My Political Assessment of Chicago and Illinois
The Chicago area is a Democratic island in a vast Republican state, the “Land of Lincoln”. It is also a city where the Black Democrats do not trust the White Democrats but live in a sort of peaceful coexistence against a common enemy – the Republican Party. The city has according to the 2000 U.S. census, a 37.4% Black population in a state with a 15.6% Black population. Yet since the 30’s, the majority has had an almost religious loyalty to the Democratic Party.
The leading African American opinion maker in Illnois, as well as the nation, is Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. who lives in Chicago. He made a very serious charge recently. He said that President Bush has not expressed any concerns about racial issues during the last two years. He also said that President Bush was not concerned about two Jews and one Black, civil rights workers from the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), were murdered in Philadelphia, Mississippi back in the 60’s and the President was not concerned when James Byrd was dragged to death in Jasper, Texas. Rev. Jackson also said he believes that Senator Bill Frist believes that civil rights will not be a top priority on the new Senate Majority Leader’s agenda. He also predicted “hate crime legislation will not be passed, worker’s rights will be undercut, right wing judges with right wing views have been assigned around the nation, and environmental rights will go unprotected.”
There are values that the Democratic Party that are radically different from those of many Blacks in Illinois as well as the United States. Blacks in general have been pro-life and have not rallied to the cause of gay rights. These values are the opposite of the Democratic Party platform. (Even pro-life Democrats are censored within their party.) There is also statistical evidence that many Black parents support school vouchers. However, vouchers are not supported by the Democratic Party. African Americans also believe in the rights of the individual as the Republican Party does. Blacks are conservative but do not realize it. They have been frightened of Republicans by Democratic leadership. I’m sure you heard this rumor three years ago that if Bush was President, he would take away the rights of Blacks to vote. That is unbelievable but many believed that. I asked people who supported the 1964 Civil Rights Act more, Democrats or Republicans. Ninety percent answered “Democrats.” When I tell them it was Republicans, they are in shock. There is an urban legend that Republicans have ALWAYS opposed the 1960’s civil rights agenda. There is also an urban legend that the Republicans were the slave masters. The Republican party started in 1854 in Ripon, Wisconsin on a strictly anti-slavery platform. There is also the impression, thanks in part to Rev. Jesse Jackson, that now Democrats will protect civil rights and Republicans are trying to take them away, "turning back the clock." Many Blacks in Illinois and other parts of the country do not realize that the history of the Republican Party has always been civil rights. The Black Democratic perception of the Republican Party is that the White Republicans all have Ku Klux Klan sheets and hoods in their closets. However the Ku Klux Klan was formed in 1866 as the terrorist arm of the Democratic Party. This was in response to the political gains that Black and White Republicans made in the South. They killed Blacks and White Republicans.
The Republican Party has inherited a lot of Dixiecrat baggage that has been weighing it down. Jesse Jackson referred to it as the “Republican Party of Jefferson Davis.” The mass Dixiecrat defections in the 60’s really hurt the Party. One hundred years ago for a Black to vote Democrat was absolutely unthinkable. Any who did voluntarily were called "Uncle Toms." How familar. Now many for many Blacks, to vote Republican today is absolutely unthinkable. Because of the few southern Dixiecrats that have been ingested into the Party, every White Republican, in the U.S., including in Alaska and Hawaii, is a racist White Supremacist. Needless to say Black Republicans are catching hell. But we have facts and truth to destroy the lies.
Many Blacks in Congress have admitted that the Democratic Party has given them a raw deal. One even admits that the Democratic Party has “discriminatory practices” and another who is from Illinois refers to Blacks in their Party as “junior partners.” However, they have 91% of the Black vote already. The attitude of Democratic leadership seems to be “where else are Blacks going to go?” You can see that scene played in a Black church in the movie Bulworth. A Black woman asks Senator Jay Bulworth, played by Warren Beatty, “Are you saying the Democratic Party don’t care about the African American community?” Senator Bulworth replies, "Isn’t that obvious? What are you going to do? Vote Republican? C'mon, c'mon. You’re not going to vote Republican!" Democrats can be as racist and discriminatory as they want because they already have what they want – the Black vote. Blacks have given so much to the Democratic Party and got very little in return. They are starting to realize that.
