the ballot and black people (Roland Martin, Tariq Nasheed, Yvette Carnell)

The Ballot: Roland Martin vs Tariq Nasheed (Part One: Immigrants, Asians, Muslims GOP)

More than 50 years ago now, Malcolm X talked about The Ballot or the Bullet. Recently, Roland Martin and Tariq Nasheed went ‘back and forth’ over whether black people should be voting.  They are a microcosm of a much larger discussion that is, and has been going on in black america.  It’s not a recent discussion, but it’s one we are still not, doing as well with as we ‘should’ by now… A recent report came out on USA Today, about how Immigrants, Asians and Muslims helped elect Trump and the GOP into power. 

Let’s look at how the ballot is used ‘against’ black people – and how the groups we often fight for, turn against us, with commentary from Yvette Carnell

Yvette Carnell points out, ‘Birthright Citizenship’ was originally created for black people; For Descendants of Slaves (DOS).

The conversation has somehow shifted from what this was originally about to helping other (non-black) groups.  Say what we will about Trump, he is far more ‘honest’ about how Conservatives feel about many of these issues.  They want the cheap labor but absolutely do not want to give them any ‘rights’.  By all means, the conservative party is the party that wishes slavery was still legal. This is why you’l find them waving confederate flags at nazi rallies, I mean, alt-right rallies, saying none of this is ‘racist’.

It’s how the game, is being played – a game, black people often do not engage in. Using The Ballot as a ‘final means to an ends’.

According to the article on USA Today, in 2016 32% of Latino Voters and 23% of Asian voters, helped put Trump in office.  Parts of the article discuss how, ‘being American’ in many cases is about being able to identify with whiteness. Voting for the GOP in some of their minds gives them more access to that identity.  Taking on many of the ideas as well, that are anti-black, seem to come with this decision too. Meanwhile, issues between the black community and other minority groups are documented, going back decades, again. More recently, there have been multiple incidents of Asian store owners, beating up black customers.  Here is one example, of several, below.

(Phil The Advice Show on this matter a few months back….)

https://youtu.be/XPsjS-QohWI

This is why, the whole ‘should black people vote’ and ‘should black people vote democratic’ continues to be a complicated issue.

I’ll say this a few times, Yes I saw what Roland said; I’m a Tariq fan, and yet even I had to say he’s wrong on saying we should ‘not’ vote at all; his commentary on John Lewis was hilarious though. He did, literally talk about how John Lewis hasn’t done anything other than get his ass whooped on the bridge in Selma; and he’s used that to create a whole career for his self; where he is trotted out; to remind us that he got his ass whooped; and that’s ‘why’ we should vote; The next day after Tariq clowned him for that, he came out and gave a speech, about how he got his ass whooped, and that’s why we need to vote. You can’t not find that funny. That’s hilarious. But all jokes aside, this is a serious subject. Because, a big issue – that even MLK Pointed out, before he was killed, is that with white liberals come white ‘moderates’ – who MLK said are perhaps even more dangerous to black people, and black interests than the KKK. This is why the issue is complicated, and why I ‘also’ disagree with Roland, and feel he went ‘too far’ to say that Tariq, or anyone who says blacks should not vote, is a ‘disgrace to the race’ — that’s going too far; Because it dismisses, very real concerns black people have; very real Reasons, that lead to a decision on behalf of several black people NOT to participate – at all — and this goes back, several decades, which means it’ll continue to go ON for more decades, if ‘both sides’ of black america cannot learn how to listen to One another…………

The side that is ‘apathetic to voting’ ….

and the side that feels we NEED To participate to GET the changes we desire — are BOTH Right.

BOTH have major points, and the ‘common ground’ can only be good, for black people in the end; BUT we gotta get there ….

