Chapter Seven

Open the Gate, We are Leaving!

“I shall never permit myself to stoop so low as to hate any man.”
Booker T. Washington

On July 1, 1991, President George Bush nominated conservative Justice
Clarence Thomas to the U.S. Supreme Court. Unwittingly President Bush
had launched the black conservative movement in America. With Justice
Thomas’ nomination, the black tribal chiefs had a fit. They tried everything
to discredit and foil his confirmation to the bench.
Black conservatives who had previously thought they were all along,
witnessed the televised hearings and saw themselves. Black conservative
after conservative stepped up to the limelight in defense of Clarence
Thomas. Suddenly, black conservatives in San Diego knew they had friends
in Washington. Groups in Houston knew about groups in Memphis. All of
the sudden the mirage was broken and a movement was launched.
Eventually names like Walter Williams, Thomas Sowell, Star Parker and
Ezola Foster became known to the nation.
We would never take the back seat to liberal activism in our community
again. Once we understood that we were not alone, we also understood what
we were called to do.
Many people like to believe that Clarence Thomas was unqualified to be
nominated for the Supreme Court. The argument is invalid and is motivated
by his conservative views more than his qualification. If these liberal civil
rights leaders were concerned about the age and experience of Justice
Thomas, then they should have been equally concerned about General Colin
Powell’s nomination as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Both men were relatively young for the job, and that youth restricted the
amount of experiences they could have had. However, to argue the
qualification of Justice Thomas to replace Thurgood Marshall is not fair to
either man.
Justice Marshall was a great leader in the civil rights struggle when the
battle was in full attack. His arguments before the Supreme Court and other
cases opened the door for people like Justice Thomas to advance. However,
once the doors of opportunity were open, Justice Thomas took advantage of
them. While Marshall went to Howard Law School, Thomas went to Yale.
It could be argued that Marshall could not have entered Yale lLw School.
However, if the struggles of Marshall and others opened the door for Black
Americans to enter Yale Law School, then the achievement of Clarence
Thomas should have been heralded as honoring the life and works of
Marshall.
Clarence Thomas could be considered the result of Thurgood Marshall,
and they complemented each other. It was ironic and justified to have a man
who took advantage of the victory assume the seat of him who won the
victory.
A comparison of the qualifications of both men, at the time of their
nomination, reveals more similarities than differences. Both men graduated
law school around the same age (Marshall at 25 and Thomas at 26), both had
distinguished careers working for civil rights groups (one for conservative
causes and the other liberal) and both served in lower courts before being
nominated to the highest court in the land.
Although Justice Thomas was much younger than Marshall, the times
were also different. Both graduated college with honors and had brilliant
minds. The detractors of Thomas should be honest enough to admit his
conservative views are the real problems they have with him.
On September 30, 1994, hundreds of Americans converged on Houston,
Texas or the National Leadership Conference. They came from all over to
meet and fellowshipwith others with similar beliefs. They shared a common
frustration of being lone warriors for moral and economic values. These
were conservative Americans of slave descent. It was a powerful meeting
with no whining about the white conspiracy, any demands for more
handouts, no blaming someone else for the conditions of our community and
no apologizing for success.
This Was A Group of Black Americans Who Love America, Not for
What It Had Been Or Even for What It Is Now, But for What It Could
Be
We who gathered in Houston for the National Leadership Conference
understood how far America had to go, but we also understood how far it
had traveled. There is no other country in the world that offers as much to
its people as America. We understood the legacy of slavery and the cruelty
of its system. We also understood how America has torn herself apart to
change.
Because of this legacy we came together. After 420 years of a plantation
mentality, it was about time.
It is time we declare how the war on poverty has made more of us poor.
It is time we abolish a welfare system that creates broken families of no self-
esteem. It is time we recognize there is something wrong when 10% of the
population is having 44% of the abortions. This population is killing its
children in the streets and making junkies out of many others. In Houston,
we decided it was time to return to the low-cost, high-quality schools that
taught our people skills and respect. We reject the high-cost, low-quality
schools that graduate our children with little self-respect and no future. We
believe the term “multi- cultural” really means “divide and conquer” or is
another term for “separate but equal.”
In Houston We Came Together To Say That Taxing the Wealthy Only
Keeps Us From Getting Wealthy
When there is a 10% government set-aside program for us, we are being
restricted from 90% of the business opportunities. We want lower taxes, no
minimum wage and smaller government. The federal subsidies, food
stamps, AFDC, and 75 other welfare programs look far too much like the
plantation for our comfort.
Over four hundred Americans of African slave descent came together to
ask questions and make decisions. They gave birth to a new organization
tentatively called “Mainstream USA.” We are neither Black Americans nor
African-Americans; we are mainstream.
