Get Out And Vote...ESPECIALLY If You Are A Minority

Most days, after listening to the comedy morning show on the radio, I switch over to talk radio. I do this usually because I just want to hear people discussing the issues of the day. Usually it's mildly amusing or just interesting. This 'Blue Girl' also sometimes gets an insight into most of the local 'Red People'. In most cases, I just think something is interesting. In other cases I think those people are insane to think a particular way. But then there are days like today when I become livid and really need to vent. So, what happened? "Encouragement." I put that in quotes and I realize it sounds odd but there are reasons I shall explain.

Let me explain that the radio show has said many times most working there are white people. However, they do have an African American man working there too. He seems to be the "go to guy" for anything "black" they want to discuss. That's an issue but possibly for another day. So, the two hosts were discussing voting and if the debate has swayed anyone. They asked the resident black guy who he planned to vote for and his answer was that he had never voted. He then explained the reason is because he is uneducated about politics and and didn't want to vote just because "someone told me who to vote for." I expected the hosts to encourage him to get educated because voting is super important. Instead, they encouraged him to NOT vote until the day he magically decides to educate himself. They enthusiastically encouraged him to NOT vote and my reaction was simple....

This went on for several minutes with the two white hosts complimenting the black guy for not voting and encouraging him to take his time to self-educate for voting in the future. He's 26, has never voted and has been interviewed regarding police shootings and being racially profiled in this area. But they encouraged him to take his time getting politically educated and voting. Yup, reference the stunned stare again.

First off, if this were a young, white person, I doubt they would have applauded him not voting. I have never heard older white people advising younger white people to not vote. I've witnessed white parents, especially middle class and rich white parents, actively teach their children to go out and vote If they are Republican, they are rather happy to hear black people say they do not vote so this advice from the two white hosts didn't just trouble me, it made me angry.White people encouraging a black man to stay ignorant should anger everyone.

Second, how in the world does a member of a minority group allow members of a dominant group encourage him to not vote? As a black man living in Kansas, he is subject to an entirely different life reality than two middle-class white people. They have the luxury of ignoring voting, ignoring racial profiling and basically taking their time to get educated. They have a little thing called 'white privilege' that helps them through life. He does not. Let me add that both the hosts are not only educated about the issues and candidates but they are both registered to vote and plan to vote even though they dislike the major candidates. So, the 'good white folk' will vote while telling the black guy it's best he does not. Am I missing something?

Black people fought and died for the right to vote. There is a man who has been endorsed by the Klan running for president. Trump has encouraged violence against black people at his rallies. Unarmed black men are being shot by police. The racial divide in this country seems to be widening and this black man is taking the advice of two middle-class white people who plan on voting that he should not vote and remain uneducated. I was rather disgusted by the entire situation.

I have to ask myself, what did this man's parents teach him, if anything, about voting? He's 26 and never voted because he's not informed? He's not informed because he chooses not to be informed and that baffles me. At 18 I was not only informed, I was registered and anxious to vote.

The bottom line is, if this guy (and anyone else) is too lazy to educate himself enough to vote, then sit down, shut up and embrace things like racial profiling. You just told those working to implement such things that it's not important enough for you to care. You don't vote so they, the powers that be, can put laws on the books to keep you in your place. As a black man, they definitely have a place for you to be and that's usually in jail or the grave. He needs to stop being lazy, get educated, get registered and vote. There is no excuse to not be educated on issues and candidates today. Information is spoon fed to us through the Internet. If this guy isn't educated, it's because he's lazy, nothing more. If he doesn't care enough to vote, he needs to stop getting on the air to complain about his life in America as a black man.

'Silent' White Trump Supporters Are Worse Than The Racists

Donald Trump asked this question several weeks ago. I'm not sure exactly who he was asking. I believe he was speaking to a mostly white crowd in a mostly white neighborhood. But the question was presented, it's valid. I have no intentions of answering him as a representative of anyone but myself but as an African American, I think I can voice an opinion.

