Change Begins on the Ground
Posted on September 4th, 2008 by Tariq Nelson
Real change can’t stop with changing the person at the top. There needs to be new leadership in other positions. Kevin Powell - who is running an upstart Congressional campaign in Brooklyn - represents the rise of a new generation. Even though I don’t live there, I hope that he wins next Tuesday.
Filed under: Politics
hey tariq, is or isn’t kevin kowell even running next week? a friend sent this over to me:
http://www.r8ny.com/blog/slothman8888/update_fec_issues_kevin_powell_response_no_comment.html
then I checked that newspaper and they say he isn’t even really a candidate and won’t appear on the ballot:
http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/31/35/31_35_bm_powell_towns.html
do you know anything about this? please help me out, peace
I refuse to support a man with over 20 years of violent outbursts. He actually bit a reporter in 2004, and now you think he represents “change”?
This youtube video better represents Kevin Powell -
http://theborough.wordpress.com/2008/09/02/kevin-powell-spouts-peoples-institute-doctrine-blacks-lack-power/
Kevin has stated that he has had to work through his issues. He seems to be very level headed now. I still think he is better than the status quo…my opinion
Since I don’t watch TV nor read Vibe-type magazines, I didn’t know who he was. I checked out his biography
Powell wrote: “Over the course of the last decade I’ve been a flag-waving patriot, a Christian, an atheist, a MUSLIM, a student leader, a homeless person, a pauper, a loner, a social worker, a poet, a misogynist, an English instructor, an MTV ’star,’ a full-time journalist, an egomaniac, a manic-depressive, a bully, a punk, an optimist, a pessimist” But above all, Powell continued, he remained “someone who is always trying to find and tell the truth as I see it.”
He’s a murtaad (i.e. an apostate)
I hope the Black community can do better than this guy, how about
http://www.allenwestforcongress.com
@ patb
Allen’s district was a GOP district until 2006. Do you think he has a legitimate chance to win?
I know Allen very well, we are good friends, and yes I believe he has a shot.
He is conservative certainly and may not appeal to many on this site for his politics but he is a fine man with strong religious beliefs that sincerely believes in his country first, his family and self service.
I’d trust Allen West (and have) with my life and anything I hold dear.
@ patb
He sure has outstanding credentials. They’ve already had primaries I assume? Is the GOP establishment supporting him?
Tariq,
The GOP is supporting him whole heartedly and he’s been doing very well on his speaking/event tours.
I’m a white guy conservative Christian (punched all of those buttons didn’t I) but it ain’t about color it’s about politics, it’s about our country. I’d endorse Al West for President in a heartbeat because of his views , his honesty and integrity.
He is a great American.
I know many Muslims don’t care for our ME policies but they, it seems to me, have far more in common with the Republican party as it relates to conservative values. I think they’ve been kidnapped by Dem. rhetoric.
Remember MLK was a registered Republican as the ‘old south’ was staunchly Dem.
Not sure if Muslims really have been captured by Democratic rhetoric. I had heard that until 2001, quite a few Muslims were aligning with the Republicans, mostly on narrow issues such as gay rights etc. The Patriot Act and the war in Iraq have probably pushed a lot of Muslims to the Dem side.
My problem with the Republicans of new is the fact that they’ve given up on the traditional conservative values, eg small government, fiscal responsibility, staying the heck out of our personal lives. Not only that, for a party that’s supposed to stand up for business interests, we’re being out-capitalisted by China.
And along all this, nobody seems to care about poverty, neither party. Everybody talks about the working people and the middle class, but fails to realise that abject poverty is going to be a bigger national security issue than anything else they’d like to put forward.
Although I’m not from New York, Kevin doesn’t like a ” Politics as usual ” kind of guy. So far, I like what he’s saying.
@ patb
The thing about values is that yes, many Muslims are social conservatives and thus might find some things appealing in Republican positions, but I for one find it hard to ally myself with a party that by and large, does not feel that I have a legitimate place in America as a black person or as a Muslim–and a lot of the rhetoric and policy tends to be directed against people who look like me. Thanks, but no thanks. Not to mention that even on those social issues I don’t even line up perfectly–the abortion question is a good example. Islam is generally pro-life, but does recognize legitimate cases where abortion might be necessary, for example if the life of the mother is in jeopardy.
Equally important to Islam as the social conservatism in personal matters are the issues of social justice, caring for the poor and so on. Though the Democratic party *tends* to be more in line with this, honestly as a Muslim I don’t identify 100% with them either. Muslims, as with a lot of people, don’t fit neatly into the boxes we have as options. Unfortunately political views are nuanced, and allegiance to one party or another doesn’t always allow for that.
I agree K Dude, McCain, I believe, is a small Govt. kind of guy that has not taken any ‘pork’ out of DC (only one of 5 Senators). The present admin has turned its back on real Republicanism.
I think you are wrong about not having a place in America as Black whatever.
The guy I’m supporting here is Black. There is a Black Republican Party Caucus that publishes its own magazine. I love those guys, we speak the same language and it isn’t black/white language it’s just political language.
I believe there is a place in any party for anyone as long as you share the same values.
Republicans are the ones that rammed equal rights down the Southern democrats throats. A Dem President (against his own party) signed them into law but do the research as to whom pushed the agenda.
Conservative does not equate to racist although the Dems have done a fine job of selling that deal, it’s in there own best interest to do so.
McCain is an ex military man, as am I, and I know that he has served with too many fine Black, Brown, pick an ethnicity, American men and women to to harbor racism.
Parties are changed from the inside out, whatever party you join be a part, be heard, change what you don’t like and compete within the system.
Don’t assume, though, that you are not welcome because you would be welcome.
I’d vote for a Black or a woman for Pres. I’d vote for a Black woman for pres if she was righteous, a constitutionalist and conservative.
I believe the old norms are passe today.
I fear we may have also missed the original point of Tariq’s post which I happen to agree with.
Real change begins on the ground, with the voters. The more the people are involved, the more vibrant and responsive the political system will be. The less so, the more self-serving the system will be.
In some ways, the experience issue for example, is a double edged sword. The more time somebody spends in the political system, the more experience they gain. However, the longer they spend time in the system, the more professional a politician do they become. Sure we don’t want some wet behind the ears people running the country, but it seems that as they gain the experience, they become beholden to it.
One of the positives of both Obama and Palin (with her so far limited time on the front), whatever I happen to think about their policies, is that they have managed to get people interested. The turnouts in the Democratic primaries was phenomenal. Hopefully the enthusiasm to participate in the process won’t wane after this election cycle.