However, the meeting was not a social gathering—it was a social
awakening. These black conservatives are no longer alone and unorganized,
but operate now in a network of writers, radio talk-show hosts, researchers,
spokesmen and mainstream organizations.
We left Texas with a plan as well as a renewed spirit of commitment.
We were determined to return home and challenge the defeatist attitudes
within our communities. We would never allow the voice of hopelessness to
go unchallenged before us. We were energized just by meeting each other
and encouraged by the overwhelming offers to come to each other’s aid.
I met other talk-show hosts who agreed to share information and guests,
magazine editors who would print our stories, and many interesting people
to call upon when help was needed.
There was one thing we all felt could be done. If we could simply
increase the number of Black Republican voters in the 1994 elections, we
would have accomplished two things. If we could increase the Black
Republican voter turnout to over 10%, we would completely end the
Democrat control over this country. The second thing we would accomplish
would be an evaluation of how our message is being received by Black
Americans.
We went home and waited for the 1994 elections, and all we heard from
the media was about the “angry white males.”
However, what really happened in 1994 was a major shift in black voting
patterns. The usual group of 5 to 8% Black Republican voters swelled to
12% nationwide. It was the largest percentage in decades, and a major
reason for the Republican landslide of that year. Looking at individual races
shows more of a picture of the strong Republican showing in the black
communities. California Republican Governor Wilson received 21% of the
black votes, Ohio Republican Governor George Voinovich received 40%.(8)
It was the same everywhere. Major shifts in black voting patterns should
have been the news. We won in 1994 and came into our own. Too bad the
media was looking for angry white men instead.
Kwanzaa and Other Substitutes for Reality
The winter season is a special time of the year for me. First there is the
make-believe celebration of “Kwanzaa” in December, then honoring Dr.
Martin Luther King’s birthday in January, and the month-long culmination
of “Black History Month” for February. As a Black American, this season
is a time of reflection on heritage and honor. It is a time of reflection on the
character and dignity that has served the black community for so many
years.
The struggle within this segment of the U.S. population is both external
and internal. We have suffered from self-hatred while seeking self-respect.
We have been considered both lazy and hard-working by the same people,
simultaneously. Our leaders call for separation, integration and revolution in
the same breath. In our past era where reading and writing were illegal,
education was next to freedom in importance. However, today, education is
left in the hands of the new plantation owners. The results have been the
same: less success and more dependency on the master.
As America begins the next Black History Month, let us resist the
temptation to look only at the negatives. We could talk about the beatings,
lynching, rapes and murders. One could speak about the lost, stolen or
deflected opportunities and hopes of a people. However, while we look at
how bad it was, let us take heart in the achievements of our people. Success
has always been difficult, especially during times of slavery and legal
discrimination. From 1619 until 1865 Black Americans both survived and
thrived. Some examples of accomplishments during the days of slavery
would include:
*The first general institution organized and managed by black people was
the Free African Society of Philadelphia, founded April 12, 1787.
*Alexander Lucius Twilight was elected to the Vermont legislature in
1836 and was the first Black American elected to public office as well as the
first black to graduate from an American college in 1823.
*The black actor James Hewlett played the role of Othello in 1821 and
Ira Aldridge won international renown for the same role in 1833.
*The American Insurance Company of Philadelphia became the first
black-owned insurance company in 1810.
*The first black physician was ex-slave James Derham 1783, and the first
black lawyer was Macon B. Allen of Maine, 1843.
*The Freedom’s Journal became the first black owned newspaper, March
16, 1827 in New York.
*Phillis Wheatley was the first Black American author and first major
poet. Her book, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, published
in 1773, was only the second book published by an American woman.(9)
If Black Americans can accomplish these goals under the weight of
slavery, what can be done now? If a black person could obtain a Ph.D. when
it was illegal to read or write, certainly we can conquer high school in the
inner-cities. There were no harsher times to be a black person, no greater
hazards to overcome. There are no legal barriers facing us, no
overwhelming organized efforts to stop us—at least not as these heroes
faced.
Now To Our Legacy, Now To Our Responsibility As A People, Culture
And Nation
You honor the past in memory, and you honor the future by action! Let
us continue to build a country on forgiveness, courage and pride. We must
honor the sacrifices of those who did the impossible, in spite of the
intolerable, and suffered the insufferable.
We owe it to them to stop whining and complaining about who has done
us wrong. Stand up on history and recognize that no one can stop the
American spirit. We owe it to them to make it here in America. The
greatest honor is success. Honor your past and your future.
Kwanzaa: Symbolism Over Substance
Increasingly Black Americans are embracing the Kwanzaa celebration
and festival. Why? What is the need to recognize a made-up holiday with
false traditions? It is because of emotion. The community has been told it is
a “black thing” and therefore it must be honored.
