(05-31-2020, 01:39 PM)Last42min Wrote: Ultimately, I agree with Bullseye, that I don't see things getting better any time soon. You ask the question how do blacks protest? Here's a start: Get rid of the leaders that exploit them. I think blacks need to recognize that the democratic party doesn't care about them except as a numbers game. They need to re-embrace the idea of the black family unit. They need to reject the current iteration of welfare that cripples their communities and stifles their economic growth. They should reject gangs that ensnare their youth and encourage the pursuit of middle class careers. I agree that they should to arm themselves and start policing their own. These aren't my ideas. Malcolm X proposed them. Imo, the black community lost a powerful voice when he was mercilessly gunned down. Malcolm X understood the power of autonomy (post nation of Islam), and would have loved to see how he would have helped shaped the black psyche had he not been mercilessly gun-downed.

First, who African Americans choose to lead us is our choice, nobody else's.

From a purely theoretical standpoint, there is an argument to be made for more African Americans to be conservative.  Having been previously denied the right to vote, it only makes sense that we'd use our franchise in accordance to our beliefs, interests, consciences, etc.  Not being a monolith, it stands to reason some would choose various political parties.  However, politics do not occur in a theoretical vacuum.  There are real world concerns to weigh.  Do we have a strength in numbers approach, or do we seek to have influence in both parties?  It may well be the case the Democratic Party doesn't truly care about African Americans beyond the extent our voting block leads to political power (though there are certainly arguments against that proposition, and that is party ambivalence is also the case for just about any political constituency).  But Democratic ambivalence towards African Americans is a far lesser evil than Republican HOSTILITY to African Americans.  Had republicans not so thoroughly aligned their platform with the racist/segregationist cause, I guarantee there would be more black republicans.  I might be one.  Instead, they embraced disaffected segregationists who continue to work to undermine the very laws that have supposedly "ended racism" as the other poster posited earlier.   If conservative ideology/methodology (race notwithstanding) is truly a superior approach, make the effort to convince African Americans.  Don't weaken the laws that gave us the right to vote.  Don't dismiss the African American vote as not worth the effort.  Don't look to suppress our vote (2000 election and voting roll purges).  Don't presume we embrace gangs    Most African Americans are repulsed at the concept, but there are many who truly see no other viable options.

In fairness, there have been conservatives who have taken a stance against the blatant racism and general dysfunction of the current administration, including George Will, Joe Walsh, Steve Schmidt, and William Kristol.  They are to be lauded to at least some degree.  However, their current dalliance with political conscience is sullied by past indifference towards their party's embrace of racial politics, and it pales in comparison to the sycophantic devotion to the current occupant in the white house.

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