MESSAGE TO CLINTON DELEGATES:

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MESSAGE TO CLINTON DELEGATES:

As of right now, as of this moment in time, your actions during the Democratic Convention will make history. The fate of the country for the next four years lies on your shoulders. Your words will become forgotten, but your actions will last a lifetime. The choice you make, the actions you take, and the judgement you use from this day forward to make such an important decision will be what future generations will read about in the history books. You can be known as individuals who sat on the sideline and did nothing or known as individuals who helped save a nation and push our country forward. The choice is yours to make. You will have only one chance to make the right decision, and our fate lies with you.

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The time for indecision is past. Words spoken throughout this last year will forever be a reminder of those who had the ability and courage to place their country over a political party. The needs of a nation, and its people, over pac contributions, dollar signs, hidden agendas and ulterior motives. Look around you for a moment. Stop and take a hard look at the things that are happening in this world through someone else’s eyes. Walk a mile in your constituents’ shoes. View someone else’s life and reality, travel their path - a path that they travel on, from day to day -and get a different perspective. Set aside your personal thoughts and beliefs. Stop believing in someone and start believing in something. Leading a country is not just about having and maintaining the highest position our country has to offer. It’s about understanding that the decisions you make, the judgments you may decide, will not just affect one person, but an entire country. Stop thinking about what you personally want and what you personally believe or even what you may feel you personally need. And think about what we all need. No one person or party can move a nation where it needs to be. Senator Clinton cannot carry the Democratic party on her back. Senator Clinton cannot be accountable for the failures of Barack Obama.

The constant rhetoric that somehow she needs to unite her supporters behind Senator Obama is a myth, a fairytale. I own my vote and I will cast it, the way I see fit. But in order for us to move forward as a whole, we have to stop taking so many steps back. We have to stop revisiting the past or we will continue to make past mistakes.

Who would have ever thought a year ago that officials within the Democratic Party would sacrifice the best candidate that had a plan, solutions for our country, to give us a “historical” election instead? That they would fall victim to threats of “riots” to achieve a goal? That so many elected officials would remain silent as their constituents, those who elected them to their positions, would suffer through death threats, negativity, accusations of racism, and hate all because of their god given right to choose? A right that was born from the sacrifice of others? We all dream of change. We all want change. But in order to have it, we have to change how we do business. We have to change the message being broadcasted that if you choose to not side with the majority, labels of racism apply. We have to change the message being sent that hard work and experience are no longer qualifiers for higher positions.

That words of intent are more important than keeping your word and going back on your word is just another aspect of being a politician. When words spoken no longer have meaning, they truly end up turning into…Just words. Honesty will always be the best policy, and sometimes the truth hurts. But in order to be successful, in order to make progress, in order to move forward, the truth is something that will always apply. No matter who you are, how bad it hurts, who you may be, or what title or position you hold. Some positions and jobs come with a higher standard, and the President of the United States of America is one of them.

I may not be a citizen of the world, but I am a citizen that loves my country and I truly believe that this is worth fighting for. It’s worth sacrificing for. So many people have made sacrifices for many of the rights, privileges and freedoms we take for granted each day. So how can we not push forward, continue to move forward, continue to fight for and speak up for the injustices we see happening around us each day? How can I not speak out against the false labels and charges of racism that are being used to achieve a goal, when so many people fought against being judged by the color of their skin? We have to go back to holding people accountable for their bad choices and decisions. We have to get out of this idea that our loyalty belongs to a political party instead of our country. We have to get out of this idea that it’s our job to convince the people to support any given elected official when it’s the job of the person in question to convince everyone they are able to do the job.

There will be no blank checks written for the position of Commander in Chief this November. It’s time to start thinking where we want our country to be, how we want our future to unfold. What do we want out children to have in order to become our next generation of future leaders? What legacy do you want to leave them? How do you want to be remembered? As the person who thought only about themselves, or the one who thought about the welfare of a nation?