Now, do not get me wrong, I have no problem in remembering my past
or honoring traditions. I have a degree in Black History, I speak Swahili and
had acquired an African name long before it became politically correct.
However, let us get serious—traditions are for memories, not for made-up
holidays. Kwanzaa is a make believe story full of errors and falsehoods.
With such a rich heritage and history, why do we celebrate the fantasy
world of a college professor from the radical 60’s? Professor Ron Karenga
made up Kwanzaa in 1961 to counter the Western celebration of Christmas.
Dr. Karenga made up a word, made up its definitions and then made up the
elements we recognize today as “traditions.” First, “Kwanzaa” does not
spell “first fruits” in Swahili or any other language.
When I interviewed Dr. Karenga a few years ago, he admitted that the
word was changed from the Swahili word “Kwanza” to “Kwanzaa” because
he needed seven letters to represent his seven children. Because I spoke
Swahili (and he apparently did not) Dr. Karenga was forced to admit that the
word “Kwanza” was a Swahili adverb for “first,” and he added the extra “a”
and “fruits” because it fit his story. And for all of you who wish to celebrate
“first fruits,” the proper Swahili noun would be “Limbuko,” which would
have given Dr. Karenga his seven letters for his children had he understood
the language.
My question is, why celebrate this make believe holiday anyway? With
the rich history and heritage of Africa and black people in America, why not
remember what we have accomplished in facts instead of celebrating a
fantasy? You could celebrate the historical defeat of the Roman army by the
Ethiopians or Hannibal’s invasion of Europe. One could commemorate the
great library at Timbuktu or the engineering feat of the pyramids.
Then there are the historical feats of Black Americans, both the well-
known and the never-to-be-known. Benjamin Bannaker’s redesign of our
Capital from memory, Crispus Attucks, the first man to die in the American
Revolution, or the scientific genius of E.J. McCoy (the “Real McCoy”)
should be honored. We could celebrate the brave adventure of Harriet
Tubman’s underground railroad or perhaps the unblemished record of the
Tuskegee airmen of WWII.
Juneteenth! Juneteenth is here! What is Juneteenth? Every year about the
beginning of June, there are celebrations around the country with festivals
and picnics, embracing Juneteenth. The NAACP will have its annual picnic
and celebrations, and people will continue to ask the question, what is
Juneteenth? I have heard many answers and most are incorrect. Even the
“official” explanation raises more questions than it answers, but I will try to
explain the history and tradition of this Black American holiday called
Juneteenth.
Officially, it is of a remembrance of events that happened the second
week of June 1865. On or about June 13, Union General Gordon Granger
arrived with federal troops outside Galveston Island, Texas, liberating the
200,000 slaves of the region. Earlier, January 1, 1863, President Abraham
Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. From this point, history is
excused and fantasy begins.
The story continues that it took two years for the word of the
Emancipation to reach the slaves in Texas. The cruel slave master did not
tell the Texas slaves about it and kept them working until the Union troops
showed up. The resulting celebration of freedom was called “Emancipation
Day” and the timing was June thirteenth through the nineteenth. It soon
became known as Juneteenth (13th-19th).
While the events concerning General Granger were true, it did not take
two years for word of the Emancipation to reach Texas; it just took two
years for the troops to show up. The Emancipation Proclamation did not free
any slaves, and none were freed until the war was over. Why would anyone
expect the slaveholders in rebellion to free their slaves because Mr. Lincoln
said so? There was a war going on, and the South was not listening to
Lincoln.
The southern States had declared their independence from Washington
and formed their own government. They took orders from their own
President and received power from their Congress and Courts. Just as we
declared independence from Great Britain, the South had to defend iyself
against the Union. No slaves were free in the South on Mr. Lincoln’s say-so
because the South was not under his control.
If the United States president declared all prisoners in Mexico jails were
now free, would they be? It would not matter until the 101st Airborne
marched into Mexico City to enforce the order. A careful reading of the
Emancipation Proclamation will point out how specific Lincoln’s order was.
Not only were certain slaves of certain States declared free but even parts of
certain counties. Only those slaves in the States who were in rebellion were
free. Slaves in States controlled by Mr. Lincoln kept their slaves, and even
States that would rejoin the Union could have kept slaves.
We get the impression that the Union troops were like the liberating
armies of World War II. Nevertheless, the Union troops placed slaves in
“contraband camps,” because they were still considered property. If the
Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves, why would we still need to pass
the 13th and 14th amendments to the Constitution?
Lincoln was a great man and a great President, but what freed the slaves
was the struggle for freedom fought long before the war began. It was John
Brown at Harper’s ferry, Harriet Tubman’s railroad, Stowe’s writings and
Frederick Douglass’ oratory. Freedom was won by the black troops and the
white troops who died for it. Freedom was won as it has always been won by
self-sacrifice of those oppressed. It is very sad that some would like to
distort history with stories. The truth is, if Lincoln freed the slaves, then we
are still slaves, because no one is free until he frees himself.
