Vanessa Jean Louis OP-ED: Hello Black Republicans and Conservatives? What are we doing?
By HHR | February 4th, 2010 | Category: Featured, General, Politics |
By Vanessa Jean Louis
There was a time in my life when I believed there was this system purposefully set up to keep Black people subordinated. Somehow, in the midst of that phase, I naively internalized that liberals were the only ones who acknowledged the proverbial “system”, and did everything in their power to change it. Then I found out about how liberal policies negatively impacted the Black Family. Liberals instantly became the object of my disdain.
So, naturally, if liberals were so “evil” the only place left for me to go was the other side, right?
I’ve openly identified as a Conservative Republican for a little over 2 1/2 years. I’m almost 26, and I realize that my opinions will continue to evolve. I don’t “co-sign” on everything Republicans say or do. I think independently. However, I find that most of my views align more perfectly with Conservatism, especially as it relates to the family-and the importance of keeping the mother-father nuclear family intact-something that liberals all too often negate. Liberals seem to think that government can supplant a married mommy and daddy and the human capital that is produced when children are raised in said family. Just ask anyone whose worked in “the hood” for years, like myself, and they’ll tell you that government cannot compensate for broken families that all too often produce broken people.
However, the last few months, I’ve found myself increasingly annoyed and gravely concerned with Republicans and Conservatives especially Black Republicans and Conservatives. It’s so easy to Bash Obama, and his followers. I’ve done my fair share of that. After a while, that gets old. What alternatives are we bringing to the table? The unemployment rate is hovering around 10 % nationally and runs even higher than that in certain areas in the US. If someone is out of a job and a Republican or Conservative calls Obama a “Socialist” or says he’s about “Spreading the wealth” most people who don’t understand the dangers of confiscatory government will simply say, “Hey, Obama better spread some of that wealth my way! I’m B-R-O-K-E!”
The question for Republicans, especially BLACK Republicans is: What are we doing for the people in the hood? What are our policy proposals that will help bring jobs to people so they can get off of “government”? I have respect for most of the tea party people-especially because I have friends who participate in them religiously. However, let’s keep it real, Tea party goers don’t care about the hood. What policies do we have for high-crime, low educational attainment, and the other social pathologies we see in the inner city.
According to many studies, and a recent Pew Research Survey, Black people’s views align almost perfectly with the Republican party-YET STILL only 2-3% of us identify as such? Something is terribly wrong.
So what’s causing the disconnect?
Well, for starters, I believe that there is a self-hatred problem we refuse to talk about. I believe that there are many of us on this side who are trying to brown nose to White people because we feel this inherent sense of inferiority. We bash our brothers and sisters, look down on them, and end up being part of a different plantation. Yeah, I said it. There’s a plantation mentality on this side too. Just the other day, a Black Conservative woman on facebook posted a picture of a defaced Michele Obama likening her to a gorilla. Again, not all of us (Black Republicans) behave this way, but many of us have identity issues and the rest of our Black brothers and sisters can see through it.
The other problem is the way we package the message. We live in a mixed economy. Most Americans are MODERATE. I heard Glenn Beck say that the other day! You think Rush Limbaugh isn’t a moderate? A few months back, when he was on Jay Leno, and Jay asked him if he wanted to get rid of Social Security and Medicare (FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS) altogether, Rush responded an unabashed, “No!” How moderate of him. Scott Brown is a Pro-choice Moderate. Michael Steele is a moderate too, and he constantly gets flack about it! Go figure! Americans are not extremely to the right, nor are they extremely to the left.
We, the people, believe in government regulation and taxation- but not to the point where it stifles creativity that produces economic growth. That’s the “right-wing” message people should hear. Ironically enough, I heard this lady on Rush Limbaugh’s radio show a few weeks ago vilifying welfare recipients-but she worked in the welfare office for over 20 years! All I kept thinking was, this lady has been able to pay her bills for 20 years and will collect a pension because of tax payer dollars that fund welfare programs and she’s complaining? I’m not advocating dependence by any means, I just find the hypocrisy a little alarming. Other people do too.
I used FEDERAL financial AID when I went for my undergraduate and graduate degrees! In 2007-2008, 66 % of all undergraduates used Financial Aid for college. As Republicans/Conservatives, we need to articulate what this “limited government” catch-phrase slogan signifies as applied in real life. When we talk about limited government, are we advocating that we cut off all financial AID? Even uber-right wing libertarians have conflicting messages of what exactly constitutes limited government. We can’t simply say, “We need limited government!” as a reactionary response to every proposal made by liberals!
