So I am having dinner with this so called black conservative this evening and he is doing his best to convince me that the republican party and the right is best for black folks in A-merry-ca. Of course, I was not having it. What followed was a lively discussion about politics,race, and the problems of urban A-merry-ca. Like certain people who frequent this blog he thinks that the dems have tried and failed the inner cities. And while I agree with that to an extent (ultimately, it won't be dems or repubs who save us, we will have to save ourselves) there is nothing that he told me that made me believe that right wing or republican rule would be better for black folks in A-merry-ca.
Besides, I just don't want to be under the same tent with those people. Sorry, there is just too much bad blood between us at this point. I will take republicans on a one on one basis like I did with my man tonight, but there is no way in hell that I will co-sign with them as a group.
One thing about us black folks; our gut feelings are always true to us, and I bet every one of you -black folks-reading this get that gut feeling when you are around folks on the right. You know the one. The one that says that this person is not comfortable in this space. It's why I wonder how black conservatives survive in that environment. Don't they get the gut check? Or do they get it and ignore it? I was going to ask my man but he was getting the check, so I wanted to be nice.
He ended his pitch by telling me that he was going to make a conservative out of me yet. And I politely told him that if they were the last group of people on earth I would be living like Will Smith in "I Am Legend" until I go to join that big Saved By the Bell rerun in the sky. Still, I thought about what my man said; but then, unfortunately for him, I came home and read something from the Southern Poverty Law Center site:
These are just a sampling of quotes from some of our right wing friends.
"[T]he Talmud is full of moral filth. … [Evangelical leaders are] carefully concealing the Jewish identity of those who corrupt Christian culture."— Rev. TED PIKE, director of the National Prayer Network, in a June 21 essay that attacks Jews, the Jewish holy book, and alleged Jewish dominance of pornography, Hollywood and the media
"[L]et them fast until they starve to death… . Go make a bomb where you came from."— Host MICHAEL SAVAGE, on the July 5 edition of his Talk Radio Network show, on "illegal alien" students on hunger strike to back a bill allowing some immigrants to become citizens
"This is a dry run against free speech in America by the Islamists and the illegal aliens. … Lady Liberty … is being raped by the illegal aliens."—Host MICHAEL SAVAGE, on the Aug. 14 edition of his show, attacking a resolution by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, which finally passed unanimously on Oct. 2, that condemned his July 5 comments as "hate speech" that is "defamatory … against immigrants"
"Muslims don't eat during the day during Ramadan. They fast during the day and eat at night. Sort of like cockroaches."— Host NEAL BOORTZ, on the Aug. 14 edition of Cox Radio Syndication's "The Neal Boortz Show," discussing dietary restrictions during Islamic holy days.
"[T]he NAACP …. [i]s a sad joke that should be shut down."— MSNBC host TUCKER CARLSON, on the Aug. 24 edition of "Tucker," attacking the anti-racist organization as "a faithful arm" of the Democratic Party
"Barney Frank … had a fellow running basically a full-service whorehouse in his basement."— MSNBC commentator PAT BUCHANAN, on the Aug. 29 edition of "MSNBC Live With Dan Abrams," repeating allegations about the openly gay Democratic congressman from Massachusetts that were specifically disproved in a 1989 House Ethics Committee investigation.
"Would I exclude foreign Muslims from settlement in the U.S.A.? Yes, I would."— National Review Online columnist JOHN DERBYSHIRE in a Sept. 20 column.
"They wanna fight the white devil. … Black devils stalking their streets every night … can't go fight that. That would be snitching."— Fox News Radio host JOHN GIBSON, on the Sept. 21 edition of his show, criticizing black anti-racism protesters in Jena, La.
"Media Matters is a gay, fascist website. … They're utter vermin."— Host MICHAEL SAVAGE, on the Sept. 26 edition of Talk Radio Network's "Savage Nation," discussing a website that publishes transcripts of his controversial remarks quotes on this page were compiled from media accounts, web pages, e-mail groups and media matters for america, a website that monitors the far right." (Link here)
Yep, I think I will be sticking this progressive thing out.