We Should Honor Our Traditions With Real Historical Events Like
“Juneteenth,” Martin Luther King Day, Or the End of Apartheid
In this search for our African past let us remember one thing. Not only
did Africans come here as slaves but the continent was also colonized and
Africans became slaves on their own lands.
Our people were held as slaves in their own country by colonists. Others
were kidnapped to foreign lands as slaves. Today, in spite of the harshness
of the slave trade and the cruelty of Jim Crow and segregation, the
descendants of the slaves in America have done quite well. We are the
healthiest, most literate and most influential group of black people in the
world. We have more education, money, freedom and power than any other.
Despite the harshness of American life for black people, we have thrived and
should be proud. I honor the past as history, not fantasy; Kwanzaa is
fantasy.
Now some of you only want to look for the negative because some of you
are comfortable being the victims. But I have read my history and know
who I am, where I came from, and where I am going. I have discovered that
if the slave master could not destroy my spirit, if Jim Crow could not quench
my dreams and if racist Americans could not keep me down, there is no
force on earth capable of doing these things—except one, me! If I believe I
am a victim, then I am.
Politics Is Politics, For All Races
As we enter election seasons, let us keep something in mind. There are
only a few criteria by which we should elect a candidate. Constitutionally
the President has little authority over most of our lives, but this authority is
almost absolute in some areas. The decision on sending our troops into
battle and appointing lifetime judges over us has become the absolute
domain of Presidents.
Although the Constitution grants overview and even decision-making to
Congress, we have been unable to stop most actions of Presidents in these
two areas. Therefore, the voting decision should be weighed by character. I
have only two questions for each of our candidates: under what
circumstances will you go to war, and what are your criteria for selecting
federal judges?
If you examined the major tragedies in our country’s history you can
easily find the judges of long-gone Presidents playing a pivotal role. The
Dred Scott decision, Brown versus the Board of Education, Roe versus
Wade and the current problems with California’s Proposition 187 all stem
from judges left to us by past Presidents and governors. Long after we have
corrected the mistakes of elections, their influence still affects our lives.
The decisions of Abraham Lincoln lasted a hundred years after his death.
I served in Vietnam long after Kennedy and Johnson were out of office, and
the Iron Curtain of Europe fell after Ronald Reagan had returned to
California. The decision of electing a President will have effects on our
economy and culture long after the official leaves office.
It is not important how charismatic the candidate is. How impressive his
speech delivery is or how caring he is should not move us. The character of
this person should reflect our character because his character will affect our
lives for years to come.
President Clinton Has A History Of Not Caring for the Military Or
Serving In It
Clinton has made no apologies for past statements and actions indicating
his disdain for the military service. Therefore, we should not have been
surprised when he used military officers assigned to the White House in
ways insulting to their position. Shortly after his inauguration, Clinton
degraded the fine officers by having them serve as waiters for his State
dinners and other functions at the White House.
President Clinton sent your sons and daughters to Bosnia to help with his
reelection campaign, and no one seemed to care about character. It is not
enough that he failed in Haiti and Somalia, it was not good enough that he
opened the military to practicing homosexuals, but now he wants to use the
greatest fighting force in the world for another waiter’s job. Our troops are
serving in Bosnia as targets, mine-clearing experts, and road builders. These
deployments were little more than campaign ploys.
We are already set to suffer well into the next millennium because of his
court appointments. This has fueled a renewed call for term limits of
Federal judges. What we need are more decisive and selective electors who
will stop placing people in office for frivolous reasons. This government
solves every problem by taking more control over our businesses, private
property, and lives.
Have we seen enough yet? Did we like the Clinton Health Care Plan, tax
cuts and broken promises on a balanced budget? Can anyone really be
impressed with this government’s education policy? Are you prepared to
see your troops under the control of the United Nations? Will you tolerate
more government control over your homes and business? Are you willing to
follow a President with no direction and little integrity? It seems to me that
we should all ask ourselves the question “Who will he nominate to the
courts?” and “Under which circumstance will he commit our soldiers to
battle?” An informed electorate should consider these questions.
Sure, the President is a dynamic, charismatic person. However, the
office of the President of the United States is not a figurehead position. This
position represents the morality and culture of the American people. This
person will lead (or mislead) the free world, and we are solely responsible
for the choice.
It is one of the most important decisions a self-governing people will
make. We should not make our decision on looks, personality, or the
sensitivity of the candidate. The election of the President should not be a
popularity contest selected on the showmanship of the official. This office
should be a reflection of the heart and soul of the American people.

