Henri Reynard Speaks Out

Your guy lost, forget it and join the party of the winner

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It is interesting that Republican apologists can find no better way to reach out to Democratic voters than to say, "your guy lost, forget it and join the party of the winner". Bill Safire, who has styled himself "William" since I can remember, first reading his byline, many years ago, suggests that the black voters of America join the Republican Party so that they can "bore from within". How delightful, the politico's who could care less about the issues that brought blacks to the polls in record numbers, want them to join their party. What happened to the idea that a party should attract your vote, not repel it? What happened to the idea that working for a political party, is a response to that party's building a platform on which you can rest your hopes of representation, particularly related to your vital issues.

The amount of arrogance in the posturing of Republican voices and leadership regarding the violation of black's civil rights in the deciding state of Florida is amazing. Fellows, You had to take this election to the Supreme Court, and they had to violate every precept of law that they had upheld in the past, in order to win this election. Your tame Justices, on your conservative court, had to violate the principles of State's Rights and Equal Protection, in order for your candidate to win this election by a vote of five to four. Whose ox got "Gored" here? It wasn't the white face of the Republican Party that shared the pain of this injustice. It was the working public, the parents of poor children, it was the members of our large inner city populations of poor black voters, who had to swallow this travesty.

If you ask yourself why the black voters of this nation voted in a huge block for the Democratic candidate you get a simple answer. Al Gore listened to them and told them that his administration would work for them. W told them that he was interested in their vote and if they would become good Republicans and learn to invest their money they would reap the rewards of Republicanism. Now it may be news to you Good Old Partisans from the right, that it is not in the interest of Blacks or other minorities to see this country move further to the right. That is why they voted, where they were allowed to vote, for the Democrats.

Partisanship aside, if you could assume, that the voice of the party matters to its members, you should listen to your own voices. Holding forth that your improper acts, which disenfranchised black voters in large numbers, were just a part of the game. Gentlemen, and ladies of the Republican Party, this was not a game; this was the voters hope of real representation in the White House! You are merely patronizing the majority of black voters with your appointments of two highly recognizable and very competent black people. These successful and likable people, who, by virtue of their party affiliation, have few political connections to most of the other black voters in this nation, are not an answer to charges of discriminatory voting practices. Their appointments are deserved, your treatment of their race as a whole is not only undeserved it is a shame and a tragedy. You seem to be treating that pair of appointments as if it repaired the wrong that you have done to the majority of black people in this nation. That voice will not win you votes in the black community. Those tactics will never win you another major election in this nation.

Please learn to listen to the voices of the poor, and the blacks and browns of our great nation. Please put aside your "conservative" agendas for a moment and listen to the people trying to live their lives in neighborhoods like Compton and Brooklyn. People who need not gifts, but real support for their communities. Real support for their schools, real support for child-care that allows them to work and raise healthy, happy young citizens. Real support for their rights, more than just the right of voting, the right to a dignity that they are working for and still being denied by your attitudes, your exclusiveness, your pretentiousness, your willful disregard of their right to be culturally different and still be treated fairly.

Oh, by the way, the truth about the likelihood of black voters moving in droves to the Republican Party in order to bore from within is that until you extend a welcome by hearing their voice, it is a very unlikely prospect. They have a voice, you would know, if you listened, it is the voice of the young black attorney who brought her son to the polls in Florida only to be refused the right to vote. She left with her son in tears because of the injustice. It is the voice of all of the black voters throughout our history who suffered worse in order to obtain that right. It is the voice of outrage, and distrust of your patronizing attitudes. It is a voice that will be heard! Perhaps you should listen to that voice. Otherwise it will certainly become the voice of your defeat