In response to a post at the Liberal Blog Balloon Juice calling the Republicans and TEA Partiers "modern Negrophobists" because of our nearly universal collective yawn at President Obama's proposals of more of the same failed economic stimulus policies, and his new "Give'em Hell, Barry" Demeanor (a la President Truman), Professor Jacobson at Legal Insurrection put up a post in his "Saturday Night Card Game" series about the use of the race card for political gain that "The Negrophobia Card is played"
Ironghost, one of the commentators posted the following comment:
Until Republicans get out of the country clubs and into Black Communities and educate them about how Republicans really are, the race card will continue to work. All thoughts otherwise are cute dreams, but hopeless in the face of reality.
I posted most of the following commentary at Legal Insurrection, but it's important enough that I discuss it here as well:
Many of us are working in the Black and Low Income Communities, and that is why in large part this consistent race baiting on the part of Liberals and Main Stream Media Commentators against everything "anti-Obama" is failing to stick to those it is hurled against. Almost every week, I end up with someone different saying to me “I always thought Republicans only supported the wealthy and powerful. I didn’t think that a Republican would act the way you do; would support the ‘little guy;’ would nurture personal freedom, liberty and individual rights; etc....”
Now, I don’t correct them that I’m actually a Conservative, but the point is still the same.
Many of us are making inroads into the Communities that for years have been the bastions of Statism, in large part because Republicans abandoned them as part of the “welfare state” and everyone assumed that the votes of these communities could simply be “bought” by modern Liberal-Statist pandering.
Some examples from my family:
- My father sits on the board of the Rescue Mission of Syracuse, New York, and that organization has been making significant inroads into the homeless communities and low income populations, helping them to learn skills necessary to get jobs and lift themselves from hunger, homelessness and poverty.
- My mother picks up and delivers food for Caz Cares (the local food bank), in the town where my parents live.
- I volunteer teaching life skills to the Black Community, especially youth, in El Paso through a program run by a Black Church for at risk youth. Because I have backgrounds in Manufacturing & Finance as well as a Law Degree, I am able to teach about financial planning, budgeting, debt reduction, job interviewing, technical skills, and a whole host of other topics which are crucial to 15 to 21 year-old individuals to try to get them a chance at becoming financially self-sufficient.
It’s these sort of inroads to the Black and Low Income Communities which are rapidly eroding support for modern Liberalism (Statism). More and more, those communities recognize that the Liberals and the Democrat party have utterly failed them by simply throwing money at them, thereby creating dependence, without actually teaching the people of these communities how to lift themselves up.
When Republicans and Conservatives show up to help, while it is harder and we challenge the people we’re helping, at the end of the day the people find that they’re self sufficient, and no longer need help (or need a vastly reduced amount of it for only a limited period).
The minute you empower someone to break the chains of dependency (either upon the government or someone else) and further empower them with the abilities to support themselves they will flee from that dependency as far and as fast as they can. Somewhere deep down, there is an inherent pride that all individuals cherish in being able to say “I AM able to support myself; I CAN earn things on my own.”