Elected Officials Should Be Chosen Based Upon Our Combined Faiths,
Loves, Fears and Solemn Commitment To Principles
If we elect a President for any other reason we are doing a great
disservice to our ancestors and our children. Our ancestors left us with the
rights and privileges of a free society, and our children depend on us to
reserve and preserve these rights and privileges for them. Choose a
President like you would choose the legal guardian of your children. Choose
wisely or be governed foolishly.
President Clinton’s 1996 State of the Union address was something for
everybody. It became clear, early in the telecast that the President was in
full campaign mode, “talking from the right but governing from the left.” He
promised everyone everything, and if you listen carefully, he did not
promise anyone anything.
The President wants a balanced budget but could not get one even when
his party controlled Congress. Instead, we got a retroactive tax increase on
everyone, not sparing even the dead. Our President stated the “era of big
government was over!” Does that mean he has amended his health care
proposals, which would have controlled 7% of our economy from
Washington? The President declares his support for a balanced budget but
vetoes the only balanced budget submitted to the White House in 30 years.
His call for a balanced budget is only rhetoric when he excludes such budget
busting programs like Medicaid, Social Security, Welfare and Education.
President Clinton wants us to understand that he hears our demands for
less government but insists we not go back to the days Americans went at it
alone. However, the partnership he refers to is a burden not a help. This
partnership is unequal and less productive, it has little to contribute and takes
more control over our business. What the President means by “partnership”
is “control.”
President Clinton takes credit for reducing the number of federal
employees and the national debt. Of course, most of those “federal
employees” are members of our military, not the bloated social bureaucracy.
He has done such a great job of military reduction that we cannot deploy a
few thousand troops from within Europe to Bosnia without calling up the
reserves. I believe it is a disturbing revelation when this country cannot
quickly send a small detachment of troops a few hundred miles without the
reserves.
In his speech, the President suggested the Russian military no longer has
missiles pointed at American cities. Other than the President, does anyone
else want to bet on that? How many of you are willing to believe there are
no Russian submarines patrolling the Pacific Ocean with nuclear missiles
programmed for Camp Pendleton? What American could believe the threat
from Russian bombers is not real for the eastern seaboard? How can the
President assure us that no Russian mobile launchers are sitting in Eastern
Europe aimed at us? However, do not worry, your President assures us, they
are no threat.
The question is, are we buying this? Are we this gullible? Did anyone
believe his long admiring look during the State of the Union Address to Mrs.
Clinton was spontaneous? Perhaps he is in love with his wife and
appreciates her, but everyone understood that gesture as an act of support for
her legal troubles. These insincere emotional symbolic poses by the
President are what makes people doubt his character and sincerity. I do not
know what is more frightening—a President who believes he can fool all of
the people all of the time, or who 40+ percent of us who appear fooled all of
the time.
We waited until the election to truly tell if the people would reclaim our
country. Only the elections could tell us if we were to follow a great
storyteller or return to the great story. The great story is of a people who did
not depend upon government, but upon themselves. This people believed in
equal rights rather than special rights, and stand for independence, not co-
dependence. This is the choice America faces: symbolism over substance.
Who are our heroes—a President who refused to serve our country, or
army specialist Michael New who refused to serve the United Nations?
Michael New is the U.S. military hero who refused to disobey his oath to
America. He was ordered to take off his U.S. uniform and put on the
uniform of the United Nations. He was expected to follow the orders of a
foreign military officer and serve a world government institution. Michael
New considered himself an American military man not a “world peace
keeper” and refused the order to change uniforms.
“The era of big government is over!” These words, spoken by President
Clinton during his 1996 State of the Union Address, were a hopeful sign. If
big government liberals feel the need to campaign on this theme, then maybe
it really is over. Since I am the type who considers what you do as more
important that what you say, I am not convinced Clinton really wants a
smaller government. But he certainly believes YOU want a smaller
government.
Character Should Play An Important Role In all Elections
The American people must decide between someone who speaks well
and someone who can lead. We can choose based upon the ability to
identify problems and the person’s history of solving them. If these were the
criteria, any one of the Republican candidates should have easily beaten
Clinton in 1992 and 1996.
We should have chosen based upon a history of keeping promises and not
the ability to make promises. However, we did not use this criteria.
Unfortunately, many of us do not even know who our elected officials are.
Recent surveys and polls have found Americans ignorant of the political and
social issues. Apparently, we cannot decide which major party is
conservative and which is liberal, whether we want to cut or raise taxes, or
even the names of our elected representatives. Surveys pointed out a major
confusion and apathy among the voters. No wonder we blame “politicians”
for political troubles instead of the “policies” of political parties.
We could blame this on the poor political knowledge taught in school
civics classes, broken promises of the past or both parties being too close in
philosophies. Nevertheless, I put the blame on us, the American people. We
have spent too much of our time watching O.J. instead of Washington.
