I wonder if my hypersensitivity about attacks on the Tea Party may have caused me to embarrass myself during an interview on a Detroit radio program. The host asked, “What is the Tea Party doing to be more diverse?” I replied, “Nothing.” I went on to explain that I did not see a need for the Tea Party to make special concessions or pander to me because I am black.
The host pressed further. “No, I am not asking for special concessions. I want to know: what is the Tea Party doing to be more inclusive?” I may have misunderstood his question.
Perhaps I suffer slightly from Battered Conservative Syndrome. I get annoyed whenever I hear suggestions that conservatives should be more “diverse” and “inclusive,” because it usually means lowering behavioral and academic standards. When are you stuffy conservatives going to modernize, embrace an “anything goes” mindset, and appeal to the lowest common denominator? In essence, when are we going to be more like the Democrats?
I believe that a majority of Americans instinctively gravitate to the pride and dignity of earning your own way. We do not want cradle-to-grave government dependency and imperialistic control over every aspect of our lives. We want our schools back; kids learning reading, writing, and arithmetic rather than curricula designed solely to create good liberals. We want fiscal responsibility. We want freedom and liberty restored. For these principles, patriots of all races stand side by side at Tea Party rallies.
A popular belief is the word “conservative” has become toxic and polarizing. We are advised to spread our message subtly, without actually saying “conservative.”
Hogwash! Educating Americans on the superiority of conservatism over liberalism can be achieved only by boldly touting conservatism’s virtues, not by disguising who we are.
Back to my radio interview.
Well, I went into a rant defending the Tea Party. I called Democrat congressman Alan Grayson a despicable human being for comparing the Tea Party to the KKK. I chided NAACP president Ben Jealous for lying about seeing signs that read, “Lynch Barack Obama” and “Lynch Eric Holder” at a Tea Party. The host abruptly ended the interview: “So sorry, Lloyd, we are out of time. Thank you very much.”
