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A New Era Begins: Remembering George W. Bush
Source: Don KingFeel the power. Change is in the air. Change is America's destiny. All Americans, friend and foe alike, agree unanimously that we need change. The kind of change that we can believe in. Barack Obama represents that change.
"We must obey the law of change.
It is the most powerful law of nature."
-Edmund Burke
"The length, breadth and height of life."
-John, on the island of Patmos,
seeing a spiritual vision of a
new Jerusalem
I am a Republicrat. I'm for whoever is best for the American people. Four years ago, I urged you to vote for George W. Bush. Why? Because I believe George Walker is a revolutionary, pioneer and trailblazer who loves America and the American people.
We have had 43 great Presidents in our great United States of America; however, history tells us that God gives values. There is a value system that cannot be compromised. These aren't United States-created values. These are God-given values. They are inalienable rights, these values of freedom. George Walker Bush illustrated and implemented these values like no other President who served before him.
President Bush not only talked the talk, but he walked the walk in the field of inclusion of inclusion of black people and diversity. He dared to make America be her, by making America one, inclusive of African Americans who had heretofore been left out.
We were always promised with the tranquilizing drug of gradualism "to wait, be patient, don't be in such a hurry, time will take care of it, you have to admit it's getting better," but never receiving the mantle of manhood, self-respect, dignity. human worth and first-class citizenship.
In the greatest nation in the world, it all begins with image, opportunity and performance.
When I campaigned for President Bush in the black community, the people thought that I had lost my mind; however, I quickly reminded them that the stereotype image of black people in my beloved country of America was that black people were lazy, lethargic, and that we could not rise to the occasion, that we all lied, cheated, and stole; that we were shiftless, worthless and of no account.
The black community has traditionally supported Democrats. First, I told them we have a two-party system, and that our vote should not be taken for granted.
"Sometimes party loyalty asks too much."
-John F. Kennedy
Then I compared President Bush to Moses: Moses was touched by God and told to go to the Pharaoh to tell him to "let my people go." Then, I told them that President Bush was either totally insane, or he had been touched by God to go to the un-Americans, the racists, the bigots, the prejudiced, the discriminators, and say, "Let my people in."
The question was asked: Why?
He had appointed two lazy, shiftless, lying, worthless, of no account black people-Colin Powell as Secretary of State, and Dr. Condeleezza Rice as National Security Advisor-to protect 300-million Americans, black and white alike for the safety and security of our great nation.
Say what you will or may about President George Walker Bush, but you have to realize and appreciate the fact that he set the stage for black people in high policy-making positions of opportunity and performance. How important is opportunity and performance? Let's look at history.
First, it doesn't matter how much time, effort and money you put into opportunity, if you don't perform it is irrelevant and immaterial.
With the tainted stereotyped image black people are burdened with, giving the opportunity says it all. One can change that stereotyped image through performance.
In sports, Branch Rickey brought Jackie Robinson into the Major League Baseball. He performed magnificently.
Bill Veeck brought in Larry Doby to play for the Cleveland Indians-remarkable performance.
In football, Paul Brown brought Jim Brown to the Cleveland Browns-phenomenal performance.
Red Auerbach brought in Bill Russell to play basketball for the Boston Celtics-super performance.
But this was just sports, but the American people began to think differently. Are these the same class of people that they had been taught were inferior?
But the racists held on. "They can't lead, they cannot rise to the occasion," is what they would say, but the performance of black people dictated otherwise.
President Bush saw the error of this type of thinking and he set his focus on correcting this longtime wrong.
There comes a time when one must
take the position that it is neither safe,
nor patriotic, nor popular, but he must
do it because conscience tells him it is right."
-Martin Luther King Jr.
Trailblazing President Bush realized that Americans must open their minds and their hearts to accept truth and implement fair play. The American people had to begin to conceive of and treat black people as equals. He knew that prior attempts to purge individuals of racism necessarily had to be accompanied by related efforts to purge institutions of the same malady. Institutions and individuals had to be made safe for one another.
So he appointed the most diverse cabinet in the history of America including Rod Paige as our 7th Secretary of Education; Alphonso Jackson as our 13th Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development; and Alberto Gonzales as Attorney General.
This necessitated related kinds of change. By taking on the ultra-conservative wing of his party, which would rather maintain the status quo than seek progress, reform and inclusiveness of all Americans, he proved he was a true man of all the people.
He used his good offices to persuade congress to accept change-including attitudes, behavior, sound morality and good character-in the spirit of education and knowledge.
President Bush is a great American and a revolutionary President whose dedication and commitment to diversity and a better America will never be forgotten. He created the environment for change and new respect for minority leadership that has spread across our great nation.
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