What do I have to lose? I'd ask Mr. Trump what do I have to gain by voting for him? I'm not asking for free college. I have two college diplomas. I'm not asking for money from a social program. I earn enough to not qualify for programs like Food Stamps. I'm not asking for a way to get a home loan. I already own my home. I really am not asking the government for anything. I'm listening to what Trump has to offer the African American community and so far I haven't seen him offer anything. Trump's entire campaign to all voters can be summed up in a simple sentiment: Your lives all suck. You should try something different and new. I'm something different and new. Only I can fix this mess and all my opponents suck.

Trump offers no concrete plans for how he will fix anything. He is offering angry people an empty solution to what they hate.

Speaking of angry people, I can't ignore the fact that Trump is basically in bed with every racist organization in this country. How can any self-respecting African American (or any other member of a minority race, GBLTQ, or faith other than conservative Christian) can support Trump when he clearly has no issues with the disgusting views many of his supporters have. There is a simple reason he doesn't denounce them. They are votes in his pocket while the others are questionable at best. His outreach efforts to black churches/communities are for those white people who don't wish to be called "racist" for supporting Trump. This group, in many ways, are worse than the people who openly wear their racism on their sleeves.

The reason the silent people are worse is because they stand to reap the benefits of any and everything the racists do by sitting back and pretending to agree with the racism. I've witnessed personally how racists will "test the waters" with racist jokes/comments. If other white people keep silent, that racist steps up the attacks, usually while professing to not be a racist and claiming to have "plenty of black friends, but..." Their "black friends" are what they describe as "the good ones" or these black people "know how to behave."

Years ago, when I was in college and relatively new to his "Red State," a white friend mentioned a party she wanted to attend. The party was at a pool hall and she was inviting the friend group. She then looked at me and said she wasn't sure if I wanted to go because she had never seen any black people there before. The comment gave me pause but being very naive to racism when I arrived here, I didn't think much about her comment. After all, black people could go to the pool hall when she wasn't there, right. I didn't give it much thought, until the subject kept coming up. The party was a few weeks away and she kept bringing up the issue until one day she said she had spoken to her friend, the host of the party, and he said I could attend...IF I didn't cause any problems and I couldn't demand what kind of music was played. He wasn't going to play any Rap, etc. It was only then that my "friend" gave me the time and location of the party. I didn't attend.

The reason I didn't go to the party was simple. I knew I was not welcome there, would not be welcomed and if I had gone, I would have been watched and expected to "behave." I may have been subjected to snide, racist remarks. I may have been subjected to physical attack. I think I definitely would have been questioned about whether or not I was at the right place. My friend was rather upset with me that I did not attend and asked me why. I told her what I said here, that it was clear her friend did not what a black person attending. She claimed not to understand but I think she understood perfectly. White people know which of their white friends are racist but they hope their black friends can't see this. We can see better than you realize. If you remain silent while your white racist friend spouts things you claim to disagree with, you are part of the problem and no better than those who sat quietly benefiting from the horrors of Nazi Germany when Jews were murdered and their belongings distributed to others.

That party was basically a junior version of a Trump rally for me. White people who most likely are not racist, tolerate and to a certain degree, accept the deplorable racists in their midst to get the benefit of their candidate winning office. This has been a common thing in the Republican Party and the reason I think most black people avoid voting for that party, even if that black person is a Conservative. Republicans turn a blind eye to the horrible racists while telling black people they wish to help us. FYI, you can't pull me into a hug with one arm and cradle the KKK with the other.

But non-racists whites have the luxury of ignoring the racists and remaining silently complicit in the vitriol being spat. They like Trump and they have the luxury of ignoring the insults Trump throws. These are the white people, like my friend from long ago, who will invite their "African American friends" to a Trump rally and vouch for their behavior to their racist friends. That promotes that black person to "one of the good ones who knows how to behave."

Given the choice, just like long ago, I'm not going to that party. What do I have to lose? My peace of mind in knowing that the person I'm standing near is not going to spout some racist remark and then grin in my face if I show a sign of pain. Racists exist, Trump has shown me that clearly. Like roaches in the dark, they have crawled out in force to feast upon the debris Trump is tossing around. But there is no point to exposing Trump. He has been exposed. What needs to be done is building up Hillary Clinton and building trust in her. Is that possible? I hope so because if Trump is elected, everyone who is not complicit with white racists will have a very rough four years. Trump will have a huge debt to pay to this ilk and owe nothing to people like myself. It's a terrifying thought.