(The following opinion editorial is an exclusive for Hip Hop Republican Sunday.) 

  By Lenny McAllister:

Many of you may not have heard of Mecklenburg County (NC) Commissioner Bill James. Some of you may have, however, depending on whether you followed the “moral sewer” story of a few years ago (his reference to today’s Black America) in the national media or the “homo” comments he made just a couple of months ago (his reference to the late son of a colleague of his on the Board of Commissioners.)  

All of us have heard of him, though – even if not by his name - by way of the lingering spirit that has had such an unfortunate impact on America throughout our history. It is the same spirit that attacked non-violent American protesters with police dogs and called it “…maintaining the peace…” It is the same spirit that sat around and said, “…change will come, but I don’t see why they are so impatient and uppity with it.” It is the same spirit that believes that America is more united when sections of America are hatefully separated through rhetoric, racism, or socioeconomic realities, leaving America weaker as a result.  

For those that believe the notion that we have moved past destructive racism in America due to having a Black president in America, a Black mayor (again) in Charlotte, or Black congressmen and governors throughout the nation, I say to you humbly but directly: you’re wrong. People like Bill James show the reason why. 

For those such as Glenn Beck, Lloyd Marcus, and Kevin Jackson that believe America is past the point of needing “hyphenated-Americans” in our nation – believing that we no longer should use such terminology to enrich (not separate) our collective culture because the nation and its leaders are completely past this line of thinking, I say to you sadly but firmly: you’re wrong. People like Bill James show the reason why. 

And to those such as Bill James and other public figures that feel that they are now capable or authorized to privately or publicly state twisted lines of logic to promote their vile justifications for toxic beliefs because Black America is in crisis and President Obama is becoming more unpopular, I say to you passionately and confidently: you’re wrong. America shows the reason why. 

In a land where the United States is led by an African-American president, protests about Obama’s agenda have prompted both fair criticism and racially-based commentary. Black people nationally share in the extreme heights and depths of the nation, thus leaving them – as well as the rest of America - critically vulnerable to a resurgence of “justified” racism that can retard the growth of the country over the past 50 years. Just as many Americans are willing to defend our growth and promote further prosperity and advancement, there are others that are willing to take a foolish and self-serving risk.  

The crux of this latest stunt from Mecklenburg County’s right-of-Rush commissioner is this: through a blog released by James, he promotes his beliefs – again – about the moral improprieties of Black America with an underlying notion that African-Americans are unabashedly and uncontrollably immoral as a race. In summary, James uses the CDC report (controversial and questionable in its own right) as an opportunity and weapon to publicly decry his decades-long view of Black people in America as merely a collective lot of whores, gigolos, and bastards that will drain the system through welfare, crime, and other social issues of blight.   

And to top it off – in a way only bigots and fools would contrive – he comments publicly about how, after doing ancestral  research, he has discovered that he is 1/64 Black and, therefore, only having “bro to bro” (his words, not mine) talks when he discusses the crisis within Black America. 

Ah, just like love does, bigotry makes idiots of us all. 

James’ reasoning would be akin to justifying Black-on-Black crime because the perpetrators are Black so it is merely a “family dispute” or justifying domestic violence and marital rape because, after all, “that’s between a man and his wife.”  

Those are all within the same family of reasoning, a dangerous clan with dangerous connotations. Any way you cut it, it is something that should be addressed, corrected, and overcome for America to thrive as a nation of communities. 

James is proud to promote any sliver of documentation that supports his old-school line of racism wrapped with 21^st century tactics. Recently, it was with statistics about Black children in schools and at home, using the data to determine that Black people live within a “moral sewer,” a noteworthy categorization of millions of people with a sweeping two-word falsehood. In the latest chapter, James uses the CDC report to further support his beliefs. In both instances, I am fairly certain that James holds that documented facts support his views on millions of African-Americans, but history also shows that documentation (including the sermons of some malcontent Christian preachers of the Bible) showing that Black people were sub-human and scientific “fact” proving that Black people had “smaller brains” and, thus, were intellectually inferior also existed due to racially-based motivation and have since been proven overwhelmingly false. 

The danger in this continued cancer in America takes root on different levels. In the case of James, he is a sitting commissioner, an incumbent legislator in a gerrymandered district that will keep him safe as a Republican for years on end; (take note, Democrats, of situations such as these when you promote the need for continued “minority-majority” districts that are cut primarily to ensure Democratic wins.) James’ status as a public official is one reason that he offers in support of purporting racist tenets under the notion of “speaking on behalf of the people as a sitting commissioner”; (an implied, not direct, quote from James.) If such a person can publicly profess these continued views about roughly 30% of the people he serves while on the Board of Commissioners in the largest county in North Carolina, is he also capable of acting against the best interests of these constituents with racially-motivated moves in votes, influence, and debate? And if this is so, is it not the obligation of those within power as his peers and party members to address James directly in a stand against this continued behavior, a countermove in the interest of ensuring that votes are done with honor in mind, not archaic thoughts of hate that find new methods to permeate the direction of government?  

