Lights, Camera, Affirmative Action

WEB Dubois would be rolling over in his grave.  Yes, the former founder of the NAACP would be saddened to see what his organization has become.  Wasting their time on official proposals condemning racism within the Tea Party (I ask you, what non-racist doesn't condemn that already), meanwhile hinting that African American Tea Party elects Tim Scott and Allen West are alluded to as "Uncle Toms."  Classy.

I had the fortune of watching an interview with Allen West today (Greg Gutfeld, Red Eye, 3am on Fox News - just TiVo it), part of which was his decision to join the Congressional Black Caucus (I'm assuming Tim Scott will as well).  Yet, in our post racial society (perhaps you called that one too early, Barry), West acknowledged that he faced an uphill battle against the Maxine Waters, Charlie Rangels, and James Claybourne's of the world.  

West said something else that was particularly interesting.  He said that African Americans are beginning to lose faith in the Democrats, and are slowly moving to the right (seems logical being that Lincoln freed the slaves and Republicans largely initiated the Civil Rights movement - wait, the Republicans need a new PR guy…).  He also said that 45 African Americans running for Congress, 15 of them passing the primaries, and 2 being elected to the House is only the beginning.  Now, perhaps with a national voice, the movement will begin to grow significantly.

To add to West's point, I think the organizations have lost sight of true struggles.  They care more about the preservation of archaic laws such as affirmative action and hate crime legislation than they do the betterment of their race.  Rather than encouraging poor, inner city blacks to pursue higher education, they're busy condemning the Tea Party's belief in fiscal responsibility.  

You may have noticed i described affirmative action and hate crime laws as archaic.  Please don't misunderstand me.  But by now, these institutions only perpetuate that there should be differences within races, not equality.  To quote South Park, "All crimes are hate crimes."  The punishment should not be dictated by the type of hatred (just ask Stephen Hayes, recently sentences to death on about 12 million counts after slaughtering a mother while her two daughters were tied up, sexually assaulting the 11 year old, then setting the house on fire…).

Until America moves away from entitlement and towards equality, I'm afraid that the Allen Wests of the world, those that represent empowerment within a minority, will be most disdained by the groups that claim to represent them, not the gun toting racists clinging to their guns and bibles.