Dear Mr. Connerly:
since you were successful in your fight against affirmative action by the passage of Proposition #209, you have been going around the country–fighting affirmative action, characterizing blacks as dead-beats who make no effort to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps.
As a matter of fact, the Los Angeles Times, 11-18-96 quoted you as saying, in direct reference to blacks... they have become addicted to government and affirmative action...and "they have to let go." In a stern warning to blacks, you said... "this is tough world, get out there and compete." And you better quit "making all these excuses" about race.
Now, Connerly, at the same time that you were scolding poor blacks for failing to help themselves, there were 1,842,146 white men, women and children in California living in abject poverty. But there were only 432,201 blacks in poverty. There were twice as many whites in poverty as blacks in poverty–but you vented your venom to blacks only.
Again, Mr. Connerly, if 432,201 blacks in California are in poverty because of their "addiction to affirmative action and government," what Mr. Connerly do you have to say about 1,850,146 "excuseless" "whites in poverty, who were born free?" Under the American credo of "individual responsibility"–each individual is responsible–not each black individual.
My question to you Mr. Connerly is–why do you move the goal post and raise the bar–exclusively against a people whose very survival in the Country is synonymous with struggle against odds?
Mr. Connerly, are there bootstraps for white folk, or are bootstraps labeled black only?
If bootstraps are "race-neutral," or, to use your terminology "Color blind," how come the 1,840,146 whites in poverty ain't use'em? Your political color-blindness has dropped you into a black/white briar-patch of contradictions.
Clearly, Mr. Connerly, your two-headed horse cannot be ridden in opposite directions at the same time; either the 1,840,146 whites in poverty in California are, also "deadbeats" or you are telling a black face lie to white people. When you say that 432,201 blacks in poverty are deadbeats. Ward Connerly, you cannot have it both ways.
Lastly, Mr. Connerly, rumor has it that your vendetta against African Americans is driven by political pillow talk with your white wife.
I vigorously disagree. In my opinion, Mr. Connerly, you would be an Uncle tom if you were married to Whoopi Goldberg.
