I understand your concern about my comments. I respected him when he first came to national attention because I share many of his beliefs. And I didn’t say that he wanted to be co-opted by Republicans but that he WAS co-opted, but only for awhile because he fairly quickly became an embarrassment to them. He cannot really point to any significant accomplishment or influence in his life’s work.
He has not one idea as to how to accomplish goals in a diverse, secular nation. There is a role for prophets and there is a role for statesmen. There is not one reason anyone should have voted for him for president and there is not one reason anyone should have voted for him for senator. He was a carpetbagger of the worst order, running for senator as he had run for president, to make a show. It was the worst thing that could have happened to black conservatives. I’m all for black conservatives gaining national influence and attention. But he’s a flame-thrower like Coulter, Malkin, Carville, Jackson, etc. and people who are looking for real answers and solutions ultimately don’t pay any attention to any of these folks and their ilk. They are side-show entertainers, who haven’t had a fresh, original thought in years. I would really like some black conservatives to get a hearing. But too many of them are locked into a “conservatism” that is predictable on almost every policy. When someone comes along that is conservative, compassionate, informed, convinced, congenial and authentic then you’ll have to fight me to be the first to jump on the bandwagon and if it’s a woman, so much the better.

Keyes problem is he is ‘too’ genuine about what he talks about, a little too conservative for most. The reason he gave for running in Illinois was Obama was pro-choice and no one in Illinois was running against him. Keyes has ‘always’ been very anti-abortion and gave this as his primary reason for opposing Obama.

Why the term ‘co-opted’ by Republicans? You aren’t usually known to be this lazy in your thinking. Isn’t this the code word for any outspoken black Republican?

Why the ‘anyone can run around and get conservative white people to pay them to speak. Just like Jackson …? I don’t get your point. Are you saying only white people have money to pay speakers, and poor miss-guided blacks??

Keyes values, hence his obvious heart felt mission, is routed in his very strong religious beliefs, too strong for me. But certainly not ‘disenguinous”.

Bottom line, your last comment comes across with racist overtones, to me.

More good stuff although I disagree with you on Keyes. He is a poser and self-promoter. If his message came from someone with more thought and humility, it would come across much better. If he wants to preach, he should start a church.

I think what you state is an interesting theory, about moral oppression…but morality does not occur in a vacuum, and the question then must become what are the influencers of morality…

As I have stated before, I co-majored in biblical studies & hermeneutics, and also have been in the ministry for approximately 8 years…

In the bible there is a duality of social and individual morality which for the most part the conservative philosophy seperates emphasizing almost exclusively the individualistic oriented side…but throughout the bible, the shape of a nations moral character was defined by the quality of its leadership, this social/civic morality without fail always translated into the personal morality of the individuals underneath…this is the theme in I Kings & II Kings as well as many of the major and minor prophets…

Somehow we as conservatives have inverted the relationship as demonstrated in the bible between social morality/justic, and individual morality/justice…for what I feel is the political expedience of building a base of constituents who do not want to address any national culpability for true social decline…

We focus on macro moral issues, such as abortion and homosexuality, but fail to adequately address and create platforms for change in the overall moral social structure and address moral ethereal issues such as justice/racism, such as selflessness/selfish, such as family/fornication, such as sacrifice/materials…

Alex De Toquiville said, (even though he ignored slavery and racism) “America is great because it is good, when it ceases to be good it will cease to be great”…

I think we need to reframe our positions as Christians, as Americans, and as “conservatives”…and engage society in an effort of true social change IN HUMILITY…as opposite to spot issue morality, and ignoring others plight and perception…

Black White or Other…

This is why I appreciate Alan Keyes, even though I think he is misguided on issues of race, and race relations…because he focuses dialogue on the fundamental issues of morality from a social perspective which provide the context for morality from the individual perspective…

Kind of off topic, but I don’t think we can begin to talk about leaders, particularly black leadership in the conservative party, without addressing the very real question of social morality and justice in the conservative party, and how that affects this thing called race relations in America, and the history of fraction race relationships that the predominantely white leadership in the past has produced…

Good stuff.

I don’t disagree with you. And I’ll visit your site. Thanks.

Let me add my two cents…

Whites have leaders…blacks have leaders…

But in my experience in politics, corporations, and communities…it is the myopia of those who “annoint” these so called leaders which is the problem…

Traditional, whites who want to make an inroad into black culture select a so-called “black leader”…democrate, republican whatever, simply because they are black and profess a similar ideology without looking at if the individual is really respected in the community, is progressive in thought, and has the type of dedication and discipline to execute leadership strategy…

Ergo…

You have a bunch of so-called token black leaders mostly on the left but some on the right…who are totally disconnected from the grassroots masses but yet continue to get funding and support from those who want to them to increase market share…

If the Publicans really want to increase black turnout in support from them, then they need to not attempt to unilaterally imposes their political will on black folks, but instead actively participate and integrate their philosophies with the black experience which is UNIQUE in this nation and the world…

They need to be at the local events, local business get togethers, put on positive programs that are not party specific and make themselves known and trusted in the urban communities as individuals who really are committed to change…and this doesn’t necessarily mean they have to grossely sway out of their fundamental ideological positions…

But as the old saying goes, “they don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care”…

So if they are serious..they will take a much more hands on approach…be it through the formation of this council or some other methodology…

I think many blacks subconciously are looking for a reason to change, but as of yet, the publicans just have not given that to us…

I’ve skipped a lot of the Scripture details, but this jumped out at me. I am certain that oppression is one of the main sources of poverty. Most poor people live in a “morally oppressive” family; and/or a community oppressed by a lack of morality; and/or under a gov’t that fails to support property rights, rule of law, and enforcement of honest contracts — especially for the poor against the rich.

In America there are many children in families whose father is not married to, nor living with, the custodial mother. I call this moral oppression, by free choice of the parents, supported by a materialist/ consumerist/ sex-crazed culture.

In America, the families (& lack) of most poor folk are MORE responsible for their poverty than any reason. The ability of hard working Spanish speaking illegals to get jobs and avoid poverty seem to show this pretty strongly.

Finally, why not have your own blog, and make references here to there, so those interested can see more details of your thoughts? You’re welcome to visit mine, for instance. tomgrey.motime.com