As a Canadian I was surprised when I heard such a caucus existed in America. I have come to understand that special interest groups have led to a lot of corruption in both our political arenas but when I heard that existed dedicated to a specific race of people gave me great pause. It still does.
I never think about the colour of the persons skin when I cast my vote. In spite of what naysayers echo there is a majority among us in North America that vet our candidates and make our decision on who to vote for based on that alone. It has absolutely nothing to do with the colour of someones skins but rather a personal assessment of the character and experience of those we choose to support. I vote for the person who promises to represent most of what I want my government to do. I say 'most' because you never get everything you want in any candidate.
Why then is there a 'black caucus' made up from elected officials in America? What does that mean? Does it mean they only represent the black voters in their districts? Why would an elected official even feel the need to join a segregated club? Do they feel the need to join because of ongoing race discrimination or grave difference in needs being met in America and if so what does that say? The needs of the black population are more important than the white? As a white voter am I then pushed to the end of the line of importance by my representative because they happen to be black? If I have a black neighbour are his needs more likely to be met than those of mine because I am white?
Newsflash America! After watching your politics for a number of years now it would appear that might just be the case. There is now a form of reverse racism taking place in your country that you would do well to recognize and demand be stopped before it gets out of hand! America, like Canada is a melting pot and it is my opinion there are all things special about all citizens no matter what race, colour or creed we happen to be. It does not matter how or when we got to North America. What matters and should matter is the here and now and how we cope with living side by side with each other.
When I hear of groups like this caucus in your government it leads to division and not unification of your country because it means those representatives went there to take care of their own special interest group. When I hear the like of Charlie Rangle and Maxine Waters (to name just a few of the members) spouting off about how mistreated 'my people' are it causes me to listen up and understand that if I were a white person in their district they are not talking about me.
Special interest groups here in Canada have led to be handicapped by an outreach of special treatment. Instead of giving all Canadians equal treatment under our laws my government decided the French speaking population in Quebec needed special treatment. It divided us. My provincial government decided to deal with a large influx of immigrants whose kids started school without being able to speak english with special treatment. All kind of people are now employed on the public dole to teach these kids to speak english and every citizen is paying for this. All of us out of the tax money we surrender and our children who do speak english because time is taken away from them while the special interests are catered to. This has further divided Canadians. Then there was the government many years ago deciding to 'parent' our vast native Indian population and they almost wiped them out entirely.
No one takes better care of myself and my family than I do. No one represents me better in the political areana than the person I help get elected and then follow. To allow special interest groups to form within a government is asking for big, big trouble. It will help the few and not the many.
I have never seen this discussed among Americans so ask again - "Why is a black caucus allowed in your political arena?" With the exception of the colour of our skin everything about us here in North America IS THE SAME. If we are to be given equal representation I think it is long past time that caucus is dissolved. Elected officials can join any club they want to privately but to publicly join a club which divides the people is a boil on the political arena that needs to be lanced.
As a final note when I visited the website of this caucus they were flashing a photograph of Martin Luther King. I followed him in my younger years. Attended many marches across the line demanding equal treatment for all men and women. Dr. King was a uniter. Not a divider. His vision for America was one of equal rights and equal treatment for all. Somehow it would seem that this caucus has corrupted the message he sent around the world to all people of good heart.
I find that very sad indeed.
Just a view from my side of the fence,
I am your Northern Neighbour,
Cam Vallee
Comments
Hiya William. In 1965, my father-in-law was hired on in Detroit with the bus company. We are Canadians and he was living in Winnipeg at the time. They had actually hired him as he was already driving bus for the Winnipeg Transit when he got a phone call from Detorit Transit telling him not to bother coming as they had to hire black. Back in the days of unequal hiring practises in America. So lucky for me he ended up moving to British Columbia or I would have never met my wife!
I think things have swung far too far the 'other' way in America now and the political correctness is going to really start muckin things up if this continues. It is the heart of man and not the colour of his skin that should matter the most. No exceptions. You are a man after my own heart indeed friend!
NICER JOBN CAM, YOU HITTHE NAIL RIGHT ON. IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT THE PEOIPLE WHO COMPLAIN ABOUT DISCRIMINATED AGAINST ARE THE WORS DISCRIMINATORS OF ALL. POLITICAL CORRESTNESS IS A CROCK BECAUSE IT DEHUMANISES ALL OF US. BACK IN THE 1940'S OUR LOCAL YMCA IN SCHENECTADY DID NOT ALLOW CATHOLICS, JEWS, BLACK, HISPANICS, ETC TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY OF THE Y'S BASKETBALL, SOFTBALL , TRACK TERAMS ,ETC LEAGUES OR COMPETITIONS. I WAS IN JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL AT THE TIME AND AS AN OFFICER ON THE BASKETBALL AND SOFTBALL LEAGUES, I CAMPAIGNED TO ALLOW THEN OTHER GROUPS TO PARTICIPATE, I STARTED WITH CATHOLICS, THEN JEWS AND WAS MAKING PROGRESS WHEN I ENLISTED IN THE AIR FORCE, BUT WHEN I CAME HOME AFTER BASSIC TRAINING, I FOUND THAT THERE WER SOIME BLACK TEAMS ALLOWED IN THE LEAGUE AND THINMGS PROCEEDED FROM THERE TO A FAVORABLE CONCLUSION FOR ALL, YET I HAVE BEEN CALLED A RACIST BY SOME BECAUSE I DID NOT CATER PRIMARILY TO THOSE GROUPS.
I LEARNED BACK THEN TO ACCEPT EVERY ONE AS AN IN DIVIDUAL AND NOT BY THEIR RACE OR RELIGION AND REFUSEED TO CATER TO THOSE WHO DEMANDED IT.