Retired Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army Allen West (Screenshot)

This past Saturday evening, Angela and I had the pleasure of attending a traditional Jewish wedding for one of my close friends. It was a real fantastic evening, and the venue at the Ritz-Carlton in Dallas was exceptional. Heck, even a non-cultured fella like me from Georgia could appreciate the setting. Being a dad to two daughters myself, I know that my friend wanted to make this a memorable evening for his daughter, and it was.

We were having a great time. The meal was awesome – a tad too much pepper on the peppercorn steak, but that is why they make water. The dinner band was great, playing those old ’80s-style love songs and such. And then we got to the evening’s festivities and entertainment. All was going well, and then, well, it happened. There were only two black fellas at this soiree – of course, I was one of them. The other gentleman made his way over to me and engaged in a conversation, an interesting one at that. However, it is a conversation that occurs often, but a good topic to share with y’all. Yes, it immediately went to the political, since this fella knew who I was, and then it came. Yes, that question: why are you a conservative Republican?

I was respectful, and even with the very loud music, I sought a meaningful exchange with the man. But I just must ask, why is it that any black person who thinks for themselves, not buying into the liberal, progressive socialist collective of the Democratic Party must “explain” themselves? Darn it, somehow I thought that I had a free will to decide for myself based upon my principles and values, my own political theories and ideologies … I guess not.

And so the conversation began, and what immediately struck me was that this gentleman was regurgitating very thin talking points. I had to refocus him on the Great Society programs of Lyndon Baines Johnson. He felt that the massive social welfare policies were first implemented under Eisenhower. I corrected him and explained the New Deal policies of Roosevelt. He tried to corner me into asserting that I did not believe the Civil Rights Act legislation of 1964 was a good thing. Then I had to correct him, and remind him – which he did not know – that the Civil Rights Act legislation passed because of senate Republicans, led by Everett Dirksen, as it was opposed by senate Democrats led by Al Gore, Sr. and Robert “KKK Grand Wizard” Byrd.

He quickly then tried to pivot and make the exchange about Donald Trump by asking me if I support Trump. I responded that, yes, I voted for President Trump, but my oath was to support the Constitution, which was in my inner left breast pocket, near my heart.

Our little conversation did not last more than about 8-10 minutes, but it was very telling, especially when I shared that on July 4, 1867, the Republican Party of Texas was founded by 150 blacks. Okay, there were some 20 whites there also. Several of the early Chairmen of the Republican Party of Texas were black, most notably, Norris Wright Cuney. He admitted to not knowing that.

If our conversation had gone on longer, I would have challenged him to explain to me why he supports a political party, an ideology, that has had the most detrimental history for the black community. Yes, I think we can all agree with that assertion. When I hear members of the Democratic Party speak on voter suppression, well, they were the first, with poll taxes and literacy tests. When the National Rifle Association stood by the recently freed blacks, it was because America’s first domestic terrorist organization, the Ku Klux Klan were using threats, intimidation, coercion, and violence to suppress black electoral patronage and freedoms. I think we are aware of who began the KKK.

It was the policies of one President Johnson that has led to the decimation of the traditional, nuclear, two-parent black family in America. At the time of my birth in 1961, the two-parent household in the black community was a majority. Since Johnson believed that the government should issue checks to women for out of wedlock births – but they cannot have a man in the home – the two-parent household is about one third in the black community.

There is a political party in America that vehemently supports an organization founded by a white supremacist, racist, who spoke at KKK rallies. Her name is Margaret Sanger, and her organization is Planned Parenthood. And since Roe v. Wade, according to a report by the Center for Urban Renewal and Education from 2015, more than 19 million black babies have been murdered in the womb. After all, Sanger referred to blacks as “weeds” and “undesirables.” This is a clear and present danger, a genocide before our own eyes, yet this same political party is championing slave reparations.

I welcome the open debate, as I do not believe any black conservative Republican has to explain anything. For me, and my wife Angela, the facts speak for themselves. We embrace a political ideology that supports faith, family, individual sovereignty/freedom, promotes individual responsibility, quality education, and service to our nation. Now, why would anyone believe those principles need to be defended or explained?

The Republican Party was established, founded, in 1854 for a singular purpose, to end slavery. The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments enshrined in our Constitution, our rule of law, are due to U.S. Republican legislatures. The Civil Rights movement and the ensuing legislation was not opposed by Republicans. And just to correct the record, Senator Barry Goldwater, Sr. voted against the Civil Rights Act because he strictly leaned towards states’ rights. Funny, it appears to me that these progressive socialist states making themselves “sanctuaries” for criminal illegal immigrants serve to do more harm than good. Yet, we do not hear the leftist media challenging them.

Yes, I am a proud black conservative, in the model of my philosophical hero, mentor, Booker T. Washington who believed in education, entrepreneurship, and self-reliance. My mom and dad were registered Democrats, but they raised a son, me, with conservative principles and values. And I am seeking to do the same with my two daughters, Aubrey and Austen. I want them to be victors in life, not victims, and certainly not embrace the mentality of victimhood. I believe in the equality of opportunity that has enabled me to be all that I sought to be, and I reject the philosophy of equality of outcomes.

Seems pretty simple to me. Now, all you black, progressive socialists, you explain yourselves.

Allen West is a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army. Mr. West is a Senior Fellow at the Media Research Center to support its mission to expose and neutralize liberal media bias. Mr. West also writes daily commentary on his personal website theoldschoolpatriot.com.

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