White conservatives: we are not enemies.
I love you. White conservatives are my family, you are my friends, you are the people I work with. We went to elementary and high school together. We hung out and worked on projects together in college.
White conservatives love America. You believe in freedom. You recognize that evil people in the highest levels of government, media, and corporate America are steering our conversations and consciousness in a way that divides us and makes us more susceptible to exploitation.
I agree with you on all these points, but you need to hear this:
Your perceived “enemies” on the left are not the only dupes of this divide and conquer tactic. You, too, are a victim of false narratives used to mischaracterize potential allies you could have in circles other than your own. White conservatives are missing opportunities to connect because you are busy scoring points in an echo chamber. It’s human nature. And propagandists are more than happy to feed that tendency with fodder for more and more division.
When the media depicts black people, especially black men, as either drug addicts, drug dealers, thugs, gang members, deadbeats, criminals, or professional athletes and entertainers, it can be easy to dismiss them as potential allies due to these stereotypes.
There is a better way than using tired old talking points.
And when political discourse is reduced to talking points like “slaves on a Democrat plantation“ or “the crime rate in Chicago“ or “back the blue” vs “defund the police” instead of leaning into the commonality of fathers who want to be good dads, who are leaders in their communities, and who are working multiple jobs and side hustles to build generational wealth for their offspring just like their white male counterparts, a huge opportunity is lost.
Liberty-based—and conservative—policy solutions like deregulation (especially in local, small business arenas), reduction or elimination of taxation and licensing fees, and promotion of the free market should be the focus of any outreach to ANY community.
White conservatives are squandering a great opportunity.
Somehow, when attempts are made to reach out to the black community, though, the GOP, and conservative pundits at large, tend to focus on blaming Democrats for slavery, blaming Democrats for the KKK, and blaming Democrats for oppressive socialist policies. While these talking points may be true, they have gotten old because they do not strike at the root of the problem.
Attractive alternatives are not effectively offered. If they were, you would witness a political force to be reckoned with. This group of conservative and liberty-minded individuals who are already doing everything they can to build - in spite of the obstacles - are hiding in PLAIN SIGHT in the black community. And they would quickly embrace this alternative if it were only offered. This has been a powerful thread running through the black community for centuries.
Instead, appeals are made to stereotypes in order to score political points with other white conservatives, missing the fact that these potential allies in the black community are watching. The messaging not only turns them off, but infuriates them, pushing many of them to vow to never ally themselves with people who would use such language.
It’s not too late to repair the damage and build the alliance.
I tell you this with love and compassion and out of a desire to see the world we both envision; where men, women, and children are free to exercise their God-given rights without force, fraud, or coercion preventing them from peaceably interacting with one another.
Open your eyes and your heart to see the free man who is very much like you, and embrace him as an ally and direct your energy and your opposition toward the authoritarians, the media, and the corrupt corporations that seek to exploit us all. And don’t fall for their gimmicks that divide us with stereotypes and diversionary scapegoats.
Keep your powder dry for the real enemies. God bless.
