I was shocked when I heard Donald Trump asking African-Americans to vote for him! Trump has made many shocking comments, none of which have surprised me. But, his calling for African-Americans to vote for him was truly shocking and surprising.
I rarely give this much space to anyone’s comments, but in this case I believe readers need to see exactly what Trump said in this brief excerpt from his speech:
“No group in America has been more harmed by Hillary Clinton's policies than African-Americans. If Hillary Clinton's goal was to inflict pain on the African-American community, she couldn't have done a better job.
“Tonight, I am asking for the vote of every African-American citizen in this country who wants a better future.
“The inner cities of our country have been run by the Democratic Party for 50 years. Their policies have produced only poverty, joblessness, failing schools, and broken homes.
“It is time to hold Democratic Politicians accountable for what they have done to these communities. It is time to hold failed leaders accountable for their results, not just their empty words.
“Look at what the Democratic Party has done to the city of Detroit.
“Forty percent of Detroit's residents live in poverty. Half of all Detroit residents do not work.
“Detroit tops the list of Most Dangerous Cities in terms of violent crime.
“This is the legacy of the Democrat politicians who have run this city. This is the result of the policy agenda embraced by Hillary Clinton.”
Trump gave this speech August 19 in Dimondale, Michigan after visiting survivors of the floods in Louisiana. Hillary tweeted about the floods. So did Obama.
Why are African-Americans so clingy to the Democratic Party? Eighty to ninety percent of black voters have supported Democratic candidates for president and have overwhelmingly maintained Democratic administrations in large cities since the 1960s. I doubt Trump will receive 5 percent of the African-American vote.
Frankly, I don’t believe either major party has done much to help African-Americans. Sure, politicians talk a good game in Washington, but since the 1960s the bad numbers have all gone up for African-Americans: poverty, school drop outs, unwed pregnancies, single parent homes, unemployment, crime and incarceration rates. Politicians of all stripes have failed to provide solutions to these problems.
I’m not a Trump supporter, but I’m not a #neverTrump person either. Hillary is as crooked as a roiling rhumba of rattlesnakes making love on a roller coaster. As I wrote in an earlier column, “Compared with Hillary, Trump is a saint.”
Full disclosure: I have family who have vowed never to vote for “the other party.” So, I can relate to this mentality though I can’t really understand it. I’m an independent and have voted for Democrats, Republicans, and Independents not because of party affiliation but in spite of party affiliation. Party establishment career politicians are the biggest problems in government today.
I applaud Trump for addressing these issues. Can he or will he do whatever is necessary to help African-Americans? I don’t know. But, I agree with Trump that Hillary and the Democrats have not helped African-Americans – at least according to the statistics – at all since the 1960s. Neither have the Republicans for that matter. But, we’re not talking about Republicans. We’re talking about Trump.
Daniel L. Gardner is a syndicated columnist who lives in Starkville. You may contact him at
PJandMe2@hotmail.com