…… like me … ‘eventually’ getting to My point

You see, often the ones fighting FOR these groups; don’t seem to realize how often these groups vote ‘for the other side‘ once they get all the rights, freedoms, and benefits that Liberals fight to get them — there is no way to sugar coat that — The democratic party, has not ‘done anything’ specifically for black people; and in fact, when they DO do things, specifically for – minority groups who ‘claim’ to be treated LIKE blacks; those groups GET those benefits; and blacks, continue to get left out. ….

Then, those minority groups, ‘also’ turn On black people; so the question being raised by Tariq, and others on his position, is ‘are we voting in our Own Demise, by aligning with Liberals?” — Naturally, blacks look foolish aligning with Conservatives.

– Your Larry Elder, Diamond and Silk’s of America, are a different breed of black persons –

They are looking out for self, not the individual; and are just fine with being a token; they’ll agree with how they are treated, at all times; even if it’s lesser than their non-black peers; JUST to be ‘accepted’ is good enough; as if any of that will save them from Police ‘fearing for their lives’ – if they are ever at the wrong place, at the wrong time; in a society that, continues to do NOTHING about what impacts, and negatively effects, black life.

Often the police officers shooting unarmed black people, are of these other minority groups; even black police get into the mix; because this ongoing ‘practice’ of mistreating black people, seems to be the American way; and ‘voting’ does not seem to change that;

(going all the way back to 1998, when Tyisha Miller was murdered by police, when they found her ‘asleep with a gun on her lap’ at a gas station in Riverside, California. The police were found not guilty. Countless stories like this have unfolded, since 1998 – with the same or similar result around the nation. Regardless of who occupies the white house.)

Meanwhile, I know that more is required ‘than just voting’

…. and to me, this is where Roland drops the ball. We gotta learn how to ‘criticize’ in a positive manner, imo – when ever possible of course – Roland, may have been in his feelings, for how bad Tariq roasted him a few years back; (made a puppet and all… smh) — #digression ::: this is a conversation that needs to go deeper;

Good to see the Ballot Or The Bullet speech by Malcolm X resurfacing; but we gotta truly listen to the advice we got 50 years ago; Malcolm said, that we (black america) have to be re-educated about the political process. Lots to unpack there – Stay tuned for that, as we’ll dive deep in “part 2” of this conversation, which will include videos and responses from both Roland Martin, and Tariq Nasheed, on whether the ballot can get black people the changes we seek.

Those changes, will not come from outside though. The ballot, is a ‘final ends’ …. it’s what we could use, if we do other steps first.

That’s where the ‘gap’ in our communication seems to exist.

Even Yvette Carnell, who’s video I used, because it was her post on facebook that drew my attention ‘to this story’… is not ‘pro-Economics’ as a solution.  She, is pro-politics. She is of the belief, like Malcolm, that we have to be re-educated, and approach politics in a more organized, thought out fashion than we do. She’s right about that part … but even I would disagree, with the degree of how she speaks ‘down’ on economics as ‘part’ of the solution. To me, indeed, it’s one of the ‘several steps’ needed ….  Economics, and Politics – because that truly is how the game goes, now.

(for those who have more time … Yvette, speaks on whether the ballot ‘alone’ is enough – Black Politics “going Forward”)

More on Black Politics and Economics from SoPoCo:

Also, take a few more minutes to listen to this discussion, held by Roland Martin less than 12 hours ago (as of this writing). That puts this conversation ‘after’ his … ‘attack’ on Tariq Nasheed and others in the conscious community, black males mostly, who spoke (and speak) against black people voting. Raising a good ‘question’ here, Do democrats of a black Male problem? :: Sound off below in the comments, thanks for dropping by. Stay tuned for part 2.

Discussions from people about Roland and Tariq, and The ballot … including tweets FROM Tariq Nasheed, and Roland Martin …  let us know Your thoughts below –

https://twitter.com/JadeMemphis76/status/1060588117395042304

https://twitter.com/RareBlackBird/status/1060290440761696256

https://twitter.com/normanrcolson/status/1060171754650374149

https://twitter.com/tariqnasheed/status/1060026122400817152

https://twitter.com/tariqnasheed/status/1060210416456937472