Why black Americans reject the conservative movement
By Tracey L. Wells
When black voters are asked why they vote almost unanimously for the Democratic Party, most will provide answers that are partially passed down from a previous generation and contain socially-accepted norms. In most cases, their parents voted that way and their parent’s parents did too. These voting habits are enforced by their church, the media, academia and Hollywood.
Blacks are influenced by five major myths in their voting patterns. When black conservatives attempt to introduce fact and research into a political discussion with a black Democrat or liberal, we soon realize that getting our opponent to acknowledge these myths is like asking someone to give up their favorite sports team and root for the rival team. Simply put, an overwhelming majority of blacks continue to vote Democrat.
These are the top five myths that prevent many black Americans from embracing the conservative movement.
Myth No. 1: Conservatives do not care about civil rights.
Prior to the 1960s, it was mostly the Republican Party rather than the Democratic Party that upheld the principle of equal rights for all, including black Americans. Through the use of academia, the media and Hollywood, the Democrats have hijacked the civil rights movement and claimed it as their own.
However Republicans were instrumental in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that outlawed segregation and racial discrimination in voter registration. Many conservatives have not fought to reclaim it or show their true civil rights history. Republican Senator Barry Goldwater said, “You can’t legislate morality.” Translation: The government is not in a position to determine who is moral and who is not. That statement has been used to vilify Mr. Goldwater (even though he supported an earlier version of the bill), the GOP and the conservative movement when it comes to civil rights. Many blacks point to the Civil Rights Act of 1968, otherwise known as the Fair Housing Act, as the reason for having faith in the government because the Act gave the government enforcement provisions to secure civil rights. But at what point do blacks move forward without relying on the government as an enforcer?
Myth No. 2: Conservatives care for the wealthy and liberals care for the poor and working class.
Many contemporary liberals are exceedingly wealthy, including Warren Buffet and Hollywood mega-stars, producers and directors, entertainers and athletes. The Democratic Party is influenced by trial lawyers, hard-left environmental groups, unions and wealthy, tenured academics. In fact, 80 percent of college professors are registered Democrats. Many wealthy Democratic leaders and liberals exert great influence on the media (NBC, ABC, CBS, MSNBC, CNN and most major newspapers and news magazines). Also, the major unions (United Auto Workers and National Education Association) exert their power over legislation and public opinion. Hence, liberals and Democrats do not necessarily emerge from the lower classes, nor do they act strictly on behalf of the poor or the working class.
In addition, the Democrat’s policies of taxing the rich—otherwise known as providers of employment and goods and services—harm the middle and working class. This form of class warfare is detrimental to all. Most of the poorest inner-cities in the nation are run by Democratic mayors and city councils; their policies have not improved the lives of the poor and working class but have only kept them dependent and stagnant.
Myth No. 3: Conservatives do not reach out to blacks.
One of the main problems conservatives face is that they are shut out of the black community. Many blacks have great hostility towards Republicans and the conservative movement. This is fueled by liberal or Democratic black leaders, the NAACP, race-baiters and poverty pimps. For example, in January 2010, a black conservative Republican candidate Rev. Issac Hayes for Congress, who wanted to contest the seat currently held by Jesse Jackson Jr., was shut out of the local black media in Chicago; little mention of Republican candidates was made on the airwaves or on television.
During the 2008 presidential election, most black radio stations ignored black conservatives who did not support then-candidate Barack Obama. Church leaders are part of the problem by not allowing candidates of other parties to come to speak to their congregations. The hatred of the conservative movement is in itself a religion held by many pastors in the black churches. Many will preach politics from the pulpit and not the word of God. They eagerly allow a Democrat running for office to speak during the service. Yet they do not offer the same courtesy to a conservative or Republican candidate.
Ironically, these very same preachers fail to recognize that many Democrats and the far left, with the help of the ACLU and Hollywood, are bent on replacing or excluding Christianity from the public sphere under the guise of being advocates for the separation of church and state. Thus, the truth is not that conservatives do not seek to include blacks but that they face stiff resistance and are deliberately smothered in their attempts to spread their message to black communities.
Myth No. 4: Conservatives are a bunch of redneck whites or old white men who do not want blacks and other minorities in their movement.
The truth is that other blacks do not want blacks in the conservative movement. Race-hustlers and poverty pimps stand to lose money and prestige if more blacks embrace conservatism. Most black conservatives are harshly criticized by other blacks and by white liberals. Black liberals are silent when a white liberal makes a derogatory comment regarding a black conservative or Republican. Case in point: Oreo cookies were rolled at the feet of current RNC Chairman Michael Steele, then a gubernatorial candidate, during a debate on September 26, 2002. Black liberals and the media were largely silent and denied it—even though witnesses said the incident occurred.
In addition, the main principles of conservatism do not discriminate. These include strong family values (preferably in a stable-two parent household); education (including vouchers); lower taxation; upholding the value of life instead of abortion; protection of the country; a smaller, less intrusive government and a belief in what the Constitution says and not what it could say. These are not white values; they are universal values that can benefit anyone who embraces them.
Myth No. 5: Conservatives lack compassion and want to eliminate every entitlement.
It is not true that conservatives want to ban all assistance programs. Rather, conservatives believe there should be an exit strategy so the recipient will never have to be on the program again.
Most of these entitlement programs originated under the Great Society and the War on Poverty launched by President Lyndon Johnson. Liberals insist that these programs are compassionate. Yet, these programs are the opposite of compassion as they foster dependency, making it very difficult to escape poverty. The government as a whole is not compassionate but is a faceless bureaucracy that results in curbing freedom and initiative. Conservatives champion self-reliance and initiative as the best way to create individual wealth and to escape poverty permanently. This is more compassionate and empowering than programs that essentially send the message to blacks that they can’t make it on their own.
In conclusion, conservatives must address the five myths that have a stranglehold on the hearts and minds of black voters. Liberals use the media, Hollywood and academia to help them retain the allegiance of black voters. Conservatives must be dogged and vociferous in penetrating this oppressive fog. Only then will black Americans reach their true potential and help fulfill the promise of a meritocracy based on freedom and equality before the law for all.
-Tracey L. Wells is the owner of an Internet retail store.
