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GUEST EDITORIAL
An Open Letter To The People Of Georgia And The Nation!
Fatal Distraction
The current poli
tical climate in
the state of
Georgia is cold
and calculating.
The mean-spirit
ed political' man
euvering and
divisive “catch
phrases” are
reminiscent of the
1930s and 40s.
Wearing titles
is a badge, these
self-centered and manipulative politicians
found a clever strategy to ride into public
office - unfortunately that free ride was
always on the backs of African
Americans.
In the 1990s it seems that history is
repeating itself. However, instead of the
“N” word and segregationist titles, the
words conservative, moral majority, and
religious right have become the labels of
convenience - and of course the rallying
cry is anti-affirmative action. These
present day politicians, who probably
consider themselves shrewd students of
history, have hastily overlooked one
important factor in attempting to recreate
the sins of their predecessors - voters in
1998 are not that gullible.
During the 1998 election cycle there is
a new generation of politicians who hope
to win elected office simply by playing on
the fears of poor and middle class white
voters. They have no other platform. It is
impossible to believe that any registered
voter in 1998, no matter what their basic
ideology, would fall for such an obvious
deception.
Voters in Georgia have a lot in
common. Whether black or white, young
or old, urban or rural, all Georgians have
the same basic interests which include
education, health related issues, crime,
and having the opportunity to earn a
decent living wage.
However, politicians who specialize in
race baiting and divisiveness rarely have
strong positions on these issues. Their
racial smoke screens are designed to take
attention away from important issues and
focus on intangible imaginary fears.
While the majority of their poor and
middle class constituents are embroiled in
the racial confusion, these politicians are
left free to court the rich and privileged
who make ultimate decisions concerning
government on the golf courses of private
clubs.
Political race baiting and antagonism
also has other dangers. Much of the
violence against protestors during the
Civil Rights Movement in the 50s and 60s
was directly related to the vicious racist
attitudes of governors like George
Wallace, Orval Faubus, Ross Barnett,
Marvin Griffin, Lester Maddox, and
others whose venomous verbal attacks
provoked weak minds to violence.
Similarly, in today's society, the horrific
violence being perpetrated against
government agencies and family planning
clinics is inspired by the irresponsible
ranting of ultra right wing conservatives.
Through the years, the “fear card” has
been played well by Republicans and
Democrats. However, in recent years
Republicans have taken the lead in using
these guerilla tactics.
The great lie today is that affirmative
action programs constitute reverse
discrimination and that minorities are
taking jobs away from white people. On
what planet is this scenario taking place?
First of all, in order to have “reverse
discrimination” there has to have first
been discrimination. Where was the
moral outrage and indignation during the
days of segregation when black taxpaying
citizens were denied basic human rights?
Second, the majority of black people in
this nation work hard to make a living
wage. However, one has but to look
around in almost every work environment
in America to see that whites out number
blacks at a ratio of more than ten to one.
That's because many of the jobs are filled
with undereducated and under qualified
whites who happen to be either a relative,
friend, or acquaintance of someone in
charge. Do the words nepotism, cronyism
and sexism ring a bell? Since the
inception of this nation, the system of
racism has been the automatic door
opener for white people. Why are white
men so angry when they still hold the
highest level and highest paid positions in
government and corporate America?
Affirmative action is not reverse
discrimination. It was designed as a
remedy for years of discrimination, and to
“level the playing field” to promote
diversity and inclusion in American
society. It was designed to give qualified
women and minorities equal access to
education, jobs and government con
tracts. However, anti-affirmative action
zealots cloud the issue by screaming
quotas, preferences, and set-a-sides. As
long as they can plat their “fear card” and
keep their constituents focused on
“keeping the black man in his place”, the
less effort they have to use in developing
viable plans to correct the real problems
in this state and nation. Black people are
not the problem or the enemy. Crime,
drugs, illiteracy, poverty, hunger,
homelessness, violence, disease, inade
quate health care, hopelessness, and
cynicism are the cancerous weeds
strangling this society. These problems
affect us all.
The second half of the 20th Century
has brought many changes and progress
in this society. Progress in black America
has been hard won. Black people have
had to slave, pray, work, struggle, strike,
march, boycott, picket, sit-in, walk-out,
go to jail, sue, cry, bleed and die for every
single right achieved in this nation. As an
African American voter, I am tired of
unscrupulous white politicians riding the
wave to victory on the backs of
minorities. On the other hand, intelligent
white voters should be equally as weary
of being used and manipulated like
puppets in a calculated race game where
nobody wins.
Tyrone Brooks is a veteran Civil Rights
worker/activist. He is an 18-year member of
the Georgia House of Representatives and
president of the Georgia Association of Black
Elected Officials. He resides in Atlanta,
Georgia.
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VOLUME 5 ISSUE 24