Media bullies black conservatives

by Troy Williams, Fayetteville Observer, September 2, 2013.

After speaking at North Carolina's annual CEO Forum a few weeks ago, Colin Powell drew high praise from the left, but that was only because he criticized the right. Saying he was speaking as a Republican, Powell's brief remarks came at the end of a 45-minute speech in which he expressed pointed disapproval with North Carolina's new voting law.

First, let's get one argument out of the way: North Carolina's new voting law is controversial, and many, including Colin Powell, have staked out positions for and against it. In a democracy, none of us should have a problem with that.

But when prominent Republicans break ranks with the party faithful, it's certain to create a media circus. The issue over voting rights is serious, but how the liberal media coddle conservatives who are openly critical of Republicans is hilarious.

Colin Powell's distinguished career alone ought to have made him a darling of the left-leaning media. There's no question Powell deserves our admiration for his achievements. He retired as an Army four-star general. He became only the third general since World War II, joining Dwight D. Eisenhower and Alexander Haig, to reach four-star rank without serving as a division commander. He was the first, and so far the only, African-American to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was the first African-American Secretary of State, and was a National Security Advisor. Powell's civilian awards also include two Presidential Medals of Freedom.

Liberals love to cite this kind of story when discussing civil rights and how blacks can escape the evils of racism. Unfortunately, Powell has always had an Achilles' heel - he was a Republican, much to their chagrin, albeit a moderate one. The political left hates to discuss the under-reported story of liberals' vicious attacks on black conservatives - attacks usually limited to name-calling, never about policy differences.

What Powell couldn't achieve with more than 50 years of notable public service he successfully accomplished with a few choice words targeting the North Carolina Republican Party - gain the respect and appreciation of the political left.

The notion that Colin Powell could have been America's first black president is an interesting conversation, given the fact that African-Americans would not have voted for him because of his party affiliation.

Identifying as a Republican or conservative is a politically dangerous proposition for anyone seeking to befriend the political left.

Deion Sanders, NFL Hall of Famer and former Major League Baseball star, who works as an NFL analyst, experienced media backlash for simply standing with a conservative last May.

That's right, Sanders, who didn't do or say anything politically charged, simply tweeted out a picture of himself with conservative radio talk host Glenn Beck after meeting him in a Dallas studio. He received an enormous amount of backlash from the left on Twitter. They tried to make him a horrible person because he was standing next to someone they believed a "racist."

Dr. Ben Carson, another African-American and one of the world's preeminent pediatric neurosurgeons, revealed his conservative leanings earlier this year and has since been called an "Uncle Tom." He was repeatedly mocked on national TV, and one prominent civil rights attorney even said, "Carson is a monster . and should stay in the operating room." Dr. Carson has authored four best-selling books. The first book, "Gifted Hands," an autobiography, was made into a TV movie with the same title. It premiered in 2009 on TNT, starring Academy Award winner Cuba Gooding Jr.

Carson was the keynote speaker at the 2013 National Prayer Breakfast. His comments were generally interpreted as politically conservative, with President Barack Obama sitting 10 feet away. Left-leaning media pundits opined that Carson's remarks were inappropriate, calling them "extreme right-wing talking points," and that he should apologize to the president. During a subsequent interview, Carson said, "Somebody has to be courageous enough to stand up to the bullies." For sure, he would be lauded a hero if he had been a critic of the right instead of the left.

At last week's commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King's march on Washington, a host of Democratic luminaries spoke on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. South Carolina's Republican Sen. Tim Scott, the only African-American serving in the U.S. Senate, wasn't invited to the event. President Obama was the keynote speaker, of course. But wouldn't it have made sense to have the first black president on stage with the first black senator from South Carolina? After all, South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union and 50 years ago was decidedly a Jim Crow state.

The media in general have a problem with conservatives, especially the black ones. Dr. Carson was right about having courage. Colin Powell is entitled to his opinion, but in this instance, he just gave in to the left-leaning political bullies.