Here is a blatent example. Bill Clinton, our "first Black President," was more like an Uncle Tom. Rev. Wayne Perryman in his outstanding book Unfounded Loyalty writes, "In 1995, several African American, Hispanic, and female longshore workers from Seattle and Tacoma (Washington) became disenchanted with our black leadership when they attempted to sue their union and one hundred major shipping companies for racial and sexual discrimination. When they requested support from President Bill Clinton, the NAACP, Rev. Jesse Jackson, and the Congressional Black Caucus, only one member of the Caucus wrote a letter in support of them, Congressman Donald Payne. President Clinton, Rev. Jackson, Maxine Waters, and the NAACP all turned a deaf ear to their cries and chose not to respond to their phone calls and letters. Alexis Herman, President Clinton's newly appointed African American Secretary of Labor, also ignored their cry for help. One man asked: 'What good are African American politicians and appointees if they turn their backs on their people? If a white person had these same positions and they turned their backs on blacks, we would call them racist. But what do we call blacks who turn their backs on their own people?'
"Ironically, the longshore workers' discrimination lawsuits were filed shortly after the Clinton administration filed a reverse discrimination suit against Illinois State University on behalf of a group of white janitors in 1995. Without the support of our black leaders or the President's black appointees, the longshore workers won their cases after several workers came forward and testified on behalf of the African Americans, Hispanics, and female workers.
"White workers verified the plantiff's claims that the word "Nigger" was often used in the workplace. In fact, shipping companies in Tacoma, Washington, had a job classification called "Nigger Jobs." One worker testified that she was present when an African American longshoreman fell off the ship into the water amongst a log boom, and as he struggled for his life, white workers shouted, "Drown, Nigger, Drown." She said no one would help him, including management. Other workers told the count that women were threatened, called offensive names, and some were nearly raped. Hispanics testified of their experiences as well.
"All of this information along with a mulititude of other documentation including a four-page featured news article by The Seattle Times was given to the Clinton administration and to our black leadership, but they still turned a deaf ear to the workers' plea for justice. Again, all three groups won their case without the support of our key black leaders and the Clinton administration. Years ago, blacks knew who they could depend on. Today, many blacks, like the long shore workers, are not sure."The Washington Post has observed, “Race has long been an element of Illinois politics. It played a central role in the political machine of longtime Mayor Richard J. Daley (D) and the campaign of Harold Washington, the city's first black mayor. But the number of black candidates on the primary ballot has deepened tensions in the already uneasy relationship between white and black Democrats, many of whom contend that party officials have privately worked to derail black candidates….I think a lot of Democrats will tell you privately that their worst fear is that they will have a straight African American ticket," said John McGovern, press secretary for the Illinois Republican Party. "They want African American support when they need their vote, but when it comes to advancing their candidacies, then they're much more reluctant. It's tricky."
Jack E. White, a non-Republican, in a Time Magazine article, “Erasing Trent Lott’s Legacy,” said: “I’m convinced that the Democratic Party’s virtual monopoly on the black vote is bad for African Americans. It’s the foundation of a demeaning form of political serfdom, a Plantation Politics that we well never be free of as long as Democrats take our votes for granted.” Who are we to argue with the facts?
And to add insult to injury, the Democratic Party has never publicly acknowledged regret for their racist history. If you look on the Democratic Party website, www.dnc.org, you will see they will hide 50 years of their history from 1848 to the end of the 19th Century. What is hidden is the strides Republicans made for Blacks, such as the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments. What is hidden are the Blacks who attained to elected and appointed offices under the Republican Party What is hidden is the Democratic terror that Blacks and sympathetic Whites had to endure from them. If you were a high-ranking powerful member of the Democratic Party, would you want Blacks to know all about the racist history of the party? And would you want them to know that your archenemy, the Republican Party, freed the slaves, gave Blacks political power, and has given majority support to the Civil Rights laws whereas the Democrats have not?
