I think my moment happened with Maya Angelou. I have always admired her spirit. But, when she initially supported Hillary Clinton, she was verbally attacked by some black people...called horrible names and I was soooo sad. I kept thinking, what's the point of freedom...if she can't be free. I am not a republican. But, I don't mind black republicans. I don't think our community has a chance in the world, until we're EVERYWHERE.
If republicans know there is nothing in the world they can do to get your vote. Why should they make the effort? And, if democrats know that there is nothing they can do to lose your vote? Why bother? They'll trot out whatever meme works.
I get so sick of the "They 'gonna' take away your right to vote!" Somehow other groups don't have to have this fear...but us...they trot this out before every big election. They don't do it for white audiences, Asian audiences, heck pick an audience. It doesn't bother my parents. They have more history. But me...it burns me up. Am I not intelligent enough to know what I need to do to vote? Is there something about my complexion that I missed that makes me susceptible to not being able to go early to a poll or do an absentee ballot? If there are boatloads of African Americans not voting, why assume it's because we need hand holding? Why not assume your message stinks? It hasn't resonated. I assume people have seen politicians of all political stripes come and go, and couldn't see where it made a difference in their individual daily lives. So, go out and tell them why you're different. If it resonates, they'll go vote.
Every other ethnicity gets to be who ever the darn well they want to be. Why not us? It doesn't have to be me. But, I don't mind if it's you. Freedom is sweet. From time to time, I wander past Fox and they'll have some black republicans on that absolutely make my skin crawl. (A sheriff or deputy sheriff comes to mind at the moment...) But, I flip right on by. I don't want my sons to feel chained to a political party because of some past deeds well done. I want them to intellectually decide what political party will benefit them right now. To my mind, that's the democratic party. But, tomorrow, we may come out with some new party...with some new agendas that benefit them. The young black republican female in Utah that won. I didn't mind. She was breaking through barriers in her own way. How do I know that she won't get an opportunity to do a good thing for PoC in her own way? I just can't know. How do I know that there isn't a young black female who will one day be a strong democratic leader because she looked up and saw this young woman and was inspired?
Of course...I'm not in Utah, either.
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