Does “civil rights” require the subordination of friendship and personal loyalty to racial solidarity? According Detroit Congressman John Conyers, apparently so, since racial solidarity is a way of “avoiding social embarrassment.”
Explaining his endorsement of Obama instead of his “dear old friends,” the Clintons, Conyers told an interviewer:
“To me, there’s a historical consideration in this as well,” Conyers says. “How in the world could I explain to people I fought for civil rights and equality, then we come to the point where an African American of unquestioned capability has a chance to become president and I said, ‘No, I have dear old friends I’ve always supported, who I’ve always liked.’ What do you tell your kids?”
How about you tell them this: friendship with and loyalty to individual people is more important than racial solidarity. If your kids are stubborn, or this should for any reason prove insufficient, you might add that the civil rights and equality you fought for involved at their core the right of every individual person to be treated without regard to race.
Of course, in Conyers’ case and the cases of too many other “civil rights” activists, that wouldn’t be true.
Correct me if I am wrong, but is “racial solidarity” not the first step towards segregation?
According to current data on the democrats 2008 primaries, black america is showing about 80-85% “racial solidarity”. Unfortunately, “racial solidarity” is just an euphemisim for racism!
Imagine any known founder and member of any racially exclusive “white group” calling to vote for a white person in order to demonstrate racial solidarity… The echo would propably be quite amusing.
Fortunately, none of this has happened and none of this should happen. No white member of congress has publically plead to not vote for obama because he is black. No white politician has called for “white solidarity”. White americans in contrast seem utterly open minded and colourblind. White voters show an almost equal split in votes for the black and the white candidate. Is that not a sign of something?
“…since racial solidarity is a way of “avoiding social embarrassment.”
Hmmm…
Nothing personal, it’s just business. I’m sure you understand!”
Conyers is my congressman..by “my congressman” I mean, of course, only that I live in his district. Looking to him for deep principle…other than the principle of advancing John Conyers’ interests…is an exercise in futility.
John writes:
>>>”How about you tell them this: friendship with and loyalty to individual people is more important than racial solidarity. If your kids are stubborn, or this should for any reason prove insufficient, you might add that the civil rights and equality you fought for involved at their core the right of every individual person to be treated without regard to race.”
I suppose Ward Connerly can use this argument to justify his hugging up on the Council of Conservative Citizens John Raterink (http://www.mediamouse.org/features/101306racis.php) or his blessing of the Ku Klux Klan (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAfYu_htDpU).
I doubt that argument would do much for his reputation, however.
I do have a feeling that you, Jennifer Gratz, Chetly Zarko, et al. will retain “friendship and loyalty” towards Connerly no matter WHOM he hugs or bestows blessings upon.
Andrew writes:
>>>”Correct me if I am wrong, but is “racial solidarity” not the first step towards segregation?”
America IS segregated. You’re whistling past the graveyard.
Andrew writes:
>>>”According to current data on the democrats 2008 primaries, black america is showing about 80-85% “racial solidarity”. Unfortunately, “racial solidarity” is just an euphemisim for racism!”
Ummm…the flip-side of that would be, since there has only been 5 black Senators in the 232 year history of the United States, 3 Black Governors (2 since Reconstruction) and ZERO non-white, non-male Presidents or EITHER party, one can easily construe this data to be evidence of “White racial solidarity”, which would puncture your little thought balloon here:
>>>”White americans in contrast seem utterly open minded and colourblind.”
Andrew writes:
>>>”White voters show an almost equal split in votes for the black and the white candidate. Is that not a sign of something?”
In what race are you seeing this? Republican Presidential Candidate Alan Keyes is getting LITTLE traction whatsoever with white voters, but I’ll give him some credit–
He’s outlasted Brownback, Tancredo, Thompson, Giuliani and Romney so far.
Come on, “Keysters!”
Where ya’ at?
–Cobra
Maybe I’m missing something here, but racial solidarity AND friendship don’t sound like good reasons for endorsing presidential candidates. (And it would be difficult for me to pick which one of these bad reasons is “better”.) What happened to agreement on policy stances and “presidential” personality?