“For too long now, Black Americans seem to have been written off by one party and taken for granted by the other. And for the vast majority of black Americans, that’s been a strictly no-win situation. Changing it will require a commitment from all of us…Perhaps if we failed as anything in the past as Republicans, it’s been a failure to let Black America know us – to know our hearts and our sincere dedication to improving the well-being, expanding the opportunity, and protecting the rights of every American. And while there’s been a certain lack of communication on our part over the years, the other party seems to have capitalized on the rhetoric of compassion. They don’t accomplish much, but they sure do talk about it.”--President Ronald Reagan
The leading African American opinion maker in Illnois, as well as the nation, is Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. who lives in Chicago. He made a very serious charge recently. He said that President Bush has not expressed any concerns about racial issues during the last two years. He also said that President Bush was not concerned about two Jews and one Black, civil rights workers from the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), were murdered in Philadelphia, Mississippi back in the 60’s and the President was not concerned when James Byrd was dragged to death in Jasper, Texas. Rev. Jackson also said he believes that Senator Bill Frist believes that civil rights will not be a top priority on the new Senate Majority Leader’s agenda. He also predicted “hate crime legislation will not be passed, worker’s rights will be undercut, right wing judges with right wing views have been assigned around the nation, and environmental rights will go unprotected.”
There are values that the Democratic Party that are radically different from those of many Blacks in Illinois as well as the United States. Blacks in general have been pro-life and have not rallied to the cause of gay rights. These values are the opposite of the Democratic Party platform. (Even pro-life Democrats are censored within their party.) There is also statistical evidence that many Black parents support school vouchers. However, vouchers are not supported by the Democratic Party. African Americans also believe in the rights of the individual as the Republican Party does. Blacks are conservative but do not realize it. They have been frightened of Republicans by Democratic leadership. I’m sure you heard this rumor three years ago that if Bush was President, he would take away the rights of Blacks to vote. That is unbelievable but many believed that. I asked people who supported the 1964 Civil Rights Act more, Democrats or Republicans. Ninety percent answered “Democrats.” When I tell them it was Republicans, they are in shock. There is an urban legend that Republicans have ALWAYS opposed the 1960’s civil rights agenda. There is also an urban legend that the Republicans were the slave masters. The Republican party started in 1854 in Ripon, Wisconsin on a strictly anti-slavery platform. There is also the impression, thanks in part to Rev. Jesse Jackson, that now Democrats will protect civil rights and Republicans are trying to take them away, "turning back the clock." Many Blacks in Illinois and other parts of the country do not realize that the history of the Republican Party has always been civil rights. The Black Democratic perception of the Republican Party is that the White Republicans all have Ku Klux Klan sheets and hoods in their closets. However the Ku Klux Klan was formed in 1866 as the terrorist arm of the Democratic Party. This was in response to the political gains that Black and White Republicans made in the South. They killed Blacks and White Republicans.
The Republican Party has inherited a lot of Dixiecrat baggage that has been weighing it down. Jesse Jackson referred to it as the “Republican Party of Jefferson Davis.” The mass Dixiecrat defections in the 60’s really hurt the Party. One hundred years ago for a Black to vote Democrat was absolutely unthinkable. Any who did voluntarily were called "Uncle Toms." How familar. Now many for many Blacks, to vote Republican today is absolutely unthinkable. Because of the few southern Dixiecrats that have been ingested into the Party, every White Republican, in the U.S., including in Alaska and Hawaii, is a racist White Supremacist. Needless to say Black Republicans are catching hell. But we have facts and truth to destroy the lies.
Many Blacks in Congress have admitted that the Democratic Party has given them a raw deal. One even admits that the Democratic Party has “discriminatory practices” and another who is from Illinois refers to Blacks in their Party as “junior partners.” However, they have 91% of the Black vote already. The attitude of Democratic leadership seems to be “where else are Blacks going to go?” You can see that scene played in a Black church in the movie Bulworth. A Black woman asks Senator Jay Bulworth, played by Warren Beatty, “Are you saying the Democratic Party don’t care about the African American community?” Senator Bulworth replies, "Isn’t that obvious? What are you going to do? Vote Republican? C'mon, c'mon. You’re not going to vote Republican!" Democrats can be as racist and discriminatory as they want because they already have what they want – the Black vote. Blacks have given so much to the Democratic Party and got very little in return. They are starting to realize that.
