Those who were registered Republican stated to me about the history of slavery and that a Republican president, Abraham Lincoln in 1863 freed the slaves by signing the Emancipation Proclamation and colored folks should be Republican forever. After hearing both sides it became obvious to me that I needed to study the issue further.
My next recourse was to go to the Carnegie Library on Wylie Avenue and read the history of both political parties as they related to the future of colored Americans. It was 1952 and at that period of time both political parties had issued their political philosophies. The Democratic Party stated that “they were the champion of working and poor people and that the party would support these factions from the cradle to the grave.” The Republican Party “stated that they would be available if the people needed assistance.”
There was an incident in the neighborhood that hastened my registering as a Republican, but the seed had been planted when the Democratic Party’s philosophy of supporting you from the cradle to the grave destroyed our initiative to do for self and encouraged and expanded the welfare mentality. As a youngster I recognized the importance of welfare in many of my friends’ and neighbors’ life, but I also witnessed generation after generation become consumed with the mentality of let the government do for them.
It has always amazed me how friends, neighbors, church members, associates, the educated, the uneducated and businesspersons wore blinders when it came to the Democratic Party. Allow me to give some examples for you to think about.
The Democratic Party has controlled Allegheny County for the last 70 years excluding eight years by the Republican Party.
The same Democratic Party has controlled the city of Pittsburgh for more than 75 years.
There exists a multitude of problems and has for over a half century, but since Black voters have been the most dedicated bloc of voters the Democratic Party does not see a reason to change.
1. There has been ongoing problems with certain police and their Nazi, KKK attitudes and actions.
2. Allegheny County police are almost lily White, two percent or less are Black.
3. Neither the county or the city has a viable MBE/WBE program, each has flawed and questionable statistics.
4. Professional Service contracts are non-existing.
5. You can count Black developers and architects who are awarded contracts on one hand.
6. Allegheny County and the City of Pittsburgh have failed to implement a program to solve the massive unemployment problems throughout the Black communities.
The above are just an example of the negatives of the political party that some contend that they will always support. These are the results when you have permanent allegiance to a political party.
It is my conviction that the biggest difference between the Democrats and Republicans is only in the spelling of their names.
Please remember to send a political contribution to Kingsley Association.
(Louis “Hop” Kendrick is a weekly contributor to the Forum page.)
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