ESPN is more popular than C-SPAN, and MTV controls more of our
attention and loyalty than NET (National Empowerment Television). This is
somewhat understandable, as entertainment will always be more appealing
than education, but education will always be more important than
entertainment.
Our children can recite any rap song, but not “America the Beautiful.”
Everyone knew that Magic Johnson will return, but not many knew Michael
New refused to go. While Magic Johnson wants to serve the public in the
NBA, army specialist Michael New refused to serve the United Nations
under foreign command. I will admit, Johnson is more entertaining, but
New is far more inspiring. Who is the real hero and role model—an athlete
returning to what he loves for glory, or a soldier giving up what he loves for
honor?
It gives me courage when I see individuals and groups begin to stand up
for what they believe and daring to change things. From parents in the
Escondido, California, school district fighting to keep math taught, to the
bipartisan uproar against Michael New’s court-martial, the American spirit
is beginning to stir. However, unless we are willing to sacrifice and even
lose what we have, we will always fall short.
Ask yourself a question, do we need more Magic Johnsons to entertain us
or Michael News to expose our souls?
Are we going to be one government, controlled from outside this country,
or do you believe the world needs a strong America? If you believe in a
strong America, then you must continue to stir. We have a long way to go,
but we must go.
I hope Clinton is sincere about ending big government. Government
cannot solve our social problems. Government has never solved our social
problems; it has only made them worse. Only the American people can
resolve social and economical problems, because we are a self-governed
people. “WE, THE PEOPLE” ended slavery, Jim Crow, the Vietnam War,
won women’s suffrage, and brought down the Iron Curtain. Only “WE,
THE PEOPLE” can end racism, poverty, crime and educate our children.
Big government is a burden, so let us pray Bill Clinton is sincere.
Who would have thought Long Beach would have fallen before Hong
Kong
Clinton has said that big government is over! However, if big
government is over, what will take its place “big world government?” It
seems like our nation is being surrendered to enemies for no real reason.
Why are our competitive spirit and the will to be winners becoming
undesirable social traits? With strange trade agreements and treaties,
American culture is being sold onto another plantation and we may all soon
be slaves.
I have never thought slavery was motivated by hatred against Africans or
black people. It was tried on many other people first, including Europeans
and American Indians. Slavery was motivated by control, not racism. The
current surrender of our economy and sovereignty is an issue of power and
who wield it.
While we are worried about the CIA and the FBI, someone is stealing
away our very country. If we keep looking at ourselves as different cultures,
others will instill their culture on us. There is no reason to destroy the
plantation; it is better to own it.
They said communism has been defeated; then why do I see so many of
them!
The last time I saw Communists carrying AK47 weapons, I was serving
in South Vietnam. I must admit having mixed emotions witnessing the proud
warship of Communist China tied up to the proud USS Constellation. Then I
saw the picture of the Chinese Navy Admiral guarded by a young sailor with
his AK47 rifle.
I know times have changed, but have the communist changed? Was this
the same ship that participated in exercises off Taiwan in the summer of
1997? Was this the same Chinese war ship that US carriers like the USS
Constellation confronted near Taiwan that summer? Was this the same
Chinese military that warned us of their ability to “strike Los Angeles?”
We gave Gorbachev part of the Presidio military base in San Francisco,
the United Nations flag is flying in many US government locations, and now
we have the Communist Chinese government buying politicians and moving
in on the Port of Long Beach.
Not only are they establishing themselves at Long Beach and visiting San
Diego, but the Chinese government has major developments other places in
America. From major retail development in Arkansas (where else?), to
special docking privileges near U.S. bases, the Chinese are moving fast at
winning the economics game.
They are already fast overtaking Japan as a leading trading partner with
the U.S. and have learned their lessons well from Japan. China seems to
believe free trade means they are free to trade their product openly in
American markets but feel free to close their markets to our products. Giving
lip service to controlling their piracy of our intellectual property and
demanding we give up patent rights and trade secrets, one must ask what are
we getting for the deal?
Are we getting better relationships, dialog, better understanding of this
giant nation? Do we get a reduction of the tension between China and
Taiwan? NO! We get heightened tension and more pressure to surrender our
friends and allies.
Just days after the Communists left San Diego, days after the Vice
President and Newt Gingrich arrived back from Tiananmen Square, the
Chinese were back to threats and intimidation.
While Vice President Al Gore was toasting the Chinese leadership, the
Clinton Administration was insisting on a UN resolution criticizing China.
Bill Richardson, the U.S. ambassador to the UN in New York, was insisting
that China “continued to commit widespread and well-documented human
rights abuses.” Ambassador Richardson is a member of President Clinton’s
cabinet and stated that the United Nations Human Rights Commission
recognized human rights violations of Communist China. China argues that
no country’s human rights record is perfect.
