black America. I disagree and doubt that it will ever happen, but we’ll get to that in a second.

The text of an article by Alphonso Jackson, recounting the reaction to his speech before the National Baptist Convention is also included here. Mr. Jackson is secretary of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development and is also black.

Why They Won’t Do It

For the Democrat Party to offer an apology for its members’ oppression of blacks would be strategically stupid, even though one is most definitely owed. (It isn’t as though the stupidity factor has ever stopped either party from other actions before, but even so.) Since the vast majority of black America either selectively forgets or has never been taught that members of the Democrat Party perpetrated the vast majority of individual and organized efforts to physically, politically, economically and educationally prevent black Americans from taking part in this society as full citizens, dropping a heart-felt “I’m sorry” would only serve to bring to mind the main question that the Democrat Party definitely does not want black Americans to ask: sorry for what?

If a party has a near choke-hold on the votes of a given constituency and that constituency is willing to believe any specious assertion fed to it about the opposing party, what would be the point in dredging up proven, factual crimes of one’s own party?

From the text of Mr. Jackson’s article:

For the past four decades, the Democratic Party has tried to convince us that being black and of modest means is a dead-end road. In that vein, America's "black political leaders" have built their careers on an ideology of black victimization. They tout the belief that if blacks want to succeed in this country, there is only one path: reliance on the government.[SNIP]

The so-called black leaders of this nation have convinced a large portion of the black community that blacks aren't capable of self-advancement. And this "leadership" has brainwashed listeners into believing that the Republican Party is only for whites. That's why there was so little listening going on at the Baptist convention.

The Bush administration is the most diverse in history because the president fills jobs on the basis of a person's capabilities and qualifications, not on the color of his or her skin.

Yet critics on the left find it incomprehensible that any black American could succeed on his or her own through hard work and determination. They say that Education Secretary Rod Paige, Secretary of State Colin Powell, national security adviser Condoleezza Rice and myself were merely appointed to garner black votes. Such rhetoric does nothing to support the progress of black Americans, or recognize how far we have come.

Considering the present Republican administration's record in finding and hiring the most qualified minorities (not just black) to be found and considering the ugly history of the Democrat party, one would think that the racial breakdown between the two parties would be more even. But, for some, history only goes back for thirty years--the era of the "Big Daddy" Federal government programs, most often sponsored by Democrat legislators--unless one is talking about actual slavery. Somehow the decades between the 1860s and the 1960s have been magically “disappeared,” even though the pertinent history is readily available in dead-tree and electronic sources. (BTW, this is yet another indictment on the quality of education in this country, but guess which party has mostly been in charge of that for the past few decades. Educationally speaking, are today's Democrats attempting to succeed where yesterday's failed?)

When a party has performed such a fine job of brainwashing part of its members, why should it tinker with perfection?

(To be continued: Why They Shouldn't Do It)

Part Two

Comments

[DarkStar]

OK, I've read that one before.

Now consider this if you will.

Vouchers first came about as a response to desegregation orders. When I mention that, even though I support vouchers, I'm told that was the past and I have to realize it's a different era.

So if I go with that, what difference does the history make?

Of course, again, what's missing in the history presented is The Southern Strategy. Right now, Michael Steele mentions that the GOP dropped the ball by pursuing that strategy.

Nixon got 20% of the Black vote. So why did the GOP stop trying to get the vote?

Complete the history lesson.

[DarkStar]

Another thing, if Blacks are so brainwashed by "Black leaders," how is it that the Black middle class grows, more Blacks, in numbers and percentage, are attending and graduating from college, and that business creation numbers are increasing?

[baldilocks]

Some of that will be addressed in Part Two. Be patient. :-)

[DarkStar]

Kewl.

[P6]

Cmon, Juliette. Being WHITE and of modest means is a dead end street in the USofA.

I got ta go.

[baldilocks]

Always happy to get a comment from you, my dear P6. An opposing view from you (and sometimes, an agreeing one) is always instructive. More tomorrow.

I have a request for you which I will ask via email.

[Thief]

Slightly off topic... but there was a Fox News Poll done a few days ago which showed Kerry w/ 69% of the black vote, and Bush w/ 18%. (He only got 9% in 2000).

[JLawson]

White and of modest means a dead end? Not hardly. I got out of the AF in '84, got a job barely over minimum wage doing computer repair - bounced around from job to job LEARNING the wonderful field of computer fixin' - then kept my eyes open and got a job for $30k/year. Then, kept my eyes open and kept learning, and got one for $35, then $40 - then the tech bubble burst. I dropped down to $25k - but I'm making over $50k now. My wife makes more than I do, but she's got two degrees while I've got none. We are offically in the Hated Rich category, with a combined income above $100k.

It's work, and education, and sensible choices (like me waiting until I was 37 to get married, and 41 before the little gy was born) that gets you out of a dead end - all the government does is pad the dead end for you and make it more comfortable.

Juliette - Have I mentioned lately you rock?

J.

[submandave]

I think, after the election is over, Democrats are going to be searching for ways to explain the surge in Black support for Bush. They will look to all the old canards (i.e. "evil" GOP suppressed the liberal lack vote), but fail to realize that the conservative message is getting through their smoke screen and that, even more than many other Americans, Blacks are largely conservative.

[Dominic]

Its interesting to look at things in such a manner. Currently, I am preparing an essay for my blog on a topic that's similar in nature. I want to know from the "black leadership" at what point will they begin to say that Black Men are responsible for their success individually and collectively,apart from a GOVERNMENT saviour.
Terry McAulliffe would never sanction an apology because it would be destructive to the Democratic voter base. Thief, indeed you are correct that blacks will be voting in greater nummbers for GWB, but the numbers should be more like in the 35-55% range.
Baldilocks, I am interested in Part Two of this story also. It seems that libs can point to the Southern Strategy but forget about names such as Robert Byrd, Al Gore Sr and William Fulbright. These were the individuals who had as much to do with obstruction of the Civil Rights Movement as anyone.

[DarkStar]

I want to know from the "black leadership" at what point will they begin to say that Black Men are responsible for their success individually and collectively,apart from a GOVERNMENT saviour.

When you have heard one of the "Black leadership" speeches, personally, get back to me. I have. And the claim that "Black leaders" don't say anything about personal responsibility is horsepucks.

It seems that libs can point to the Southern Strategy but forget about names such as Robert Byrd, Al Gore Sr and William Fulbright. These were the individuals who had as much to do with obstruction of the Civil Rights Movement as anyone.

Byrd is still around. But Gore, Sr. and Fulbright are non-issues. The Southern Strategy is ONLY NOW being re-evaluated.

Lookup Faye Anderson and get back.

[DarkStar]

It seems that libs can point to the Southern Strategy

OH... I'm in Maryland. Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, who is touring the country in support of Bush, has mentioned on white and Black radio stations that the GOP was wrong for abandoning Blacks in pursuit of the Southern Strategy. Jack Kemp (remember him?), has said something along those lines.

Maybe that's why Kemp felt that the Republican party treated him as an outcast.