Jerome Hudson: It's Hard Being A Black Conservative In America This came through on Glenn Beck's email and I just had to repost it. The young man's thoughtful eloquence speaks for itself:
July 8, 2009
Last week Glenn Beck got a call from a very impressive young man named Jerome Hudson, who told Glenn he had written an op-ed during the 2008 election on being a black conservative. He sent it in and it’s fantastic. Enjoy!
While attending a black fraternity party, I recently learned it’s a bad idea to profess one’s affinity for Glenn Beck, Bill O’Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, and Sean Hannity.
Worse, according to current polls, it appears I may be the only black 22 year old in America who will be voting for Sen. John McCain.
It’s not that I was unaware that being a black conservative Republican puts me in the ultimate “minority.” After all, Shelby Steele’s classic article “ The Loneliness of the Black Conservative” has become an article of faith that I’ve all but committed to memory.
But I guess I had made the mistake of buying into all that liberal yammering about being “open minded” and supporting “diversity” that I’d deluded myself into believing that a civil, discussion about the herd-like ideological mentality of so many of my contemporaries suffer from was possible.
Boy, was I wrong. Big time!
My official “Negro” card got stripped away. I instantly lost my “blackness.” And now, consequently, I now am greeted with this: “Hey, y’all, here comes The Black Republican.”
And that’s when I think to myself, Hmmm…so this is how it feels to be an “Uncle Tom.”
Still, being labeled “The Black Republican” is undoubtedly a promotion from: “Hey, why are you dressed so nice? You got a job interview or something?” Or, worse, “Man, why are you talking like that? You sound white? Who do you think you are? A conservative Kanye West?”
But my path to ideological emancipation began where all the most important things always begin—with my father and mother. Growing up, my Army drill sergeant father was a firm believer in tough love. My parents instilled in us Christian values. But I believe that first part—having an involved mother and father—was critical. With 70% of all black babies being born out-of-wedlock, it’s no wonder black poverty remains entrenched, welfare has become a way of life, and that many of my fellow young black male counterparts choose gangsta life over college. But it wasn’t until college that I realized I had been ensnared in what John McWhorter calls the “Cult of Victimology.” One of my professor’s pointed me toward a world of literature I’d never been introduced to: Thomas Sowell, John McWhorter, Shelby Steele, Star Parker, Angela McGlowan, Larry Elder, Walter Williams—they obliterated the Leftist foolishness that floods my community.
It was then that my eyes were opened to the truth, a truth that my father was willing to give his life for, a truth that hundreds of thousands of American soldiers have paid the ultimate price to pass on to future generations. And that truth is this: America remains the greatest country that God gave to man.
So imagine me, a member of various organizations that largely consist of young black Americans, most of whom are womb to the tomb Democrats and liberals, speaking openly about the many opportunities and blessings we enjoy in our great nation and refuting Michelle Obama’s supposition that America is a “downright mean place..”
Can you say…..social suicide?
“So Jerome,” the partygoers asked, “you’re REALLY a Republican?!”
Duh!
Of course I’m a Republican! And your great grandparents were too!
Yes, I’m a member of the Anti-Slavery Party, the party responsible for: the 13th (abolished slavery), 14th (gave former slaves full citizenship rights), the 15th Amendment (gave slaves voting rights), the Civil Rights Act of 1871(protecting southern blacks from the Ku Klux Klan), the Reconstruction Acts, and the 1866, 1875, 1957, 1960, and 1964 Civil Rights Acts.And no, my brothers and sisters, yesterday’s southern Democrats are NOT today’s Republicans! If so, former Klansman, Sen. Robert Byrd—the highest ranking senate Democrat and President Pro-Tempore of the Senate—apparently didn’t get the memo and forgot to switch parties.
But it’s more than just the history. I’m proud to stand for self-empowerment, personal responsibility, strong family values, small government, low taxes, free markets, a strong military, and individual achievement etc.
And don’t even get me started on which side stands up for the precious 1.4 million unborn children (32% of whom are black), who will be casualties in the war inside the womb. When I see these so-called “black leaders” bashing conservatives for “racist policies,” I wonder how they justify cheering on the political team who proudly defends the annihilation of 13 million black children since 1973.
And conservatives don’t care about black people? I don’t think so!
No, I think I’ll ride with the team who says enough with the welfare cancer that has destroyed people’s innate desire to achieve. Yes, I’ll ride with the folks who respect me enough to consider me their equal and not insult me with Affirmative Action racism. Yeah, I’ll ride with the gang who would rather create effective policies than emotional “feel good” symbolism that robs individuals of their desire to aspire.
So while it may take a little getting used to walking into college parties where I’m known as “The Black Republican,” I now realize I am a newly inducted member of a rich tradition of ideologically emancipated black conservatives. And guess what? I’m more than cool with that. I’m proud, actually.
“The conservative Kanye West”?
Hmmm….
Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?
Jerome Hudson is a sophomore at Tallahassee Community College with plans to transfer to Florida A&M University in the fall.
The Health Care Debate Who should be able to choose our plan and coverage? You? Your employer? Or the government? Who knows best what type of coverage fits your needs?
The Stoning of Soraya M Guys, there's a movie that comes out this Friday that we all need to go see. No, I'm not talking about Transformers 2, though that also is awesome beyond belief. I'm talking about The Stoning of Soraya M.
Keep that parody in mind when you read stuff like the following column from the San Francisco Chronicle about how Obama, the "Father of the country" (wait, isn't that George Washington?!) is showing American dads and husbands how it's done:
Come next Father's Day, our banking crisis might not be wholly resolved, the auto industry might not be on its feet again, and health care coverage might not be fully available to the uninsured. But we can only hope that fathers and spouses everywhere will be thinking "What Would Obama Do?" as they navigate through the murky waters of parenthood and family life.