Of course, no one is asking China’s record to be perfect-just consistent
with normal human dignity and generally–accepted behavior. This rebuke
by the Clinton administration may temper the outcry of China’s funding of
the Democratic National Committee and other campaign irregularities.
However, it seems clear that the UN’s 15-nation European Union was not
united on its annual bid to condemn China. Therefore, any open attack on
China in the UN could only be for show. The 53-member Commission, led
by France, did not vote to condemn. Therefore, Clinton can criticize the
human rights violations of China, quell the opposition to Gore’s visit and
welcome the Communist sailors to the San Diego Zoo.
If Clinton really wanted to take aim at China’s human rights violation,
why not use Al Gore? Gore was in China with the world press watching and
was silent on the subject. At the same time Newt Gingrich visited China and
told the Chinese that America would defend Taiwan. The Communist
government response was predictable. Taiwan was an “internal” problem,
and we should mind our own business. Clinton did not back up Newt; White
House spokesman Mike McCurry told reporters that Gingrich was “speaking
for himself.” That is fine and dandy, but who is speaking for America?
Free Willie 1
“Free Willie 1” is over! The taxpayers of California are finally rid of
Willie Brown and his-tax-and spend, back room, good-old-boy tactics.
Liberals are endangered species, and Willie Brown has been under the
feeding and care of taxpayers so long, he may have lost the ability to care for
himself. It was appropriate and humane to first free him to the natural
habitat that spawned him, San Francisco. There he can frolic around with
the other liberals and enjoy the company of other endangered species like
union bosses, unproductive teachers, non-caring bureaucrats, liberal press
and big money special-interest groups.
The conclusion of this epic adventure was longer than expected. The
voters thought the nightmare was over in 1994 when they voted for a
Republican majority in the Assembly. However, the combination of
politicians addicted to power and independent thinking Republicans made
for a final show by the entertainer Willie Brown. Again, he dazzled us with
his wit and maneuverability. Again, the master of the deal proved effective.
However, the people of California decided to finally govern themselves
without dirty tricks and under-the-table attempts to deny their wishes.
The Day After Republicans Took Over, There Was An Exodus Of
Documents From the Assembly Office Building
This was stopped by alert Republican staff members who noticed private
cars loading up boxes after hours. It took a call to the police and the seizure
of dumpsters and garbage trucks to rescue the documents Democrats were
trying to remove. These files, now in the hands of the Justice department,
suggest a secrect political arm of the Democrat party was at work in
Sacramento under taxpayers’ funding.
Campaign literature, letterhead, memos and phone logs all indicate an
organized political machine, acting illegally on taxpayers’ time. This acting
was done with our money, to keep Democrats in power. This is neither new
nor surprising, and neither is the little attention paid by the media.
As Willie Brown became the darling of the press, they have followed him
into his sanctuary of San Francisco. Therewere far more stories in
California newspapers covering the inauguration of Willie Brown as chief
groundskeeper (oh, I mean mayor) of San Francisco than the dumpster full
of papers found in Sacramento.
Willie Brown is now out, but we must put a hedge about our political
philosophy to guard against his return in another executive position. We
also need to guard against the return of “Willie-like” politicians—those that
think political power should be used for control and oppression.
What kind of leader was Willie Brown? Some will say he was a brilliant
public servant using his unmatched skills to secure influence and control
over the Assembly agenda for the good of the people. Others consider him a
symbol of arrogance and intolerance with no patience for anything that
would not directly benefit him.
Both may be true or neither could be true, but ask yourself this question:
How did California benefit from his tenure as Speaker of the Assembly? Are
Californians better off now? Are jobs more secure, taxes better spent, or
children educated more effectively? Since Willie Brown was Speaker, did
respect for politicians increase to match his income?
Who was better off—Californians or Willie Brown? Who had more to
show for his fourteen of years leading our Assembly? Regulations, taxes,
fees, and restrictions have caused businesses to flee this state like there is a
plague here. Republican Tom McClintock once stated that only politicians
could cause people to prefer the Arizona and Nevada deserts to the Golden
State. People are having trouble planning for their future, and families
cannot plan for retirement.
Well, the killer whale has been removed and we have quite a mess to
clean up. However, we are pioneers and we love a challenge.
Is the sequel to “Free Willie” coming soon? With the re-election of the
most scandalous administration in history, we are guaranteed endless
hearings, trials, etc. “Free Willie 2” may come through indictment or
impeachment. Perhaps Willie can spend his time rafting down the
Whitewater river in Arkansas.
The Party For the Rich Or the Party For the Poor
While I was a student at Berkeley and Merritt College in Oakland, CA, I
continued to hear professors and students claim that the Democrats were the
party “for the poor” and Republicans were the party “for the rich.” As I
have said previously, I had to decide which philosophy I wanted to accept.