This isn’t just about an election. This is about survival. This is about the state of our economy, our health care system, national security, and the lives of our loved ones, family and friends. There is no more time for trial and error. There is no longer any time for motivational speeches, trips around the world, speaking to other countries when the people of your own country still have no idea of a candidate’s intent. This is a about a movement to push our country where it needs to be. So that we may have the opportunity to remember the bad times as only a distant memory and not something we will live to regret daily for the rest of our lives. Set aside your personal beliefs and think about the ones who look to us to help them. The ones whose voices are unable to be heard. The ones who you may not know about, but are there all the same. When I seek inspiration and motivation, I turn to my minister; when I look for the solution to our economy, I look to our president. This is not a popularity contest. This is a fight for change. This is a fight to become part of the solution.

People do not want sugar coated words and false words of motivation, fairytales, or fake words of hope and change; I want what the constitution was based on. I want my fellow Americans no matter what color, race, size, demagraphic, or job you may or may not have, or who you may be, or what you may believe in, to look inside their hearts and ask themselves if they want to become part of a movement that will lead this country to a better solution than what they are attempting to give us now. So we can make history as standing up and making a difference by not being motivated and inspired to want change, but to demand it, to force it, to take it. Because it’s our right, it’s our due, and it’s not a privilege. It’s what makes us the country that we are today.

Somewhere out there, there are those who still believe in the fundamental values and beliefs that the Democratic Party was founded on. The Democratic Party is not the problem. It’s the people who belong to this party that are the problem, the ones we elect to represent us. The ones who may believe backroom politics still apply. The ones who believe that party designation is an entitlement to positions and hard work and experience are no longer factors. The ones who don’t realize that silence equals agreement and millions will remember in November. I no longer stand behind a party whose members chose to not stand behind me, and those like me. And as we give them these positions to maintain and hold, as we give them these jobs to represent us, we also have the ability to take them away. I am ready to move forward, the question now is, are you? We are living in dangerous times when we are able to turn a blind eye to the actions of so many who have crossed the line in attempting to turn a democracy into a dictatorship. When lives can be destroyed by a simple word or phrase by the MSM.

When your elected officials choose to ignore your voice and your vote. When harassment becomes a common theme and such extreme negativity becomes a common occurrence, and threats become a daily reality. As we are witnessing these events transpire, the enemies of our nation see these things also. The enemy of our enemy is not our friend. This is a weakness that cannot be ignored, it cannot be swept aside and cannot be hidden, or forgotten. We did not get here as a nation by empty words, rhetoric and promises. But on the blood, sweat and tears of someone else. The “race card” was used in a way that will impact the black community, all our communities from this day forward.

History tells us that in 1787, the framers of the Constitution did not abolish slavery, but wrote slavery into the law stating for the purposes of representation and taxation, we, the black community, would count as three-fifths of a person. The Reconstruction years, which began at the end of the Civil War, witnessed a temporary realignment of political forces, in which black citizens were able to vote and were elected to local and national offices. We have witnessed the constant attempts to rewrite history and to define our present course by playing on the fears and the action of those in the past. It was meant to be utilized as a learning tool, not a tactic or strategy. We dont need the Jack Caffertys and Keith Olbemans telling me what’s historical. I know my history, the problem is, do you know yours?

We as a whole earned our right and paid our dues to become first class citizens, because people paved the way so we would have the same priveledges and representation despite the color of our skin.

People like Fannie Lou Hamer who addressed the 1964 Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City, New Jersey who led a grass roots movement despite constant intimidation. Who tells Congress in 1964 of how she traveled 26 miles to the county courthouse to try and register to vote to become a “first class citizen.” Or Victoria Gray who applied for voter registration six times before becoming accepted. And when that time came, and the next step was the actual vote, the Democratic party did everything within its power to supress their voting rights. Schedules and meeting places deliberately misrepresented. Going to locations and actually being locked out and not permitted to even come in. These women paved the way in their attempt to shatter a glass ceiling that has yet to be broken. Even today. Their accomplishments, achievements and goals opened the door for so many.

From James Hicks, a black officer who served in World War II and later became one of the black press’ leading journalists. Who felt that black Veterans returning home from World War II who paid their dues for their country should not have to be subjected to racial bias once returning home. To Harry Ahmore who served in the Army during World War II who was one of the few white southern newspapermen who openly supported the civil rights movement. Despite the negativity, despite the hardships, despite the trials and tribulations, overall we became united through diversity.

