I am a Caucasian who grew up in a segregated South in Mississippi and Georgia, but have lived in New Orleans since 1977. I have seen positive changes in the elevation of African Americans in the South and nationally. But there is much left to be done and it is my sincere belief that Republicans can do so to the benefit of everyone of every race. The tragedy of Senator Mary Landrieu’s democratic “leadership” of Louisiana African Americans is sad, very sad. After eighteen years of being in Washington as a Senator, what has she accomplished for African Americans? I recently viewed a commercial about her lack of on-the-ground effects between her elections with a lot of African American support. The commercial was followed by an African American panel of Louisiana-elected Republicans, yes, I said African American Republicans. It’s time for such leaders to speak out against Senator Landrieu and her record of voting with her fellow Democrats for hand-out programs, while supporting the Obama Administration in such vital areas as education. In New Orleans, which is predominately African American, charter schools are helping in the long term the ones who need it most. And what do the teacher unions and Obama Administration do about that? They oppose these charter schools, a long term piece of the puzzle for New Orleans’ crime problems and potentially unemployable (if uneducated) African Americans. Education! Education! Education! This is a key in this Innovation Age and it will be more and more important as time goes by. Senator Landrieu’s blind acceptance of the Obama Administration (97 percent of her 2013 votes and similar democratic votes over 18 years) have hurt the very ones to whom she seeks (and allegedly to whom she caters, though it is apparent that she isn’t truly helping them) as a liberal politician over and over and over again. The panel I saw does not believe in the values of the Democratic Party, which foster dependency instead of education. Education is the only long-term solution and opportunity for everyone–African Americans, Caucasians, Hispanics, young and old, everyone. We must grow in fitness of our mind, body and “little piece of God.” Teacher union bosses–with their first priority of union dues–adversely affect this process. And guess who gets hoards of money and on-the-ground support from these union bosses? You guessed it, the Obama Administration and Senator Landrieu. Who suffers from that connection? African Americans and Hispanics who can’t afford private schools, but have a real opportunity in the charter schools. I say it again. The most important long-term issue is: Education! Education! Education! I stand in support of Congressman Bill Cassidy, M.D., who cares about the long-term plight of African Americans and all the other people of Louisiana. He knows education is a winner in the long-term and we must not let our Katrina gains in education and the leadership in that area slip away while sending Senator Landrieu back to her “real” home, Washington D.C. (as news accounts have shown that she doesn’t really live in Louisiana). Senator Landrieu is a politician who represents the failed policies that go all the way back to the “Great Society.” Those policies have been disastrous for African American families–in the long term. The values of Dr. Bill Cassidy are in line with those African Americans on the panel who see the truth–dependency on food stamp type programs is fine and kind to an extent, but that certainly is not the long-term solution for our poor. Living from one government check to another doesn’t foster the values that give individuals real opportunities in their lives. It is also very detrimental to the recipient’s self-esteem. This dependency must be addressed in a kind way, a long-term way, through education and other positive long-term programs that really work. For New Orleans, I have a warning. The Katrina money is going to dry up and the path ahead must be far-sighted, especially in education. Again, I support Dr. Bill Cassidy for senate and his long-term identification with the real needs of all our Louisiana citizens, not least of which is education, education, education, a Republican priority.
