May's Editor's Note
Dear Tavis (Satire)
By Cashana
Dear Tavis,
I write this letter with a grave heart. Let me preface this by saying, I love you and have loved you from afar for many, many years. I heart you because of your brilliant mind, strong opinions, and your willingness to fight for understanding among and for black folk and your vision for Black America. I also love the way you talk really, really fast when you are conveying any message. I love the inflection in your voice when the passion oozes through. I feel you on righting the wrongs perpetuated upon us. I like that you go against the grain and follow your own beat. I mean bro; I read your biography and cried. I got to see you at the 2006 National Book Club Conference (which I will be attending again this year) and you made me cry with your poignant tale of how you were beaten by your father for embarrassing him in church. My skinned crawled with the welts and unimaginable pain you suffered because of a lack of understanding. Reading your biography brought us closer. I thought and in my head it did. That is why it pains me to write this letter, because as much as I love you, right now you are a thorn in my a…!
I know that is a strong statement. Just like you I am passionate about my beliefs and when I make a stance it is hard as hell for me to back down from it. However, I can accept I am stubborn. Can you? For the last few months you have been trying wholeheartedly to get folks to look at the upcoming election in the way of seeing the candidate’s issues and so forth. But, my love, you seem to be saying don’t vote for Barack Obama because he is black. Now, now, calm the f-down, I heard you when you said you want folks to see the issues and the stances of the candidates. However, why do I hear more derision in retrospect of Obama than I do for Clinton? Seriously, your stance seems like hateration and I know dear heart you hate the slang but it is what it is. (You know behind closed doors slang is appropriate.)
Now I know you are disappointed that Obama didn’t join your State of the Black Union in 2007 and you are down right pissy he didn’t come through this year. Truth is I don’t blame him. He is running for President of the United States and he needed to be stumping the grounds in Texas for the upcoming primary. I know he didn’t win them but it wasn’t for lack of trying and he didn’t get his azz completely beat since he still has the majority of delegates. He did what he had to do and that is try to win this campaign. Sweetie, before you get your drawers in a wad, I was behind Clinton wholeheartedly, then I started listening to what she was saying and looking at what she had done as a member of congress and things weren’t coming together cohesively. Then, she started allowing her husband to campaign for her and here in lies some of my main issues. First of all, Bill is not black, nor was he ever our first Black president. He was a president that dealt with issues that concerned black folk. However, for Bill to denounce Obama candidacy as a fairy tale was abominable. His other statements came out as racists and that is unforgiveable. And at 4 a.m. in the morning when the President gets a call, he/she will not be making a decision without going over matters with the folks around him or her that will guide them. Hillary’s 35 years of politics includes Bill’s years, lets face it, a woman in power will always be questioned. I can hear it now, “Well, Ms. President, what does President Clinton say?” Hey, I know they will question Obama as well, but I just wanted to show you that Hillary has her grounds to till as well. Honey, the Clinton’s had their chance and it is time for something new, fresh and uncorrupted by the political machines. I want a President as should you that is for all the people not just for blacks or whites. In order for this country to get out of this cesspool we are in and wade us above the murkiness, we need someone who can bring us all together and if it happens to be a black man yeah! Now I know the ire of politics is lifting its unscrupulous head by bringing forth those who support Obama, whose rhetoric is contradictory to the inclusive nature of his campaign. What are folks who have their behinds in a jam to do? Pull out all stops and that means associating rhetoric from preachers and making them Obama’s truth. Since when are we accountable for other folks bigotry? Geraldine Ferrero forgot how she ended up on Mondale’s ticket and it wasn’t because of her experience as much as it seem to be the time for a woman to be part of the white house.
Since I am so angry with you right now let me say a couple more things you may not like. The state of black of America is f-ed up. There are two few black folks who care about anything but material things. I work two jobs and I see it time and time again young, able bodied African-Americans who are looking towards the system to supply them with home, utilities, food and any damn thing that can be handed to them. Their azzes do not want to work, but they want me to work and continue to pay taxes for their trifling asses. I watched the State of the Black Union a year or so ago when you had the older folks and then the younger folks on there. And I cannot say I followed all of their goals, but I can say that Dr. Ian Smith with his 50 Million Pound Challenge was one of the few who put his words to work for him and got down to action. I was inspired by what I saw on that stage. I was energized by Farrakhan, with his outspoken self. However, it is 2008 and you are still having these meetings of the minds and I ain’t seeing action, dude. It is like watching Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson. All talk and bs action. Always talking loud about nothing and better yet doing nothing. (Sharpton & Jackson do not and will never speak for me.) You wanted Obama to sit through speeches and rhetoric? He needed to be working on speeches. By the way, Michelle Obama would have been a worthy guest. It is inspiring to see a strong black woman state her beliefs and not back down for it, plus young black girls need to witness such a role model instead of wanting to be in videos and get with a baller.
Your stances in the past didn’t bother me as much as your stances now. I feel so disappointed in you. I also have to remember you make up your mind about something and you stick to it. Whether right or wrong you do not back down. Sometimes, love, you don’t have to step down, just move away slightly. Yet, it is your strong-mindedness that I admire so.
Let’s face it this country is racist, Tracy Morgan said it SNL. It is appalling that even my very own people refuse to vote for a Black man. Not because they have heard his stance, but because he is black. WTF? It is like we are still living on the plantations picking cotton and “yessa, master sa.” There is a mentality running through our community filled with ignorance and a belief we don’t deserve to be leaders of this country because we have been told for so long we will always be second class citizens. It is hard to shake off the shackles. It is time we did.
My belief and mine only, not those of the Imani Book Club, is I really don’t care who you vote for. Just be informed and knowledgeable. Make sure between the campaign propaganda you are able to discern whether the candidates are looking out for the things you believe in, your best interest. Don’t be afraid of change, because it is inevitable.
So Tavis, right now there is a line drawn in the sand in regards to our relationship. It pains me that I must denounce my love for you in such a literary way, but until this election is over we are hardly suitable allies. Obama all the way! Sorry sweetie, and until after November my love for you is gone, like the wind and my waistline…