Update 1/29/2010: After reading the conversation with President Barack H. Obama with the Republican Caucus, I was impressed with how level-headed he was no matter what question was thrown out. Better yet, he was big enough to admit when he was wrong and continuously insist that we (Democrats, Republicans and Independents) must stop all the finger-pointing about what the other side isn’t doing instead of getting to the root of the issue. For that reason, as of this day, I’m going to stop saying “the Republicans don’t want…” or “the Republicans want…” instead of narrowing it down to a particular issue. From this conversation, more often than is published via the media, the three parties can agree on issues, but we spend so much time attacking each other when we don’t agree. This is one of the many reasons I continue to emphasize voting in all elections. It gives us the option to vote on people individually instead of just party voting. We should be paying attention to what each candidate says instead of the solo letter next to their names or skin complexion. So I’m going to stop my own finger-pointing and embrace the fact that so many Republicans find my tweets interesting on Twitter (refer to original blog opening below).
Update 1/16/2010: In the February 2010 issue of Ebony magazine, there’s an image of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. looking at the Reverend Andrew Young as he directs voter registration from his Chicago apartment. As soon as I flipped to that page, it reminded me of this blog. Dr. King and other civil rights leaders weren’t just fighting for voting for one rank, they were fighting for blacks to be able to vote for all categories. How do you say you respect this man’s work and then not go vote?
Original Entry Starts Here: Lately I’ve been having a few conservative Republicans follow me on Twitter. For the life of me I can’t figure out why because my opinions are so far to the left even Beyonce couldn’t sing the “Irreplaceable” lyrics to my views–to the left, to the left, everything I believe is an idea to the left. Initially I thought the conservative Tweeters may have the same mindset of my grandfather–always pay attention to your enemy, which is why he just loves to watch FOX News. He genuinely believes we have to know their wacko views. To each his own.
But what caught my attention was one of my favorite Twitter users who made the following comment: “conservative.republican.democrat. — whocares?” Considering how opinionated he is and how he proclaims to be black and conscious, I was surprised he wasn’t one of those who did care so we had a lengthy debate about politics and voting. As did many people I know, he voted in the presidential election but will not vote in the local elections. Why?
He said he didn’t have time, “cuz i have bills to pay & other stuff to worry about.” Of course I had to respond to that. Anybody who believes that local politicians don’t effect your daily activities has another thing coming. We’ve heard the issues that happened when Governor Pat Quinn let Illinois prisoners that were originally deemed non-violent prisoners be released early. (Grudgingly I must admit that Joe the Cop may have had a point although I still stand on my views on recidivism.) We all know about the fiasco with Todd Stroger and raising taxes. And I’m pretty sure by now I don’t have to talk about all the wrong things Blagojevich has managed to say and do, including his statement that he’s blacker than Obama. And we helped these people get into office.
What they do while they’re in office effects us just as much as who’s in the White House. And then I got the age old response I’ve heard a billion times before from African-American voters, “if the black media did a decent job on covering politics i would be more willing to participate.” Let’s cut the B.S.
Previously I worked for an African-American newspaper and listened to two reporters and myself who had very different views on who should be elected the next Illinois senator . No matter what the black media covers, that doesn’t mean every single person at that station or newspaper will agree on it. I told my Twitter friend that. Then, I was hit with “im jus saying that i think every group should have a body of (capable) leaders & they should lead.”
What a slap in the face when the highest rank in office is filled by an African-American man. I’m tired of the black media accusations. I’m bored with people blaming the black media for why they don’t know more about politics. The black media is doing some of the same things that independent voters can be doing. We’re researching the politicians, attending the conferences, listening to the speeches, visiting the Web sites of the politicians and holding discussions on who is the best leader. There’s nothing so special about a journalist that the average voter can’t do too outside of one-on-one interviews.
I recall a lady calling my office when I worked for this publication asking when we were going to print or publish online who the newspaper would endorse as political candidates. I asked her, “Wouldn’t it be better if you made your own decisions on who you want to win? You may not agree with all of the candidates endorsed by one editor or president.” She told me she didn’t have time to look up every politician, but she would trust an African-American paper to lead her the right way. When did skin tone become the deciding factor in a vote? Condolezza Rice was brown-skinned, and she went shoe shopping through Hurricane Katrina news. Michael Steele is just now taking a breath from his hip hop dictionary, and he still sounds just as dumb. And Clarence Thomas voted against affirmative action. Brown skin does not mean great advisers.
Why are people so busy that they can’t research people who are going to effect the city you live in? What is on your planner so tough that you can’t do the same thing these journalists are doing? Why do you need a leader or a journalist to hold your hands in the voting booths? Please cut it out with the excuses. Everybody is waiting on a leader to follow, but why not step up and be that leader.
Today is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. Imagine if he’d have waited for someone else to step up for equality and fight against segregation. Imagine if Malcolm X had decided to wait for some other Muslim to speak to the crowd. Imagine if Harriet Tubman would’ve given in to narcolepsy and said, “Screw it. I’m done freeing you guys. I’m going to set up shop in my new home.” Imagine if Frederick Douglass didn’t learn to read and start a newspaper about anti-slavery.
I think my Twitter friend is one of the most fascinating people I followed and I enjoyed his conversation, but I completely disagree with him on voting. And he’s not alone in his thoughts. I’ve heard his arguments about leaders and black media from plenty of other mouths of African-American non-voters. Although it’s especially disappointing to hear someone who claims to be conscious ignore voting, it’s even worse for those who complain about “the white man.” How do you complain about “the white man” when as a black man (or black woman), you don’t exercise the basic rights of any American? Why are you waiting for someone else to hold your hand and guide you to the voting booths? Quiet as it’s kept, every last one of us can be leaders. All we have to do is step up to the plate and handle our own responsibilities, and one of the responsibilities black Americans have is to step up to the voting booths. If King Jr. died for us to have those types of rights, why do some of us spit on his grave by not doing it?
The early elections are going on as I type. Get up. Go vote. Find time.
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