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As most of you know, we have just recently gone through a very contentious national election. It was a very emotional time due to the many of the issues that were on the table. The war in Iraq seemed to initially be the most divisive concern among voters.
After the election however, political analysts such as Bill Snyder of CNN concluded that moral issues seem to be what turned the tide during this election. A formidable undercurrent began to backlash against John Kerry and Democrats that they did not anticipate. Many in this nation began to understand the implications of the far left agenda that the Kerry campaign embraced and supported.
This is not to say that everyone in his party necessarily agreed with the positions that were embraced by the Kerry machine. Nevertheless, many saw voting for him as a better alternative than voting for President Bush. Some of the Democratic leaders have now begun to question their approach to speaking to the American people concerning values (moral issues). This is particularly true as it relates to their moral positions that were points of contention during this election. Even Senate leaders such as Nancy Pelosi talked about how Democrats need to be more willing to share their faith.
In my opinion, that is a sad after thought and a weak political ploy. I feel that if you are unwilling to act like your faith is a normal part of your living why talk about it at election time?? This was one of the things that President Bush clearly did from the very beginning back in 2000. He seemed not to be concerned about anyone's opinion as to how he expressed his faith. He did not care about political correctness or offending anybody. I feel this was an extremely strong point and said a lot about his character. He is not better than anyone else, but a man who talks unashamedly about the importance of his faith from the get go gets my attention!
I did some informal unscientific polling before the elections to find out why many black people were thinking like they were about President Bush. I did not usually get very good answers about that. People would mostly say something about problems with the war in Iraq.
I know that one of my personal concerns about John Kerry and John Edward were their views on Gay rights, abortion rights, and stem cell research. John Kerry also seemed to be very wispy washy on his willingness to use military force. He was one of only about 5 senators that voted against the first Gulf War when there was a huge coalition of the willing given his complaining about coalition building doing the current Iraq War.
Black Americans, as a population group, have not been strong traditionally in regards to the right to life issues. The tide, however, is beginning to turn very slowly against the 1972 Roe versus Wade decision legalizing abortion in America. In recent years, other society destroying movements have begun to emerge in the form of gay rights and more recently gay marriage. In all 11 states in which in this amendment was on the ballot, it failed. Our concern, about the war in Iraq, at least publicly and vocally, seemed to eclipse both of these very significant issues as a population group.
I suspect that a lot of black Americans, unquestionably, were standing behind President Bush but not necessarily talking about. This is not because they agreed with every single aspect of his policy positions. Many people understood that he has a heart after God despite any short- coming he has, and like all of us he does have some.
I have heard any number of black leaders who have tried to argue the point of morality in the context of jobs and education. I believe that that has been a smokescreen of an argument. They also tried to deflect the argument away from abortion rights and gay rights while putting jobs and education in the balance. What some of us understood was that if we ignore the core issues of respecting life and marriage as being between a man and a woman as stated in God's word, nothing else really matters. Jobs and education are not moral obligations in same sense as Gay right and abortion rights. Scripture spoke specifically to these two issues in the Ten Commandments.
We have been sold a bill of goods by some of the most prominent leaders in our community. They have primarily adopted a 1960s civil rights model to pursue 21st century political and social agenda. Kerry and Edwards tried to use, and preachers regrettably offer them, the context of pulpits to give out there rather unclear, biting messages. Never did you hear a word spoken by these same prominent leaders in our community about praying for the president, his cabinet, and all the people that surround him. It was criticism, criticism, and more criticism!
The majority of Black Americans have essentially tried to muscle him out of office with our voice and our vote. This occurred even though more blacks voted for him the during this past election cycle. I feel that we must change our thinking and our strategy as it relates to whom God sets up in office. I would suggest that he needs our prayers and encouragement. We can never rely strictly on our vote, voice, nor allegiance to a political party to change things. Having an attitude is not going to change things, but the power prayer can.
Does President Bush get a free pass? Of course not. He has some important major concerns ahead of him during these coming nearly four years. He holds the highest office in the land and yet has a minority support from our people. This is not acceptable. The policy decisions made by the administration will affect all Americans in some way to include us. We must determine how and what things in our system of government we can use positively to our advantage. We have a tendency to think in class and racial terms and with an attitude of disenchantment. Yet there is very little talk about the great advantages and possibilities that we have at our finger- tips.
We have more opportunity than virtually anytime in our history as Black Americans in this country. If a black woman who was a common laborer during the time of the Depression can donate nearly $100,000 to an HBCU decades later, how much more opportunity do we have in this day compared to what was available to her?? We must become more educated and willing to work with our people and others to better our communities through positive outlook not continuous and extreme pessimism.
Our issues have more to do with changes needed in our hearts, minds, and spirits as a people. A spirit of life and possibilities must begin to pervade our community if we are to be strengthened as a race of people. We cannot find favor with God if we take a position of us against them. To be a people prepared for these end times we must move forward by looking inward and finding God's purpose for our lives. We must cease being a people whose identity is established by our athletes, thug style rappers, spinners, gold teeth, butt shaking, attitudes and other ridiculous things that have become the face of who we are and what we are about. These things have no future in the kingdom of God.
If we are to be successful, we must know that government and bad culture are not our primary answer, the Lord is!! Let us remember these things as we move into the future.
References: CNN pre and post election programming and commentary
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