I'm really worried about my community right now

[journalist3072]

As an African-American, I'm really worried about my community right now.

I hope and pray that I am wrong, but if listening to Tom Joyner's daily show is any indication, it seems as though there are some in my community, who really don't want to be educated about the issues in this campaign.

Today was another very interesting day on the Tom Joyner Show. Tavis Smiley gave his commentary, and once again, a few folks called in to berate him. They are upset that Tavis keeps reminding people of the need to hold people accountable, including Barack Obama.

Basically, the crux of Tavis' commentary has been this: "we" (in Black America) love and celebrate what Barack Obama has accomplished. Now, I kind of take offense to him including me in that we, since I don't support Obama.

But at any rate, Tavis has been saying that after you fall in love, you still have to hold people accountable.

And some of my fellow Black sisters and brothers have been calling in, just taking Tavis to task over that. One person called in last week I believe, and said that we need to elect Obama first, THEN see what he wants to do for Black America. I was just dumbfounded. Elect him first, then see what he wants to do? Amazing.

Then today, after Tavis' commentary, one woman called in and said Tavis needs to "just leave us alone." Meaning, leave Black America alone. Then she said "he needs to just get his White woman and go live in the surburbs."

I was incredulous. So just because Tavis has been reminding us of the importance of accountability, you think he's in love with a White woman?

It just really made me sad. Even Tom Joyner, an unabashed Obama supporter who is quite bold and unapologetic about the fact that he's voting for Obama because he's Black, came to Tavis' defense. He told the callers that Tavis was talking about how it was important to love Black America more. Love Obama..but love Black America more (thus, make sure the issues get addressed).

And this is why I continue to question whether some in my own community, really want to be educated about the issues in this campaign, and really want solutions to the problems in our community.

-We have an unemployment rate that has at times been twice that of the national unemployment rate.

-We have the growing gap between rich and poor, and an inexcusable poverty rate.

-We still have people trying to recover from Hurricane Katrina.

-We have a Supreme Court that has tried to strip away at affirmative action.

-We are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS.

And so many more issues.

And it appears to me that many people are just voting based on emotion. Another DUer reported that they saw an African-American voter on CNN, saying that Black folks who support Obama are "racial pride voters." Huh? I don't need to prove I'm a proud African-American, by voting for Barack Obama.

But whoever we vote for, we need to make sure we hold that person accountable. Since when did accountability become a dirty word in my community?