Some Thoughts on Race and Some, Living, American Patriots

tu ne cede malis


When the race card was recently brought into play in the never ending debate over national healthcare (see my last post to this blog), I thought about some of my views on the issue of race in our country.

A very profound and lasting impact was made on me almost 50 years ago. I read the book Black Like Me, by John Howard Griffin. For those of you not familiar with this book: It is the account of John Howard Griffin, a journalist living in Texas in 1959, who wanted to gain firsthand knowledge of what it was like to be a black person in the south. Through some treatments, he had his skin colored so he could pass as a black man. For several weeks he traveled, by bus and hitch-hiking through Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and Georgia. A movie was made of the book in 1964, starring James Whitmore. I was repulsed by his treatment he reported on, then and I was repulsed, perhaps even more so today , as I viewed the movie again, in ten minute segments, at YouTube.com. I recommend Black Like Me to everyone who has not read it. For those of you who have read it, I recommend you revisit either the book or the movie or both.

I think we have come a long way in fifty years from what it was like back then, but ignorance, white ignorance as well as black ignorance is still alive in our nation. Now I can’t speak for white people and I surely can’t speak for black people, but I can speak for myself.

Martin Luther King gave his famous “I Have a Dream Speech” in 1963 during The March on Washington D.C. on August 28, 1963. The march has been reported as the largest demonstration ever seen in the nation’s capital, and unlike the recent “Tea Party Express” march on Washington on September 12, 2009, it had extensive television coverage. One might say that the mainstream news media was more like a news media back then, compared to what it has become today, propaganda rags for the left wing agenda, with the exception, for sure, of at least one “fair and balanced“ network, and of course many “fair and balanced” honest reporting websites on the internet. But that’s my opinion, last check - I still have the freedom to voice my opinion, I do believe. Also, how many of you knew that Martin Luther King was a Republican? Well, he was.

On November 4, 2009, Barack Hussein Obama was elected our 44th President of the United States. However, invoking the words of Martin Luther King, was Barack Obama judged by the color of his skin or by the content of his character? How much did we know about Barack Obama before he became President Obama? Go ahead, ask yourself that, how much did you know about the man, Barack Obama, about his beliefs, his past voting record, his associations, his influences that he exposed himself to, his education etc. etc., his character? Yes, America has come a long way in electing our first Black-American President, but are we also ready for, in the words of President Obama, “…fundamentally transforming the United States of America…”? What does “fundamentally transforming” mean to Barack Obama? Americans are finding this out, as the character of Barack Obama is on daily display. Is this the change Americans had in mind, “…change we can believe in…?” Maybe not, I think buyers remorse might be setting in.

I’ve referred to President Obama as our first Black-American President. News sources have reported him both as our “first Black-American President, and our “first African-American President,” depending on the news source and when it was reported. I’m always confused with what is the current “politically correct” term or terms to use. I do have a bumper sticker that says: “Politically Incorrect, and Proud of It.” I prefer: President Obama.

While recently, having the opportunity of exposing myself to “The Tea Party Express,” I was fortunate to learn about one of its traveling members: Lloyd Marcus. I think what a person says, how they say what they say and if they have the belief and conviction in what they are saying, goes a long way in showing their true character. Now, up to the time of the Tea Party Express phenomenon, I was not aware of Lloyd Marcus. After finding out about Lloyd Marcus, I can say what I really like about him. I like his views and beliefs on America, which can be gleaned by reading what he has to say. What caught my interest in him is how he introduces himself, in his own words: “I enthusiastically enter the stage, “Hello my fellow patriots! I am not an African-American…I am Lloyd Marcus…American!” The mostly white crowds go wild with applause and cheers of approval. I feel their relief and gratitude of a black man who loves his country and is not hostile or resentful toward them.” Lloyd describes himself as an un-hyphenated American and believes that Americans want to feel united, and that we have been divided too long by “political correctness.” So check out some things Lloyd Marcus has said, here.

I want to take the time to point out another American Patriot, that I have been aware of a while longer than Lloyd Marcus, and the work she is doing. Francis Rice is a retired lawyer and Army Lieutenant Colonel, is chairman of the National Black Republican Association. The National Black Republican Association website is www.NBRA.info.

In their own words : “The mission of the National Black Republican Association (NBRA) is to be a resource for the black community on Republican ideals and promote the traditional values of the black community which are the core values of the Republican Party: strong families, faith in God, personal responsibility, quality education, and equal opportunities for all. The goal of the NBRA is to return black Americans to their Republican Party roots by enlightening them about how Republicans fought for their freedom and civil rights, and are now fighting for their educational and economic advancement.”

I’d like to take what the website states in their “About The NBRA” page a step further and say that there is a wealth of information for all Americans contained in the pages of the National Black Republican Association website.

In conclusion, when Americans voice their opposition to President Obama, I believe that they are finding out just what he meant by “…fundamentally changing the United States of America…” They are finding out that the changes he has in mind for America and the changes a growing number of American have in mind, are two different things. Are Americans who question or disagree with President Obama being racist? If they question or disagree with him because he is black or African-American, then probably they are. But if they question or disagree with his policies (the “fundamental change”) and don’t really care what his ethnic background is, how are they being racist? By using the race card and trying to divide and conquer America, the Democrats and the President just might be galvanizing the opposition. So to them I say, keep up the good work.


tu ne cede malis sed contra audentior ito

Liberty Tom