Recently, I was listening to talk radio, as I am want to do, and I heard a young sister call into this show (that will remain nameless), and begin to talk about the ongoing Christmas flack that has become a standard talking point on conservative talk radio. Mind you, this was a "liberal" talk show.

She began by saying that she didn't agree with the standard interpretation, but went on to say that she felt Christmas had been whitened by the ever-present European influence that dominates the holiday. She said she refused to tell her child that not only was Santa Claus not white, but that there was no Santa at all. The host of the show, white like most are despite the liberal pledge to diversity, was at first glad to talk to her because he thought she was just another caller who fell inline with his line of thinking.

He assumed that her argument would help to further entrench the main thrust of his show's topic for the day, which was to dig at the conservative talk shows that were trying to convince the public that there was an attack on Christmas. But once he heard her take on the matter, that she was against the whiteness of Christmas, he quickly went to break and the young sister was never heard from again. I wanted to call in and take him to task for slighting her and not giving her concerns serious consideration, but I realized the futility of my desires and that I would be given the same treatment.

I listen to talk radio all the time. Everyday I hear the battling back and forth: conservative hosts steer their audience one way, and liberal talk show hosts steer theirs in the opposite. Most adults know that conservatives are more pro business, and that most American businesses are white, male owned, thus making conservatives pro-white male and a significant base of the same demographic - purveyors of the status quo with a gang of white women as a second support level.

On the other hand, we know that most liberals have a definite slant towards social advances, that liberals seem to be more inclusive, embracing the "other". Ah, and here's the rub. Although we know all to well what to expect from conservatives, we have been slipped a mickey by the liberals.

American Blacks have not been totally embraced by the liberal camp, in spite of the fact that Al Sharpton was a keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention. Upon looking at the whole picture, one gets the distinct feeling of "hoodwinkedness", and all the old clichés come to mind - the Okidoke, hook-line-and-sinker, bamboozled, baited and switched - we've heard them all and tragically they all apply.

At this writing, December 18, 2005, just a few days from 2006 actually, our bamboozlement still continues. As black citizens, black believers (Christians), black voters, black soldiers, black workers, and black Americans - in every capacity - we have not found a home in either party. We can engage in a protracted discussion of why, but whether we come up with an answer to this question or not, we have missed the point. In both recent presidential elections, both candidates made the typical appeal to us.

Bush plied us with, "The Democrats have not delivered to you what they promised. Come on over to the Republican Party. We'll take care of you." Kerry, and before him Gore, implored us to, "Don't listen to those Republicans. They don't care about you; they only want your vote. Stay with the Democrat Party."

Every year, every election, every war it's the same thing. They visit our churches and our schools, rub the heads of our children, hug our wives, and pat Black men on the back, and walk away with our votes, but they never empower us. Neither of them. Bush employed a new strategy. Once in office during his first term, he created the Office of Faith Based Initiatives. Boy, I sure hope you were not standing in the doorway of that office when it first opened. You would have been trampled to death by the herd of Black preachers who came a runnin' to get their cut! Don't get me wrong, whites were there too.

But these parties have a legacy of failure for the American Black that is far worse than any third world country. The progress, if it can be called so, is abysmal. We could have accomplished the same things by not voting or participating in the process at all. OK, maybe not quite so bad. Jim Crow probably would have ended in the 60's instead of the 50's.

Just in case you haven't gotten the message in my monologue, it's time to go to a new party. In these two parties, by the time we get to the punch bowl either the Republicans have drunk it all, or the Democrats may leave us a cup to split. We can't get to the snack table or Hor d'oeuvres without being pushed aside or flat knocked down. And, when we need to go to the bathroom the Republicans hang up an out-of-order sign, or the Democrats keep moving the door.

I want to tell you that there is a party happening at another place. There is a party going on where the punch bowl runneth over, where we can get to the snack table without friction or incident, and the bathroom is always working and stationary. Where is that? It's in your own home, or more specifically, in you. The party is where you are. It's a party of black people, by black people, and for black people. What party am I talking about? It is the Resolution Party, and I am a Resolutionary with Resolutionsist tendencies.

Liberals, even the most liberal of liberals, are still in denial. While they acknowledge the fact that slavery existed, and even that it was wrong, they deny the lasting effects of it, the devastation it has caused Black Americans who have had to live with its legacy, and the need for a protracted, frank, honest discussion about it all. But most liberals don't want to or don't have time to talk about it.

The young sister who called the radio show was merely trying to do just that, but the liberal talk show host was to busy berating the right to let her have her say unless she said what he thought was important. He was typical of liberals - too busy lobbing shells, and firing rounds at the conservatives to be bothered with old, tired, black issues.

As I listen to left wing talk show hosts, I hear them rant about the lies of the right concerning the war in Iraq, the Social Security scam that almost was, the "black sites", the weapons of mass destruction, the number of dead Iraqi citizens, the CIA leak scandal, the intelligence deceptions, and on and on and on… And while I agree that these are all important, it is equally important for the issues of the second largest group of the Democratic Party to be put on par with all of these.

But you know, I have never heard them once mention that the US government could possibly be the lead conspirators in the HIV/AIDS plot to depopulate the African continent. Or, that blacks are still discriminated against in every area of American society. That is not on their agenda, it doesn't rank high enough. I hear them talk about the last two elections, and that George and company stole the election by manipulating votes and voters, but they refuse to talk in terms of black voters being the ones who were manipulated.

That it was black voters whose votes were stolen, and black voters themselves who were disenfranchised and had their names removed from voter rolls, or boxes of votes from black voters being lost or stolen, and therefore not counted. They refuse to delve into and really get to the bottom of these issues, but they skim along the surface and cherry pick the issues that help them make their case. They are liberal to a point, but that point always stops short of meeting our needs and solving our problems.

So, we should leave this party that wont allow us to really get down as we would like, and start our own party so we can get down to the business of resolving the problems that have plagued us from the word go. This new party is the Resolution Party, and we shall become Resolutionaries bent on resolving our issues once and for all. Here's the idea.

If a black citizen is denied constitutionally guaranteed rights by anyone, every black American, whether conservative or liberal, Christian or not, rich or poor - regardless of what category they may or may not fall in - is obligated to come running to the aid of the one who has been denied. We all must be willing to stand side by side every black citizen of this country to ensure all of our rights are protected. This will be the beginning of the change we have so long hoped and prayed for, the establishing of the power base we so desperately need, and the vehicle that will carry us to the Promised Land, even as we continue to live in America.

I heard George say he was a uniter and not a divider. His strategies have done both. They have united and energized his base, and divided all others. Instead, what should happen is others should unite. And, blacks should unite around the goals of creating a black power base to really LIBERATE ourselves, to develop creative new infrastructures and policies for blacks, and securing permanent rights for all blacks.

Don't ask me to trust anyone until they prove themselves to me as being absolutely dedicated to protecting me and my posterity as well as they protect their own. To date, neither the Democratic liberals, nor certainly not the Republican conservatives have proven such dedication. I am a Resolutionary. I have Resolutionsist tendencies. I am committed to the resolution of powerlessness for Black America, and this Resolution will be televised.

Brother Dan Hardman will be keeping the Black community informed on issues concerning the church and righteous living. Visit regularly for new information that could help you overcome and make the best of your everyday experiences.

To subscribe to Hardman's column join the Afromerica email list to receive new information as it is updated. Or E-mail D Hardman at: essaysfromchurch@edincorporated.com

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