I’m as Mexican as Barack Obama is black. Oddly enough, it’s
only white liberals that give me grief with that assertion, which doesn’t stop
it from being any less true. My dad’s family (ie., my Mexican side) is
overwhelmingly Democratic and liberal, which frankly is beyond the scope of
this blog piece. But I will share with you that when I asked my dad’s mother
why she was a Democrat she simply said that when she was a little girl her
mother had told her that Republicans always sent the Mexican boys off to war.
The poor Mexican boys from the South side of San Antonio. It didn’t matter that
it was untrue; this is a maxim my own flesh and blood has carried with them. My
grandmother didn’t articulate anything in particular that betrayed her
allegiance to the Democratic party; no mention of her endorsement of JFK’s
Catholicism and that it comforted her and she identified with it. Nothing about
Clinton. Just some half-truth she had been told sixty years ago. There are
three inherent issues with my grandmother’s confession, the first being that it
was untrue. Secondly, her belief underscores how ineffective Republicans have
been in over half a century at re-writing that narrative and speaking to the
Hispanic community, and it highlights the truth that Hispanics are Democrats
because that is what they have inherited, not what they have chosen. And when
they are attending universities, Hispanics are subjected to the cruel statist
brainwashing of American academia. None of this ink is spilled to slander my
grandmother; I love her dearly. But the state of racial politics in this
country is a narrative that is being controlled by white liberals. Moreover,
the Hispanic liberals that go into the ballot booth and strike a straight
Democrat ballot have been taken for granted by the DNC for too long. And even
more damning, Hispanic Conservatives have little to no voice in this country.
And why a Hispanic could pull the lever for liberal causes is all the more
puzzling in light of the Trayvon Martin case.
Ever since the Duke lacrosse case, I’ve learned to try and
couch my initial assumptions and let justice wind its (sometimes fallible)
course. It’s easier not to jump to conclusions and make wild accusations that
later are proven patently untrue. Here’s what we do know about the Trayvon
case. George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin were in an altercation. Zimmerman -
for reasons right or wrong - ended Martin’s life. Zimmerman is Hispanic.
Trayvon was African-American. That’s really the only concrete evidence we have.
It seems on the surface like a fairly straightforward case. Let Zimmerman have
his day in court and the chips will fall where they will.
But that isn’t what happened. Instead, the media was quick
to make its assertions about Zimmerman’s guilt starting with the pictures they
ran of the two young men. Zimmerman was shown in an orange polo that looked
like a jumpsuit. Martin was shown as a young smiling boy. Even when the
pictures surface later that showed Zimmerman was a young professional and
Martin had his pants halfway down, the public perception had already been
formed. In the case of minorities, the media had chosen the African-American
over the Hispanic. Even though Hispanics are the more prevalent minority. Even
though there really was no political bent to the story in the beginning. The
message to me as a Hispanic was clear - though I identify as a minority, I am
not special, nor am I protected. The African-American community is more
important than me. They are not as numerous as me, but if I’m going to get
media coverage, I’m going to be mislabeled as “white.” It was marginally
terrifying.
People tell me all the time I look “something” (I’ve been
called Jewish, Arabic, Greek, Armenian, and Latino.) But even though I look
“something” and I AM in fact “something” the message resonated from the media -
we will not protect you. We won’t even accurately report your race. Is this the
fault of the African-American community? Absolutely not. Nor do I hold any ill
will toward a single African-American for this media bias. The media bias that
the left won’t even acknowledge exists. The media bias that has turned American
media into an echo chamber for the current progressive administration. But I
digress...
So I am not white. But I am not protected as a political
special interest, either. Not that I “need” political protection through
special interest. But the reality that I’m not going to get a fair racial shake
is startling.