To Shirley Anita St. Hill Chisholm, who was an American politician, educator and author. She was a Congresswoman, representing New York’s 12th District for seven terms from 1969 to 1983. In 1968, she became the first African-American woman elected to Congress. As well as one of the founding members of the Congressional Black Caucaus. But what many may not know is that on January 23, 1972, she became the first major party African-American candidate for President of the United States. The nomination was won by Sen. George McGovern in a hotly contested set of primary elections, with Chisholm campaigning in 12 states and winning only 28 delegates during the primary process. She received 152 first-ballot votes at the 1972 Democratic National Convention. When asked why she ran for president she stated:

“In spite of hopeless odds, . . . to demonstrate the sheer will and refusal to accept the status quo.”

Or Linda Jenness who was a Socialist Workers’ Party candidate for President of the United States in the 1972 election. She received 83,380 votes vs. 47,169,911 recieved for Richard Nixon. She was 31 at time of the election, and did not meet the Constitutional age requirement to hold the office of President, but the SWP was on the ballot in 25 states - six more than in 1968. She qualified for the Ohio ballot but was removed when she could not prove she was 35. Jenness had previously been the party’s candidate for Governor of Georgia in 1970. She had collected 88,175 signatures just to be able to get on the ballot.

And Ellen Cullen McCormack a candidate for the Democratic Party’s Presidential nomination in 1976. McCormack was one of the first serious female candidates for President, alongside women like Shirley Chisholm.

McCormack, identified herself during her 1976 campaign as a “housewife”, and appeared on the ballot in 18 states, more than any female candidate to that point (Republican or Democrat). She was also the first woman to raise enough money to qualify for Federal matching funds [and Secret Service protection]. She did not win any primaries, but received 22 votes from delegates on the first ballot at the Democratic National Convention and engaged in a debate that also included future President Jimmy Carter.

Lenora Branch Fulani an American psychologist, psychotherapist, and political activist. She was best known for her presidential campaigns and development of youth programs serving minority communities in the New York City area. In the United States presidential election, 1988 heading the New Alliance Party ticket, she became the first woman and the first African American to achieve ballot access in all fifty states. She also received the most votes for a woman for President in a U.S. general election. Fulani ran for President in 1988 as the candidate of the New Alliance Party. She received almost a quarter of a million votes or 0.2% of the vote. She was the first African-American independent and the first women presidential candidate on the ballot in all 50 states. She was a candidate for the Democratic Party’s Presidential nomination in 1976. McCormack was one of the first serious female candidates for President, alongside women like Shirley Chisholm.

These women had an impact, are part of our history. One that is not defined by media pundits, politicians or government officials….Because right now, as of this moment, there are future leaders out there that do not know they exist. That are sitting on the sideline, watching this unfold; they have a burning in their heart for the truth, and pain down to their very soul for justice and may not know how to achieve it. Because just as I know, they know, that this is not what our past founders, and leaders and activists would ever have wanted to see, witness, or transpire, when it comes to the state of our nation. Somewhere out there, there are young men and women like myself who are viewing the open favoritism in the MSM and seeing the biased information, who are learning right now what our current government officials are all about. As well as a receiving a glimpse of how weak our current elected officials have chosen to be. These are the ones who need to step forward. These are the future politicians, the people who will take back what has been stolen. Who will replace the Donna Braziles who believe race baiting is a tactic and labeling people racist is some form of strategy. And those like Al Sharpton who believe threats of “riots” will achieve a goal. The ones who will have the ability to speak out against the words of those who intend to use racial divide to accomplish a task. Who will be able to take the hits day after day but still get back up, and still keep on trying. They will face the negativity. They will face the threats. They will face the slurs, move past the obstacles, and continue on each day. Just to move through the door opened by those such as Senator Clinton. These are the ones who will move us into a new form of politics, one which remembers that truth and justice is the American way.

The ones who will learn that you report the news and not your opinion. That money is not always the bottom line. That the voices of the people still count and hold sway. And if you talk about the rules, and play by the rules, it’s your job to follow the rules. We only have one chance to make the right choice before we all have to live with the decision. I am ready to do my part and will continue to do my part. The only question now is…are you? Nothing worth having comes easy, nor is it ever just handed to you. Sometimes you actually have to get out there and fight for it. And that’s what many of you need to do, at that convention.