Freshman Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) said Wednesday that he is "the modern-day Harriet Tubman" leading people away from the plantation, which is overseen by "perceived leaders in the black community" like Jesse Jackson who bow to the wishes of white liberals.
During an appearance on Fox News' "The O'Reilly Factor," West said that black Democrats have consistently failed to address high unemployment in the black community and, in the meantime, continue to take black votes for granted come election time.
"So you have this 21st-century plantation … where the Democrat Party has forever taken the black vote for granted, and you have established certain black leaders who are nothing more than the overseers of that plantation," West said. "And now the people on that plantation are upset because they’ve been disregarded, disrespected and their concerns are not cared about."
Source: The Huffington Post.
There's nothing at all wrong with a healthy debate between (and within) the parties about which policies are best for the black community. But seriously — why do black Republicans get so into comparing being a black Democrat to being a slave? Herman Cain recently said the same thing. Here's a crucial distinction: People choose to be Democrats. People did not choose to be enslaved on plantations.
If these guys really want black people to switch parties, all they have to do is make a sufficiently compelling argument and lead in a way that backs it up. No overly dramatic historical references or Underground Railroad required.
Read more at the Huffington Post.
In other news: These Films Shed Light on Chicago's Gritty Side.