One of the main issues in the inner city is educational attainment after broken families. It’s not just about offering inner city students vouchers. It’s more than talking about dilapidated schools, unmotivated kids, and/or antiquated teaching styles. What urban policy platforms are we drafting? I’ve slowed down my writing because I refuse to lose my identity in the Republican Party. I’m doing more than listening to talk radio and Fox News for this week’s talking points. I want to understand economic policy so I have an alternative when Liberal Democrat’s present theirs. We can criticize people on the left all we want for coming up short when it comes to urban renewal, job creation, and health care reform, but what are we presenting as viable alternatives? It’s time to elevate the dialogue.
Who’s with the Afroconservative AKA NAPPY HEAD REPUBLICAN?
Vanessa Jean Louis better known as the “afroconservative”, has been working in the inner city as a school counselor for the last several years.She is a self-described “urban conservative” who believes in strong families, school choice vouchers, and fiscal policies that help lift people out of poverty-not perpetuate deleterious cycles of government dependence. Vanessa holds a Master’s degree in Counseling but she is currently working towards a second Master’s Degree in Political Economy.
http://blog.afroconservative.com
Excellent article! Send this out to the masses!
Whether the slave in question wears a “D” or an “R” he’s a slave all the same. I’m WITH you sister!!!! Capt. Black has got your back!!! lol.
EXCELLENT article.
Wow! What a good article, great writing and great questions! I, too, as a Jewish Republican have many of the same thoughts, frustrations, concerns, and feelings. In fact, I got coldness from my fellow R’s when I suggested that all we do is “kvetch about our Black prez, join a Republican club, kvetch about our Black prez, vote Republican, kvetch about our Black prez, etc.” You are absolutely right. There is absolutely NO NEED to self-loathe to kiss up to any Republican! The key is to cultivate an inner strength & self-esteem from your CORE belief systems. If one feels the need to kiss up, my term not yours, to anyone, I say keep looking for authentic people of character! Start your own Republican club if necessary! We don’t need to cultivate hypocrites within the party. My experience is that those who speak frequently what I call “The Jesus Talk” are usually those who least Walk it! I am self-secure. I have as little to do with those types as possible. UGH!
I raised my multiracial kids in the hood, have always been active in volunteerism. I commend you Vanessa for WALKING THE TALK.
I agree, we need to come up with ideas for solutions. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND ALL PASTORS READ BIO, “CONDI” (by Antonia Felix, paperback, $6) TO SEE WHAT CONDI’S FATHER/PASTOR DID FOR HIS COMMUNITY through his church. This is the model for success and near as I can tell, he did NOT rely on govt funds for his programs. What a dynamic man! Why aren’t our churches open for after school programs? Because once again, we let gov’t do it in their typical expensive, ineffective, if not dangerous way!
We need to stop thinking GOV’T IS THE ANSWER!
WE! ARE THE ANSWER! OUR CHURCHES ARE THE ANSWER!
One thing that is grave concern to me regards bonding between teacher/mentor & student, based upon Jewish understanding of Deu. 6:5-9 where it is UNDERSTOOD THE TEACHER/PARENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR INCULCATING, 24-7, THE VALUE SYSTEM OF THE BIBLE, or Torah, as we call it. GOV’T CANNOT DO THIS BC OF SEPARATION ISSUES, and we are advised to ensure our children are being mentored by those IN THE COMMUNITY WITH THE BIBLICAL VALUES to which we subscribe. The bonding that occurs with mentoring should really only occur within a safe, close community monitored by ethical leaders, whereas, with gov’t programs, people are hired, paid, usually leave the community after their shift is up, and the bonding between student and adult is not the same as within our own community where we watch the students grow up, interact , encourage & assist their parent(s), and perhaps donate an instrument, or other needed item to a specific student bc we have a stake in their growth into a constructive, productive person.
As you can see, I am essentially against outside forces mentoring our children. I learned this the hard way, after being apart of big brothers & big sisters for my kids, and other resources for poor kids in the hood. Superficial, not lasting.
Since studying these bible verses and Torah extensively, I learned to be very careful of the ‘influences’ I allowed in my last child’s life. What a difference! Rather than attend a liberal synagogue with their value system, traded it for a very conservative one, played Dr. Laura on the radio daily, and listened to Republican & conservative radio talk show hosts while commuting, all the while, indoctrinating her in SOLID BIBLICAL WORLDVIEWS & VALUES!
She has not made any of the mistakes of her siblings, drugs, sex outside of marriage, drinking to excess, babies out of wedlock, and being a gang member shooting your own people, etc. She is focused on her education and AFTER THAT, finding her soul mate within our very conservative religious community, who will assist her in raising up their children in Judaism.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, I CHANGED.
From the liberal parent who allowed her kids to make their own choices when they weren’t prepared for making constructive choices to a very involved parent, REGULATING her child’s daily life. Private religious school (cheaper than what the public schools were paid per child, btw), gymnastics, ballet, daily home religious instruction-(part of a Jewish home), and TALKING BY THE WAY, WHEN WE AROSE, WHEN WE SAT, WHEN WE LIE DOWN, WHEN WE DROVE, TALKED ABOUT THE BIBLE VERSES/LESSONS, LIFE, VALUES, DISCERNMENT, JUDGING PEOPLE BY THEIR DRESS, OR ASSOCIATIONS, etc.