Here is a blatent example. Bill Clinton, our "first Black President," was more like an Uncle Tom. Rev. Wayne Perryman in his outstanding book Unfounded Loyalty writes, "In 1995, several African American, Hispanic, and female longshore workers from Seattle and Tacoma (Washington) became disenchanted with our black leadership when they attempted to sue their union and one hundred major shipping companies for racial and sexual discrimination. When they requested support from President Bill Clinton, the NAACP, Rev. Jesse Jackson, and the Congressional Black Caucus, only one member of the Caucus wrote a letter in support of them, Congressman Donald Payne. President Clinton, Rev. Jackson, Maxine Waters, and the NAACP all turned a deaf ear to their cries and chose not to respond to their phone calls and letters. Alexis Herman, President Clinton's newly appointed African American Secretary of Labor, also ignored their cry for help. One man asked: 'What good are African American politicians and appointees if they turn their backs on their people? If a white person had these same positions and they turned their backs on blacks, we would call them racist. But what do we call blacks who turn their backs on their own people?'
"Ironically, the longshore workers' discrimination lawsuits were filed shortly after the Clinton administration filed a reverse discrimination suit against Illinois State University on behalf of a group of white janitors in 1995. Without the support of our black leaders or the President's black appointees, the longshore workers won their cases after several workers came forward and testified on behalf of the African Americans, Hispanics, and female workers.
"White workers verified the plantiff's claims that the word "Nigger" was often used in the workplace. In fact, shipping companies in Tacoma, Washington, had a job classification called "Nigger Jobs." One worker testified that she was present when an African American longshoreman fell off the ship into the water amongst a log boom, and as he struggled for his life, white workers shouted, "Drown, Nigger, Drown." She said no one would help him, including management. Other workers told the count that women were threatened, called offensive names, and some were nearly raped. Hispanics testified of their experiences as well.
"All of this information along with a mulititude of other documentation including a four-page featured news article by The Seattle Times was given to the Clinton administration and to our black leadership, but they still turned a deaf ear to the workers' plea for justice. Again, all three groups won their case without the support of our key black leaders and the Clinton administration. Years ago, blacks knew who they could depend on. Today, many blacks, like the long shore workers, are not sure."The Washington Post has observed, “Race has long been an element of Illinois politics. It played a central role in the political machine of longtime Mayor Richard J. Daley (D) and the campaign of Harold Washington, the city's first black mayor. But the number of black candidates on the primary ballot has deepened tensions in the already uneasy relationship between white and black Democrats, many of whom contend that party officials have privately worked to derail black candidates….I think a lot of Democrats will tell you privately that their worst fear is that they will have a straight African American ticket," said John McGovern, press secretary for the Illinois Republican Party. "They want African American support when they need their vote, but when it comes to advancing their candidacies, then they're much more reluctant. It's tricky."
Jack E. White, a non-Republican, in a Time Magazine article, “Erasing Trent Lott’s Legacy,” said: “I’m convinced that the Democratic Party’s virtual monopoly on the black vote is bad for African Americans. It’s the foundation of a demeaning form of political serfdom, a Plantation Politics that we well never be free of as long as Democrats take our votes for granted.” Who are we to argue with the facts?
And to add insult to injury, the Democratic Party has never publicly acknowledged regret for their racist history. If you look on the Democratic Party website, www.dnc.org, you will see they will hide 50 years of their history from 1848 to the end of the 19th Century. What is hidden is the strides Republicans made for Blacks, such as the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments. What is hidden are the Blacks who attained to elected and appointed offices under the Republican Party What is hidden is the Democratic terror that Blacks and sympathetic Whites had to endure from them. If you were a high-ranking powerful member of the Democratic Party, would you want Blacks to know all about the racist history of the party? And would you want them to know that your archenemy, the Republican Party, freed the slaves, gave Blacks political power, and has given majority support to the Civil Rights laws whereas the Democrats have not?
“For too long now, Black Americans seem to have been written off by one party and taken for granted by the other. And for the vast majority of black Americans, that’s been a strictly no-win situation. Changing it will require a commitment from all of us…Perhaps if we failed as anything in the past as Republicans, it’s been a failure to let Black America know us – to know our hearts and our sincere dedication to improving the well-being, expanding the opportunity, and protecting the rights of every American. And while there’s been a certain lack of communication on our part over the years, the other party seems to have capitalized on the rhetoric of compassion. They don’t accomplish much, but they sure do talk about it.”--President Ronald Reagan
posted by Robert at 3:48 PM
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