(ThyBlackMan.com) Damm skipping, yes, I will be voting, “Lord will.” as my mother used to say, in 2025 for a second four year term of President Joseph Biden. I have no hesitation at all.
As former President Barack Obama once stated, “Elections have consequences.” In 2016, I could not vote for Clinton for President. I knew Trump was not going to win nor did I want him to. All the pundits and the polls said so.
So I went to the polls on election day and although Clinton by far was the lesser of two evils, I wrote in President Barack Obama’s name for President. I walked out of the polling booth with my chest sticking out. I was very proud of myself. I had voted Black and in protest. I had also voted stupidly. The day after I casted my vote I woke up to the news that Trump had won the election.
Brother Dr. Cornel West might be on the ballot in 2025 with a little help from Republicans. However, I will not be voting for him. I believe I have learned my lesson. A protest vote is not a smart vote.
Perhaps the biggest consequences of the 2016 presidential election beyond the immoral, irresponsible and inhumane COVID policies of the Trump regime during which over 400,000 Americans died, was that regime’s appointment of right leaning federal justices. Federal justices including justice to the highest court, the US Supreme Court who will render court decisions which have and will continue to impact the policies of this country for several generations. Blacks have and will not be served well with the decisions made by right leaning justices whose concern for justice and advancement of Blacks are wholly lacking.
After four years of insanity coming from the White House’s Oval office, President Biden tried and succeeded in bringing a certain calm, decency and maturity to the office of President.
During his victory address in 2020, President-elect Biden stated: “Especially those moments when this campaign was at its lowest ebb, the African American community stood up again for me. You’ve always had my back and I will have yours.”
There were two major initiatives that Blacks hoped to see achieved by the Biden White House. One, was the protection and expansion of voting rights. The second, was the passage of police and criminal justice reform which made the state sanctioned murders of George Floyd and so many others a thing of the past.
Some Blacks blame President Biden that those two major initiatives have not been enacted during his term. Unfortunately, they do not understand the power or more actually the lack of power a president has.
It was a colossal mistake for Blacks to believe that President Biden could wave a magic wand and make everything alright. I sincerely believe that President Biden is a good, decent person whose heart and soul is in the right place.
However, he is just one of 536 others who hold power in the nation’s capital, 100 US Senators and 435 members of the House of Representatives.
Most of the 535 believe themselves to be less than gods but more than mere men and women. A few actually believe they are gods, but that is because they stop taking their meds.
Will the 535 members of Congress do the right thing about the disparity in healthcare for Blacks? Will they stand with Black parents, grandparents and others to protect the lives of Black men and women? Will they protect the rights of Blacks to make their voices heard at the voting booth? The answer is no unless they are pushed, pulled and dragged screaming.
Blacks cannot sit back, wait and watch the Congress act. We must be all over the Congress, like white on rice, pushing and pulling those in power to use their power on behalf of Blacks.
Government and politics is like a baseball game: there are spectators and there are players. Blacks must be players.
President Biden stated that we had his back. Unfortunately, for him he didn’t always have ours. We were busy sleeping.
If we want to see a change in the direction of the country then we must change the direction of the country. That means we must analyze, strategize and organize everyday throughout the year, every year. No time to sleep. Sleep when we get to the Promised Land.
“Are we there yet?” Hell to the skippy no, we are nowhere near being there.
Active involvement means analyzing, strategizing and organizing as well as lobbying for the passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. Active involvement means analyzing, strategizing and organizing as well as lobbying for the passage of the John Lewis Voting Right Act.
Just voting on election day and then going on vacation will not bring about systemic change. I will be voting for Joe Biden for President in 2025 and working today and everyday for a better day for my children and my children’s children.
Staff Writer; Al Alatunji
