People died so that we can have the right to vote.

If I had a dime for every time that someone has told me that I “MUST” vote due to the fact that people died to secure this freedom for me, I could retire in a few years. I think that such rhetoric is very superficial and limiting. I think that it is a vestige of the old civil rights movement and era, hence, the reason why most of the elders in the movement always seem to preach this dictate.

Looking back upon the struggle for universal suffrage inclusive of black folks, has got black people fixed on the superficial literal meaning of certain phenomenon. The voting issue is similar to the issue of integration. Taking a superficial approach to the goal of integration, it implies that there is an intrinsic healing benefit for blacks to be mixed with whites, as if whites are our salvation. In reality, the true issue was access to equal funding, facilities, instruction and so on and so for. If we could have have the funding and facilities, we would not have needed integration. Thus, it was not sitting next to white folks that was the true goal, as the term implies. separate was considered inherently unequal and thus integration became the solution to unequal access.

Instead of saying that people must vote, because of the struggle and sacrifices of the past, we should be more current and less limiting. What should be said is that every individual should exercise a strategic political strategy, the operative term being exercise. The exercising of that strategy my very well manifest as the right to vote for the candidate of your choice, or not to vote at all. What one should preach is the avoidance of apathy in regards to voting or not voting, if they want to promote change within the existing frame work. Apathy does not simply manifest in people not bothering to vote, it also manifest via people simply going through the motions of voting, with no strategy.

Think about it this way. There was once slavery. Since we were emancipated, we know have the right to work for pay. However, should we then not exercise our right at collective bargaining via the ability to strike our places of employment..for better wages, treatment and conditions? I think that the tactics of Unions, though much of this nations history, is a good analogy for a strategy for getting the Democratic Party to come to the bargaining table with blacks for concessions. Such requires the willingness to take steps back to take bigger steps forward...first and foremost.

Working folk often had a situation were owners and management were not treating them fairly. The companies would use them and take them for granted because they knew they were in need of employment and income. However, the workers also realized that the companies needed them to make a profit as much as the worker needed the owner to make a living. Thus, workers took a couragous step back collectively, hurting themselves in the short run, by having work stoppages or strikes. The owners then could not get the product out and began loosing money, their primary motivation for being in business. Thus, the owners eventually went to the bargaining table to give in to many of the workers demands.

The same principle and strategy holds true for blacks and the Democratic Party. It may be time to have a vote stoppage, to force the party to come and bargain with black people over our interest and needs. This can never happen if leaders keep preaching that everyone must vote. The exploited workers of the early and mid part of the 1900’s could have never improved their condition and pay the degree that happened if they did not form work stoppages and thus exercise leverage against owners and management. Yes, in the short run, they paid a tremendous sacrifice, they went without pay. However, in the long run, they won their concessions.

This strategy would never work upon the republicans, because they do not need us currently to profit or remain or come into power. The democrates do however. You always should attack at the weakest point, not the strongest. Thus, people advocating a republican strategy for blacks are either ignorant or being disengenuous inorder to hide their selfish motives.

How can the Democratic Party profit without the black vote? How can democrats stay in power without the black vote? They need us as much as we need them, but we are refusing to use our power of leverage, by invoking the choice of vote stoppage, due to this idea that everyone must vote…for somebody…anybody. That is simply a limiting strategy that will always keep black folks marginalized politically.