Part II - Hispanic Conservatism Anomalies
On the surface, Hispanic conservatism shouldn’t exist. That Democrats hold Hispanics in their iron grip is a well documented fact. Libs love to gloat about this: “Minorities voting for GOP is like women voting for rapists” is one common sentiment. Ignore the callous misogyny and you’ll still be left with a staggering level of self-righteousness. And yet even though it shouldn’t exist, some of the brightest stars in the GOP are Hispanics. Susana Martinez, Ted Cruz, and Marco Rubio are the first that come to mind. I would argue that this is because the values that Hispanics hold dear - faith, family, and independence, are best represented in conservative limited government. Again, it isn’t that Democrats better represent Hispanics, it’s that Republicans have done a miserable job of getting their brand out. Hispanics have merely “inherited” the Democrats. The Republicans haven’t branded themselves as the alternative in a proper way.
And yet oddly, Hispanics aren’t up in arms about comments
like the one Harry Reid made. Some crotchety old white guy makes a sweeping
stereotype and dictates HOW Hispanics “should” vote. That is outrageous. It’s
the epitome of “shut up and get in line.” And sadly, Hispanic Democrats are
glad to do just that. I’ve long said that I’m not so much a Hispanic
Conservative as I am a Hispanic Anti-Democrat. I see the hypocrisy of white
liberals and it is more offensive to me than the anti-amnesty rhetoric of the
right. Obviously my political evolution is more complicated than that (and
largely a result of the truly negative experiences I had at a state university
- but we’ll get into that another time). But I look at Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio
and feel far more inspired than I do when I hear another Democrat talk about
how disenfranchised I am because of the color of my skin, and I need Big
Government to help me out. I already learned I’m not politically protected. Trayvon
proved that. So if I’m not to be protected, I’m really just needed as a pawn -
a vote - for the left.
I alluded to it in a previous post here on The Straight Hype - I’m waiting for criticism to be leveled at Marco Rubio so that I can call his detractors racists. My wife read that line from the previous post back to me and said “are you serious about that part?” To her and everyone, I whisper back “yes.”
I dare you to speak ill of Ted Cruz. I. Dare. You.
Talk about what a wingnut Marco Rubio is. Please.
Because for five years I’ve heard those that disagree with
Barack Obama called “racists.” None of the dissenters’ qualms have been
logically dispelled. It has simply been “you’re a racist.” Those types of
accusations don’t go away after a Hispanic conservative hears them. They
re-enforce the Trayvon takeaway. That a white person would call a Hispanic a
“racist” because he doesn’t like the African-American president takes gall, and
an utter lack of self-awareness. And I’ve carefully stuffed that bitterness down
and have gallons full of venom to drench white liberals in when the opportunity
comes. In one regard, I long for the day when I can let out every dripping
shred of “racist bigot” accusations on a white liberal. That’s not a joke.
That’s not hyperbole. No, I’m not kidding. Consider this your warning.
I’m not the kind that’s going to be called a racist for five
or more years and take that lying down. No. I’m aching for a white liberal to
say something about Marco Rubio. Ted Cruz. Susana Martinez. Because when a
conservative Hispanic plays the race card against a white liberal, there is no
defense for the white liberal. Andrew Breitbart alluded to the struggle between
individualism and statism as war. Rhetorical war. Media war. That’s lofty. All
that the left has been able to muster is emotional warfare couched in personal,
unfounded accusations. And I will be returning the favor as soon as the
opportunity presents itself.
So if you’ve taken nothing from this post so far, I leave you with this.
If you’re a white liberal, I’m coming for you.
Furiously.
Honestly.
Waving the race card, “racist bigot” on the tip of my
tongue.
Because I will be calling you a racist with a straight face.
Because I will be saying it loudly. And I will mean it.
And because you will be powerless to defend against it. To
quote Andrew Breitbart......”WAR!”
Tim
Dimas believes in the individual, small government, and sweet tea. The three
most influential books he has ever read are “Atlas Shrugged,” “The Gospel of
St. John,” and “The 48 Laws of Power.” In that order. He is a fan of the beach,
and ostentatious fashion
