By Lorron James
About a month ago, I wrote my first Op-Ed piece for the Michigan Chronicle in regards to the racial injustice we’re seeing in our country today. I got an overwhelming amount of positive feedback from people of all colors; which encouraged conversations they may not have had otherwise. However, there was one particular compliment from a gentleman that was finished off with a critique that I found interesting.
His reply to my article:
Great read, great perspective and very well thought out! I can’t help but to think or believe that your brother (John James, US Senate Candidate) is in tune as you are. What hurt is the alignment of Trump & the Republican Party. A lot of people can’t and won’t see past that relationship. If John James were running as a Democrat and took talking points from this article, he could have very well been the next President of the United States.
My response:
I really appreciate your kind words, sir! Thank you for taking the time to read my article and for lending your opinion. I don’t typically engage in dialogue via social media, but I felt compelled to reply to your note.
I believe the issue you have with my brother is similar to how many people may feel. The majority of the negative comments about John are coming from people that have been hurt/offended by President Trump. I would never tell someone who’s hurting that they’re wrong for feeling that way. Rather, I would encourage them to listen to what John has to say, look at what his campaign has done in the community, ASK OBJECTIVE QUESTIONS and base their decision on whether to vote for him on those things. Not everyone will agree with him and that’s fine. We all have different ideals and morals. But at least those people would be voting for Gary Peters because they truly believed that he was the better option, and not just vote against John because he doesn’t fit a profile they’re comfortable with. We also have to remember that Trump isn’t running for Senate in Michigan. John is!
If John ran the way everyone in our community wanted him to, “as a Democrat”, he would have lost in a primary against Stabenow in ‘18, because he had NO name recognition. That also wouldn’t have worked, because John isn’t a Democrat. John is and always has been naturally conservative. I don’t think it’s fair for us to ask him to run as a Democrat in order to make us feel more comfortable. I believe he can make more effective change for the black community on the inside, by having a seat at the table on ‘the other side’. (*Not assuming that all black people are democrats.*)
No matter who’s President, MICHIGAN WINS by having a Democrat and a Republican Senator at the table. Mind you, that Republican Senator is a young black man of God, a veteran and business owner from Detroit. That is the absolute best-case scenario for black people, specifically!!
When John was asked how his candidacy squares with Trump’s rhetoric, this is what he said:
“I believe that as a citizen, and certainly as a Senator, I can disagree with the President without attacking him. I can also agree with him without worshipping him. I believe that as a black man in this country, there are more things that unite me with my brothers and sisters- of all races, ethnicities and sexual orientations- than divide us. I’m looking forward to being a compassionate conservative as I am a conscientious capitalist… But as far as the President’s comments go, those are his comments… and I’ll allow him to mange that.” –Buzzfeed; September 28th, 2018
Comments like this actually gain the respect from what most Democrats see as a divisive administration. Don’t you think it’s unique that a black kid from Detroit has the ear AND respect from the current White House administration? Even if Biden wins in November, John has been on record stating that he will work with anyone including Sen. Stabenow to do what’s best for our state!
I hope that we will choose to give him a shot. As a Democrat myself, I just think he’s the right person for the job!
For the complete article, please visit Lorron James’ LinkedIn page or refer to the link below: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6721757093629706240/
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