Column for May 3, 2012

It is not all that unusual for me to be stuck in a hotel room instead of being with my family at night.  I occasionally have to travel for my job, and thankfully it is not an every week thing.  Though I would much rather be at home with my toddler saying “Hold me, Daddy!” because he is a bit jealous of the new baby and enjoying a home cooked meal with my family, this is a small sacrifice that I have to occasionally make in order to keep and properly execute my position of employment.  How is all of this relevant?  Well, it relates to the frustration my wife and I experienced this past weekend.

We were shopping for some household essentials, and we were not sure how we were going to pay for all that we put into our shopping cart.  I understand being on a tight budget.  I have gone through periods of lean times.  I have gone through periods of abundance, as well.  My wife has not been working for three years now, and we are minus an entire paycheck each and every pay period.  However, we decided that we would suffer through anything we had to in order to allow her to stay at home and raise our children rather than her work to have just enough to pay some day care center employees do it for us.  Add to that the high utility bills in Selma, a mortgage, car payments, and now a monthly payment for an expensive new air conditioning system, and we have a tighter than desired monthly budget.

Ahead of us in line at the checkout was a couple with at least one infant (that is all I saw at the time) paying for their groceries with three separate transactions.  The first was a WIC voucher, the second was paid for with a food stamp card and a little bit of cash, and the third was yet another WIC voucher.  My wife and I just looked at each other in wonder.  We had three children with us and a full grocery cart.  We had to come up with a method of paying for our own groceries and there we were helping pay for the groceries that were purchased in front of us as well.

Add to that the frustration that the couple were definitely “English as a Second Language” class candidates of most likely questionable legal status, and we were all the more frustrated.  According to the Center for Immigration Studies (as long ago as 2004), the costs of food stamp, WIC and free school lunch programs to "illegal alien households" costs approximately $1.9 billion per year.  I almost wanted to follow Julio and Maria home and let them serve us supper.  After all, we helped pay for it.  As we were leaving the checkout lane, what did we see behind us?  Another couple with a food stamp card in hand to tender payment for the cart load of groceries.  I am reminded of a quote I read recently from one of our Founding Fathers.

"The government of the United States is a definite government, confined to specified objects.  It is not like the state governments, whose powers are more general.  Charity is no part of the legislative duty of the government."

~ James Madison, Speech, House of Representatives, during the debate "On the Memorial of the Relief Committee of Baltimore, for the Relief of St. Domingo Refugees" (January 10, 1794)

My wife and I attend a church congregation in Garner.  It is a bit far to go for worship services, but we chose that group of believers out of relationship and preference.  We have been overwhelmed with the graciousness of our church family yet again, who love to bless people in that congregation with meals whenever someone is sick or has a newborn baby.  Others have been blessed as well, going through the loss of a family member.  That is what the Body of Christ is supposed to do to minister to one another.  Locally, there is a church right down the street from my house that gives away groceries every Thursday to people in need.  I just wish I didn’t see some of the same cars and people there week after week, still in need.

As James Madison realized, it is the job of the Church to provide such charity, not necessarily that of the government.  As I am away from my family as a result of being willing to work some long hours and make some small sacrifices in order to feed my family, I am also reminded of the Bible verse in 2 Thessalonians3:10 “... if any would not work, neither should he eat.”  Nonetheless, I am still frustrated in seeing others eat at the expense of others every time I go to the grocery store.

Column for Dec. 4, 2008

The political and family woes of a conservative Black man

I truly feel sorry for a good friend of mine. We talked this weekend and he is not having a fun time at home. There is a bit of strife in his household, and it is tough on him. My long time, close personal friend is a Christian and a staunch conservative. His wife is a Christian, as well.

To protect the innocent, I will call my friend Mr. D. Mr. D and I have been through a lot together. We founded a church congregation together, had home Bible studies together, traveled a little bit together, and have been there for each other through a lot of tribulations in life. Even if we do not talk as often as we both like, we are still good friends and have a great love for one another. Over the years, we have had the chance to extensively discuss issues like politics and religion. We have debated doctrine and world affairs. We have very similar views on most subjects. Mrs. D also has many of the same religious views. So why are they having division in the home? Mrs. D will shout "hallelujah" right along side Mr. D. However, Mrs. D is a Barack Obama lover and a strong Democrat. To top things off, Mr. and Mrs. D are both Black.

Mr. D is practically an outcast within his family for his lack of support for a fellow Negro's run for President. My friend decided that his faith and his values were going to decide which candidate and party to support. His family can not fathom why he would not support "one of his own". It is not just Obama, though. I have heard Mrs. D say that Republicans don't care about Black people whereas Democrats do. My response, not wanting to cause strife, is usually just, "Really?"

Mr. D is aware of the history of the Democrat Party. He knows that it was primarily Democrats who refused to give up slavery in America. He knows that it was the Republican Party that became the voice of the Abolition Movement. The Republican Party was started in Exeter, New Hampshire in October of 1853 by former Democrats who wanted to fight against the evils of enslaving an entire race of people. I used to live in the next town over from the birthplace of the only successful abolitionist political party in America. My brother was born in Exeter.

Mr. D is also aware that it was Democrats who started the KKK and later stood against school integration. It was Democrats who got us involved in Vietnam, came up with social engineering programs such as Social Security, welfare, and affirmative action. Such programs are nothing more than modern day enslavement. It is the Democrat Party that falsely told Mr. D's family that they can not make it in this world without the help of the government; they were not smart enough, did not have enough ability, and could not overcome any disadvantages without the government helping them along.

Make no mistake that any government operation or program that gives money to others for any length of time is nothing more than an effort to enslave the masses. When a person looks to the government for a paycheck, for a monthly stipend, or other benefit, then he is beholden to the source of his personal revenue. A political party that is responsible for feeding money to those who did not work for it is going to be held in esteem by those who receive the cash. They will falsely be seen as caring for the recipients but rather they hold the recipients in contempt and bondage all for the sake of power. These facts are not lost on Mr. D. This, of course, is contrary to the prevalent paradigm within his family and hence the source of strife.

I am no apologist for the Republican Party in its current form. Several years ago, I told the GOP to shove my membership card somewhere about which I can not write. They have drifted so far from their genesis, it is not funny. I am, however, a fan of the early Republican Party of the 1850's. Like William Wilberforce of England in the late 1700's, they stood against slavery and oppression in any manner and stood for freedom. Rather than standing true to their roots, the GOP has slid left to where the Democrats were in the 1960's while the Democrats have slid towards the Socialists of the 1930's.

Mr. D has a daunting task ahead of him called perseverance. I can personally relate, since I have gotten a lot of flack from friends, relatives, and critics for my political and religious views. It is especially tough, though, when it comes from one's own household. For that, Mr. D has my full support and sympathy. To stand for what is right is not always easy, but it is nonetheless, the right thing to do.