California Nears Financial "Meltdown" Crisis Some State Democrats Still Refuse Needed Spending Cuts Want a quick snapshot of why California is headed towards doomsday? Consider the following:
1. Our state Controller issued a report that we are now 50 days away from running out of cash.
2. Schwarzenegger, for all of his folly and fiscal stupidity over the past few years, finally seems to have woken up to the fact that the only way we're going to get out of this crisis is a severe cut in spending. He's pushing for painful but necessarily deep cuts in our state budget to get spending in line with revenue:
"California's day of reckoning is here. Our wallet is empty. Our bank is closed. Our credit is dried up. "... We must make these cuts and live within our means because what is the alternative?"
3. Even the LA Times, of all places, has recognized that spending must be severely cut:
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is right: California is out of time. The state must cut $24 billion in expenses or find some new money -- or both -- and must do it before the month is out. The cuts will hurt people. In that, there is no choice. But there is choice in which services are cut, how deeply and for how long. Here are some principles that Sacramento, and the people, should follow in making their decisions...
* Cut. Think the unthinkable, then do it. Deeply cut programs, knowing there will be long-term consequences, but knowing also that the alternative is even more damaging cuts. Accept, for two to five years, some defunding of K-14 education. Wince at the consequences -- teachers will lose jobs -- but move forward. Slash from higher education, and hope to rebuild the universities in better times. Release nonviolent inmates early, and brace for additional law enforcement and social costs. Allow nonviolent parole offenders to remain free, and hope for the best. Take millions from local government transportation funding and repay it within three years.
4. Meanwhile, the Democrats who run our state can't seem to wake up to the real world financial crisis that is staring us in the face. They continue to spend. And their solution to the lack of actual, you know, money? Raiding the "rainy day fund":
With California rapidly running out of money, Senate Democrats cut to the chase Tuesday, saying they will not accept decimating the state’s safety net and unveiling the skeleton of their own budget-balancing proposal.
Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg pushed for raiding much of the state’s proposed $4.5 billion budget reserve next year to bankroll key health, welfare and college aid programs.
“The purpose of a rainy-day fund is to provide funds for a rainy day,” he said. “It’s thunder and lightning in California right now.”
Let us count the reasons the ways that this man is a fool. One, even Schwarzenegger recognizes how stupid this is:
The governor said it is “wishful thinking” or “hallucinatory” to believe that the state’s proposed $4.5 billion reserve fund next year is ripe for raiding by lawmakers.
We're in crisis. We have no money, and revenues just continue to fall. It's better to have some short term pain than to prolong the fiscal disease that is killing our state. But the Democrats (and the unions statewide, but that's another issue), even with the state 50 days from meltdown, still can't bring themselves to make the necessary hard choices. What happens when that rainy day fun runs out, senator Steinberg? Where are you going to raid for your next infusion of cash?
But that's not even the real problem. The real problem is that the fund Steinberg and his allies want to raid isn't even real money. It's an old projected surplus in revenue. It doesn't exist - and it won't exist, because our state revenues are falling like a rock:
The state's revenues from personal income taxes tumbled by 39.3 percent in May from a year earlier while revenues from corporate taxes fell by 52.1 percent and revenues from sales taxes sagged by 7.6 percent, according to a report released by Chiang's office.
So Steinberg wants to raid a projected surplus, when in reality the state is running double digit deficits! This is why we're in this problem to begin with! People like Steinberg and their fuzzy math with their spending of non-existent money. Is it too late to move to Texas?
And no, we're not going to agree to more taxes in lieu of spending cuts. We already voted that down last month:
Some rank-and-file Democrats are holding out hope of raising taxes to close the deficit. And the state's largest labor group, the Service Employees International Union, launched a $1-million TV advertising campaign Wednesday to press for more taxes on oil, tobacco and liquor.
So let's put the pieces together. Our state will run out of money in 50 days. California already raised our taxes once this year, and we voted down another huge tax increase. We have the highest tax rate of any state in the nation and the worst bond rating in the nation. So spending has to be cut. And our state legislators now wish to spend non-existent money from a rainy day fund of surplus revenue that doesn't exist and never will exist because our actual state revenue is tanking.
And that is the perfect snapshot example of why California is in this mess to begin with, and why we are now struggling so hard to get out of it.
He said the cost of services to illegal immigrants, which has been estimated at $4 billion to $5 billion annually, is a “small percentage” of the deficit California faces.
“Yes, it is something that ought to be dealt with, but the fact of the matter is, I think it’s an easy scapegoat for people to point the finger and say, ‘Our budget is out of whack because of illegal immigrants.’ “
Yes it's an easy scapegoat. But yes, it still should be cut. We can't afford services for actual state citizens right now. We may have to cut teachers, let out prisoners, cut the pay of police officers, not to mention all sorts of other less important areas, but we still willingly pay out billions to people who are here illegally? Illegal aliens aren't the cause of our fiscal problems, but they certainly are an unnecessary strain and drain on a system that is increasingly fragile to the point of shattering. Of all areas to be de-funded, this should be at the top of the list.
California is on the brink of financial collapse. There's a very real possibility that we may declare bankruptcy. The only way we get out of this is through experiencing some harsh changes in the fiscal culture, attitude, and practices of our state and our state leadership. It's going to hurt. In some ways it will hurt a lot. But you take chemo to kill the cancer.
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