This leads to a question – and the potential for long-term danger - for the Republican Party. 

At a time when the Republican Party can make major gains in county, state, and national elections due to the continued unemployment levels and health care debates hampering America, will the Party have the insight and courage to take on a rooted elected official with a years-long reputation for racism and inappropriate intolerance that stretches from the local media to Fox News and beyond? With the demographics rapidly changing in America, without a public position that counters this continued image of racism and ignorance at the local and state levels of government (where, after all, the vast majority of activists and officials make up the Republican brand), what does such public silence or condoning the behavior through inactivity say about the Party’s willingness or ability to adapt to the current demographic times while keeping its conservative message intact? At some point – particularly at this crucial electoral crossroads for American communities – the Republican Party will either effectively address or purge this legacy of racism (symbolized by “Southern Strategy”) in time to connect with more of America and its need for leadership in 2010 and beyond or risk being blown up as a viable electoral option as a party instead. Those may point to Chairman Michael Steele and attempt to lay the blame at his feet, but they would be wrong to do so. Mr. Steele, despite working to change the image and culture of the RNC as an exclusive group that alienates minorities and young people, has been a victim of the same legacy of backstabbing, racial innuendos, and barrier-building that those such as James represents – regardless of any ill-advised statements Steele may have been connected with since January 2009. The truth is this: conservative does not equal racism, and as long as standing officials and prominent people within the Republican Party continue to offer these toxins as sound politics and policies without sweeping and long-term repudiation from within, America loses in the end.  

That is the main point with James – the overall danger that America takes on if this mindset continues to rule in our nation in its 21^st century comeback.  

In his bigoted and dichotomous way, James’ attempt to bring light to conservatism as a solution to address ills of the underclass (and the “moral sewer” that is Black America, according to James) does the exact opposite. I stand with him in this regard: the continued dependence on government programs for resolving social problems and the failure to address rudimentary issues through non-government channels will continue to aid in the lack of education, failure of families, and destruction of urban residents within America, many of whom are African-American. However, Bill James’ bigoted legacy does not convince anyone caught in the hold of liberalism to take a competitive glance at alternatives given by conservative legislators and policy-drivers. Instead, this resurgence of racism (i.e., what some are calling a “black-lash” occurring across the nation) only serves to push away the independent voters, moderate Democrats, and frustrated minorities that would seriously consider Republican ideas and leadership if not for the continued image of hypocrisy crystallized in acts of disrespectful and ignorant intolerance. In essence, this Don Quixote has his lance pointed in the wrong direction, even in chasing his windmills.  

Again, I say: bigotry makes idiots of us all. 
 

A true “brother” of mine may not agree with the notion of legalized gay marriage or he may stand for the need of less bureaucracy and more charter schools within the education system of our communities, but he would take such positions on their merits and not use thinly-veiled repugnance to promote his positions. Just the same, a true “brother” of mine – in Christianity, in Republicanism/conservatism, or in Americanism – would find it within his realm of responsibility to rebuke any behavior that contravenes the advancement of America through advancing the worst of our painful past. They would quickly and actively label such behavior as irresponsible, unwelcome, outcast, and intolerable, particularly from a person in position to make laws that impact lives. Also, a true “brother” of mine would not rest until the repudiation and dissatisfaction of legacy racism and other forms of public bigotry took root. Once enacted with a return to truth and moral substance, “my brothers” would prompt public officials using such rhetoric as a tool for governing and pursuing people to either modify their behavior to the best traditions of our nation immediately. If this did not occur, “my brothers” would be prompted to atrophy their leadership among us immediately as did the antiquated racial mindsets before them.  

For such small-minded ideas, controversies prompted by James’ and others’ repeated comments still have too big of an impact in today’s America, especially when they are in tangible seats of power. The true question now is whether or not we – as community members, Republicans, and Americans – are big enough to take this on before it repeats its cycle of cancer within America. In essence, we get to see outside of genetics just how many “brothers” are really out there. 

Lenny McAllister is the author of a new book, “Diary of a Mad Black PYC (Proud Young Conservative),” available online at www.tinyurl.com/lennysdiary  and www.amazon.com. The political commentator was featured in the panel discussion “Young & Black in America: Empowering the Next Generation of African American Leaders” in 2009. He is featured regularly on outlets including CNN, Fox News, and XM Radio. Follow Lenny on The Root, at www.twitter.com/lennyhhr , on Facebook at www.tinyurl.com/lennyfacebook , and daily at http://pycmusings.blogspot.com .