As Americans, whatever political philosophy you choose to espouse, that's on you. I don't have problems with people who consider themselves to be conservative, even if they are routinely on the wrong side of history. I have some as friends despite the fact we are in opposite political universes.
What I DO have a problem with is Negro conservatives.
They don't deserve to be called Black or African-American. I'm talking about the peeps like the Clarence Thomases and Ward Connerly's of the world who sell out their own people for personal gain.
Last week I got to witness the disgusting spectacle of seeing James T. Harris begging a man who has consistently graded 'F's' on the NAACP Civil Rights Report Card, who voted against the Martin Luther King holiday in 1986, do a 'Stepin Fetchit' imploring him to attack an biracial African-American poised to possibly win the presidency.And for what? What the hell was going through his mind when he showed up at this Wisconsin town hall? Increasing the audience for his conservative radio talk show in Milwaukee and becoming the new Ken Hamblin?
Maybe it's the same thing probably going through Clarence Thomas' mind (if he has one) every time his self-hating azz votes on a Supreme Court case in lockstep with Antonin Scalia. Maybe it's the same strain of selfishness going through Ward Connerly's mind when he fights to shut down affirmative action programs after he benefited from them.
Maybe it's trying so hard to prove that you're a conservative you forget to look in the fracking mirror and consider the fact that you are supporting the failed policies of a political ideology that bamboozles poor and middle class white people to vote against their own economic interests by using fear of African descended people to promote acceptance of it.
Maybe it's trying so hard to be a conservative that you strain all pretense of being capable of rational intelligent thought when you write a column as Thomas Sowell did trying to compare Sen. Barack Obama to Hitler.
Maybe it's as Tara Wall and Amy Holmes used to make their living doing, being spokeswomen for a party that has hated on us, suppressed our votes and race baited us for 40 years. One of the reasons I loathe Black conservatives is because they continue to demonstrate time and time again that they don't care about uplifting all African-Americans.
All they care about is expanding their bank accounts.
I like conservative African-Americans about as much as I like conservative Latinos -- though I don't know I'd resort to calling them Negroes and Spics.
ReplyDeleteBut seriously, this phenomenon confuses the shit out of me! Talk about voting against all of your interests!! The intelligent, well-spoken ones in particular confuse me. Has anybody ever noticed just how many of the Republican/Conservative pundits on CNN are minorities vs. Democratic/Liberal ones? There are SO MANY conservative POCs, it's amazing.
I don't understand conservative Blacks. I just don't. I think that the GOP platform is detrimental to the uplift of marginalized people within this country and around the world but most especially to those of us who are the darker brothers and sisters.
ReplyDeleteAnd I have to say that having asked people it has always come down to three issues: economics, homophobia, or "color blindness" <--how dare you call them Black, they are Americans!! Racisms doesn't exist. >:|
I could go on and on about how on each of these issues it seems clear to me that the reality of conservative positions on these issues are detrimental to communities of color across the board.
I disagree that those people aren't still Black. They're still Black. They're just not to be trusted. As a community we can't afford to support via elections or book sales these people simply because they look like us. I will never say that I support, like, or endorse Condi Rice or Clarence Thomas. Not going to happen, call me a hater if you want. I don't care.
sorry for the essay.
Conservative blacks just like most other people are blinded by a false class allegiance (false because they don't have enough wealth) into supporting the Republicans. Let's face facts though, most people who are GOP supporters don't actually make enough money to vote for that party.
ReplyDeleteThey are just black as anyone else though. Blackness cannot be defined by political beliefs, dress, clothing etc...we are not a monolithic community. Even though it is difficult to own them at times we must do so. One thing is certain all blacks of privilege eventually discover that money does not buy them the respect that they think that they have earned, just ask OJ and Michael Jackson who discovered their blackness in a time of trouble.
Renee, Jo Jo,
ReplyDeleteMay I remind both you ladies that Clarence Thomas was dubbed by Pat Buchanan and other conservatives as an 'honorary white man'
When I say I don't consider them Black, I'm talking about in the rhetorical and cultural sense.
If they ain't down with the ongoing historical mission of uplifting all our people hear and across the Diaspora and actively work to thwart it, then I don't have much respect for them.
They may be my skinfolks as Zora Neale Hurston observed, but they ain't my kinfolks.
High Monica, you took the words right out of my mouth.
ReplyDeleteWhat I also find appauling, is how some black conservatives try to remind us that they are the party of Lincoln.
The funny thing is if Lincoln was alive today, he would be a Democrat. And if FDR was alive today, he would no doubt be a Republican.
So for black conservatives to use historical tactics as such to me insults our intelligence as black women, and does a true dis-service to the people. That is why I will never be a conservative.
As far as the Liberals are conserned, they have to do more for the trans community to have my undying support. Biden nor Pallin is a fan of the LGBT communtiy. Now personaly I do not feel that the "T" should even be in the "LGB", but that is another issue altogether.
Biden and Pallin openly said that they are against gay marriage during their debate. I know gays and trans are different, but do they know that?
Persoanly Obama has my vote anyway, but we have to demand more of our candidtaes, if we will ever mature into the levels of society that we as trans women deserve.
No more settling for mediocrety on our behalfs.
-another trans sistah-