Democrats truly believed that their power and influence came from giving
services to the poor, so it seemed logical that they would want to create as
many poor as possible. If the Democrats believed that the more prosperous
you became the more you voted Republican, wouldn’t that explain their
eagerness to raise taxes and burden businesses?
It seems like the Democrats were always taking from those mean “rich”
people to help the poor. They had great programs for you if you did not
want to become wealthy.
Now the Republican party understands that its power and influence come
from people who have the hope of obtaining and maintaining, wealth. The
more prosperous a community the greater its tendency for voting
Republican. It became quite clear to me as a young college student that
Republicans wanted as many of us wealthy as possible, because it gave them
power.
So, which party did I want to support—one that wanted to take care of
me, or one that wanted me to take care of myself? Boy, I had some thinking
to do. However, that was not the real question.
I Had Studied My History In College and I Knew That the Republican
Party Was Founded By the Abolitionists To End Slavery
It was the party of Lincoln and the party of Frederick Douglass. It was
the party supported in principle by Harriet Tubman and the other freedom
fighters of that era. My real decision was, if I should I join the party of the
slave master, the party that fought to keep black people on the plantation, or
the party that fought to open the gate and say it is OK to leave the
plantation?
The original home of freed Black Americans was with the Republican
party. It was the party that swept black people into office all over the south
after the Civil War. It was the party the Democrats forced black people out
of. The Democrats forced black ex-slaves to reregister back to the party of
the slave master. It was not until the early 1930’s that the first black person
was elected to a Democrat office. Black Republicans served right after the
Civil War. The Republican party is our home.
Black voters have had problems with Republicans as well as Democrats,
but our history is with the Republican party. Problems began immediately
after the Civil War when Frederick Douglass urged then President Johnson
to allow former slaves to vote. Johnson opposed this and was generally
against black suffrage. However, it did not stop black elections in the deep
South nor the violent reactions of several Democrats and former slave
owners.
Lerone Bennett, Jr. published Before the Mayflower, which chronicles the
actions of the Democrat party against black voters.
1. May 1-3, 1866, white Democrats and police attacked Black
Americans and whites in Memphis, killing 46 and wounding 70. Many
homes were burned.
2. July 30, 1866, just one year after the end of the Civil War, white
Democrats and police attacked black and white Republicans in New Orleans.
Forty people were killed and 150 wounded.
3. On the same day abolitionist, David Walker’s son Edward became the
first Black to sit in the legislature of an American state in the post-Civil War
era. July 30, 1866 he was elected to the Massachusetts Assembly from the
town of Boston.
4. May 20-21, 1868, the Republican National Convention was held in
Chicago, marking the national debut of black politicians.
5. September 19, 1868, white Democrats attacked demonstrators in
Georgia, killing nine black people.
6. June 5-6, 1872, the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia
witnessed the first time Black people addressed a major national convention.
These three individuals were Elliott, chairman of the South Carolina
delegation; Rainey, of South Carolina and Lynch of Mississippi.
7. January 17, 1874, Democrats took control of the Texas government by
armed force and ended Racial Reconstruction in Texas.
8. August 30, 1874, Democrats killed over 60 black and white citizens in
Louisiana.(10)
Furthermore, in December of 1874, 75 Republicans were killed by
Democrats, July 4th, 1875, several black people were killed again by
Democrats and it goes on and on. Finally black voters were forced to register
Democrat, and that began control of the black community by the previous
slave master.
Once we were part of the Democrat party, black landowners lost their
property, black voters lost voting rights, sharecropping began and there was
an absence of education. Now the Democrat party is still controlling our
community with nothing to offer except slavery. It is about time we threw
off the shackles of the slave master, stopped looking toward him to help us
and find our own way.
America In General Is Now Suffering From the Philosophy and Life-
Style Of A Socialist Party That Must Take Care of Dependent Children
We are not the pet of white America and we are not the white man’s
burden. We are not some kind of endangered species that must be managed
by the government. White America may owe us a debt from the slave trade,
but they will never give us more than we can earn. The greatest revenge is
success.
Let us compete with America and with the world. Let us forgive the past
and work together for the future. We owe too much to the suffering of our
ancestors to give up on America.
It is our country; we have earned it and now we must stop the
dependency to the master. I know it is a frightening concept, but as a
people, it is a journey we have longed to make. Our ancestors prayed for this
day. They longed for the opportunity we have. We have now been presented
with answers to our prayers. The Red Sea has parted and some are still
longing for Pharaoh’s comfort. The war is over and some are still fighting
it, but it is time to move on.
It will take courage beyond what we think we can do. It is up to us, not
them; it is now, not later. We have become comfortable in our misery,
familiar with the plantation system, but we must go forward, because It’s
OK to Leave the Plantation!