A reader posed an intriguing and provocative question to syndicated columnist Larry Meeks, whose ETHNICALLY SPEAKING column appears in many newspapers across the nation. He was asked why any Democratic candidate should waste their resources campaigning in the African-American community because Blacks will vote for them anyway; implying that the issues don’t matter because either we don’t understand them or care, and only putting another Democrat in office is the only thing that really matters. The person goes on to state that Black support for Democrats is almost unanimous at around 90%. Mr. Meeks responded with some kind of rambling, incoherent written dribble that lacked any substance because he didn’t know how to answer the question.
It does however, cause one to consider seriously with some introspection why African-Americans vote overwhelmingly Democratic in such large numbers. Have our leaders, who mostly have emerged from the Black Church, sold us out for thirty pieces of silver or a keg of rum? To think of any other political party is seen as treason and the term, “Black Republican” is an oxymoron, a contradiction in terms and for some, tantamount to having a mental disease. And yet, is it not prudent to consider every side of a political argument or policy issue and support any political party that has our BEST interests as their most important concern before we vote for them at the ballot boxes? Latinos have shown that they are not monolithic as is seen in the election of a Spanish-speaking Republican Governor of Nevada and New Mexico, but yet they also contributed significantly to re-elect Jerry Brown as the Democratic Governor of California after a forty year hiatus. It is time for Blacks to look at all our options and choose the BEST candidate and not just vote party anymore because as the old saying goes, “When you lay down with the devil, there’s hell to pay.”
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
November 7, 2010
Robertrandle51@yahoo.com
