Rep. Artur Davis
At a recent reception, Rev. Jesse Jackson said you can’t vote against health care reform and call yourself a Black man; clearly referring to Alabama Congressman and governor candidate Artur Davis, Harvard Law grad and one of the leaders of the new school. The deans of the new school are the Congressional Black Caucus members from the South who have supported agriculture, the military and veterans for over a decade.
Rep. Davis, like President Obama, is an optimistic glass half-full kind of guy who hopes for the best America possible. Dude, those people in Alabama will elect you governor when I am able to write a check for one of those M-Class Benz SUVs I see heading from the Alabama MB plant in route to the Port of Savannah. They wouldn’t even give Turner Gill the football coaching job at Auburn. But, Davis should voted the will of his constituents who happen to be for more conservative/moderate than urban Black leaders can understand.
The health care reform efforts in congress will require some serious adjustments and any member who has concerns should vote his heart. Rev. Jackson’s contributions to America will always be appreciated but Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, former Rep. Harold Ford, Jr., Rep. Artur Davis and legions of Obama Administration appointees are leaders of the next phase; a phase that will be centered on honest analysis and logical solutions more so than government intervention. The old school got us so far but these new cats will take the torch and use it to burn down crack houses. If you wanted change, you are about to get it. I don’t have a crystal ball but our community is about to get a serious dressing down from those weary of the victim mentality and the head dresser-downer is sitting in the Oval Office.
In my community, we have always talked about the Black Police, that mythical enforcement team that determines who is Black enough and what we should be doing culturally, politically and socially. Since Black America is vast and diverse, we have a zillion different mindsets. In the 80s, Rev. Jackson was the chief of the Black Police to my college buddies and me but during that same period Rev. Jackson said that the Democrat Party should not assume they have all Black support because we are not sheep and don’t need a shepherd. I guess the same applies to him now.
How could a Black man vote against health care reform? He should if he was concerned with how it is funded and if it creates too many new governmental agencies. Personally, I would have voted yes with hope for changes in the conference report. New School, go on with your bad self and if you need us, hollar.
Black men can opposite our brother in the White House and therefore help him; and Black men ski.
Project Logic Ga 