EXPOSING CHILDREN TO PEOPLE WITH YOUR REPUBLICAN/RELIGIOUS VIEWS IS VITALLY IMPORTANT, esp when one is a single parent, as was I.
Having worked with minority children for 30 years, I can unequivocally state, THEY ARE JUST AS INTELLIGENT AS ANYONE ELSE, and I suspect, even more so! DO NOT LET ANYONE TELL YOU DIFFERENTLY! And that includes those coming from the worst home environments! It’s all about GENUINE caring about the person, and one’s ABILITY TO TEACH, of which I am blessed. I have a HS degree, too busy raising family to go to college, working full time to support them by myself. However, a private university did try to get me to register, tested me at 95% of their graduating seniors. I did not want to go into debt. DUMB! I know!
The other VITAL LINK is teaching parents HOW to parent using biblical model, how to teach their children, and educate them about importance of having HIGH VALUES, EXPOSING THEM TO COMMUNITY WITH HIGH VALUES, INCLUDING VALUE OF EDUCATION.
One difference between a solid private school and a typical public school is that the kids from private school will tell which college they want to go to, while they are in elementary grades, whereas public school kid usually turned off by ‘education’ bc not being taught SOLID CORE SUBJECT MATTER, but being psychologically manipulated by INDOCTRINATION IN DESTRUCTIVE LIFESTYLES AKA DRUG ED & SEX ED, which should be NONE OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS’ BUSINESS AT ALL!!! Let alone providing condoms, birth control, abortions!
My last child has had very little of this sex & drug ed bc SHE DOESN’T NEED IT. I moved her out of the hood when at 2 yo she would say about cars pulling up outside our door, “Yook, mommy, druggie car!” She was so proud of herself being able to identify car & inhabitants as drug abusers. Not what I wanted her to grow up with, so left my inexpensive home I was buying on FHA, moved to “White” neighborhoods, where, shock! we found Black families who figured out before I did, DON’T EXPOSE YOUR KIDS TO INFLUENCES THAT CAN NEGATIVELY IMPACT THEM FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES. Duh!
In other words, if they’re not exposed, you can concentrate their focus on other productive views around them, without distracting negative, destructive modeling going on around them. The Bible tells us to be careful what we allow our eyes to see & our ears to hear, even as adults. Should we not do more so for our little ones?
Again, key is the churches mentoring parents, and facilitating them to become their child’s MOST IMPORTANT, TRUSTED, TEACHER PARENT. We know the relationship between Child & ParentAsPrincipalTeacher is G-d’s Ideal Model, so the churches should be facilitating to that end! Where the ideal does not exist, the church leadership MUST set up mechanism TO TRY! NEVER GIVE UP ON PARENTS! THEY ARE A CHILD’S MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN THEIR LIFE. To do otherwise, by usurping that role and replacing it with public school teachers is inherently dangerous in this age of gross psychological abuse employed by the anti-traditional, undermining CULTURE of the public schools, good people & teachers notwithstanding. Today’s education system is not what good people or good teacher’s think it is. And there is plenty of documentation that proves that, let alone the statistics that bear witness to the destructive fruit: violence, sex, drugs, suicides, homicides, illegitimate babies born, gangs, bullying.
If one does their research, one will also learn that the TREASURED SOCIALIZATION IDOLIZED by educators has a rather ugly beginning, rooted in Communism, in order to SEVER the parent-child BOND and replace it with a child/govt bond, creating a child more loyal to the state than to parents. It is working damn well, too! But this is NOT G-d’s Design for His people. Biblically, this is a heinous act. G-d declares that the parent-child bond is SACRED, and not to be broken, until given in marriage to their loved one, be the child 20 or 30 years old!
OH, CHURCHES WHERE ARE YOU? PLEASE, READ “CONDI”, GIVE IT TO AN ETHICAL PASTOR, START A GROUP & DISCUSS THE VERSES DEU. 6:5-9, THE APPLICATION OF IT AS MODELED BY REV. & MRS. RICE, AND TAKE IT FROM THERE…
THANKS FOR READING…PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME WITH ANY QUESTIONS.
A FRIEND,
TZIPPY
Amazing article! Keep it up!
Yawnnnn……
You opened your eyes after all this time. How sweet.
So in the republican party you only have to be Black to stand out.
You give yourself a nice little title “Urban Conservative”, Black Conservative, Log Cabin Republican, etc and you stand out because you are unique.
Maybe if you idiots were inclusive like Democrats you could actually win support - oh but then you wouldn’t be special.