Everything Will Stay The Same Until You Do

Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Community Times Newspaper, it’s staff or advertisers.

This week we are writing to share our observations on racial attitudes. There are only one or two differences between what is happening in Isreal and the United States. At the moment, there is the same type of leadership in the two countries. One a fledgling democracy, while the other is a democratic system in turmoil. What's noteworthy about both governance systems is that a tyrant is running one, and the other is trying to be taken over by one.

It's incredible how so many people can profess love for this country but stand solidly behind a narcissist trying to take it over. It does not matter that they might agree with some of his policies. They'd have to do far more than hold their noses to vote for Donald Trump. They must be willing to throw away their morals and cast most of their convictions to the seven seas, but that seems to be what many of them are eager to do. Also noteworthy is that older White women lead the cascade of Trump supporters. That might be a telltale regarding the election of so many conservatives around the nation. So many appear to be following behind a carefully crafted message being spawned by conservative Evangelicals. They say America is headed to hell in a handbasket. Still, it is interesting how they managed to keep silent throughout the persecution of Black people during the war on drugs, the unethical treatment of blacks in the healthcare systems, the Syphilis experiments done on Black men, the over-representation of Blacks in the prison system, and the instances of housing and educational discrimination to name a few.

It makes one wonder where they got such a condescendingly moral but narrow attitude about America and how things are and have been for a long time. The outrageousness of their audacity can be seen in their latest exploits to unseat two young Black Legislators from their duly elected positions in the Tennessee Legislature. A White female legislator also supposedly committed the same violations, but she was not thrown out of the legislative body. We guess her statement, following their unusually racist maneuver, say's it all, "I guess my skin color is what led them not to do to me what they did to my counterparts."

Black people all over the United States need to take note of this brazen act of inculcating racist superiority. What is taking place in that legislative body speaks to a growing racial divide in the nation. Under Trump's leadership, Conservatives have been encouraged to believe they have a greater hold on America than is realistic. They are not so much in love with Donald Trump, but they see him as a political leader who dares to do and say things they could never muster the courage. They see him as the one who has encouraged them to do the racist things we see them doing now.

A handful of ultra-conservatives have been waiting in the background for the opportune time to usher in their agenda, which aligns with Trump's slogan of taking America back perfectly. While you are taking notice, you may want to consider your state Senator, who keeps his promise to the conservatives who re-elected him by joining forces with every radical Republican who stands up against anything. He has shown why Republicans won't let anything constructive happen to finance reform. He has singlehandedly made an art out of violating finance law regarding elections. There is no shame in his game when soliciting funds to help national Republicans.

Seeing how conservatives are trying, with a brazen depravity never seen before, to hold on to power is impressive. But it is a lost cause. You can see the handwriting on the proverbial wall. There are more reasonable and decent people in America than there are racists. And more people like that White legislator in Tennessee see public service as a place to fight for the rights of the people and not a place where the Lindsay Grahams and Kevin McCarthys go to carry out political oneupmanship and grandstand for everything wrong.

America is a great country that can and will see through desperate maneuvers to make this nation no more than a political stomping ground for old political hacks. It's time for the people of this country to WAKE UP so they can see the people we are sending to do our business are out of control and need to be sent back home. Legislatures spend more time passing asinine legislation than they do thinking about the needs of the people. There is something wrong when the people we elect aren't affected enough by the death of children or by gun violence that they won't come together and make decisions about guns that will decrease the loss of life. Something has to be done, preferably sooner rather than later. Come on, good people of this nation, let's revolt and show them we will not continue to be led by a bunch of morons. There are too many good and decent people among us to let these imitation legislators guide us all downhill.

My recommendation for you this week is that you begin to talk to your neighbors and friends about what is happening in our country right before our eyes. And please know that everything will stay the same until you do. The most important elections are the ones that will bring about the kind of change we need to see. When our love for one another becomes what motivates us to do what we do, we can truly sing the song "Living In America."

Sincerely Yours,

Some People Are Predicting A Civil War. Others Seem To Be Trying To Make It Happen.

Elder, James W. Williams

Chairperson, Advocacy Organization, Lifelineplus