I am an American Black man who has raised a family here in the United States having lived through the Civil Rights era of the 1960s as a teenage political activist. Raised in New Orleans, influenced by the music of the Caribbean region, Reggae, Salsa, and Rumba; I feel a kinship with Puerto Rico and Cuba based in part on the way the music touched me. The rhythm was somehow in my DNA and though I sought in my teens and twenties to become a conguero, I had to settle for appreciating the art though it did influence my son enough to become a percussionist. But; my reason for writing this open letter to you, my brothers and sisters is on a more serious matter.
As you know, we have been engaged in a political election here in the states that will either solidify the powers in control of this country that cater to the wealthy, or usher in a system more focused on average citizens like me. I am a Democrat, having rejoined the party in 1992 to vote in the election that brought Bill Clinton to the presidency. I was proud to be represented by the Clintons during those years and even though the right wing eventually regained control of the White House and brought this country down to the mess we have in Washington now, I was happy to see Hillary Clinton running to perhaps return our nation to the mindset that prevailed then.
Over the past year, I have witnessed the Clintons, first Bill and soon afterward, Hillary tear away at the progress we had made in achieving racial harmony when they saw Senator Barack Obama emerge as a potent political foe to them. In a country where politics is often waged with dirty tricks and even political thievery like that we witnessed in Florida in 2000, a certain level of underhanded maneuvering is to be expected. But this is a potentially devastating tactic they have employed and could drive a wedge between Americans of different races that could give the Republicans the opportunity to seal their takeover of the American government and keep the interests of the wealthy here above the rest of us citizens.
What I am asking for is your help in beating back the disruptive tactics that the Clintons have resorted to. Barack Obama; a man of mixed heritage, a white mother and Kenyan father, has been painted as unelectable by the Clintons because of his skin color. Though he is a Harvard educated Attorney who was the first black student to head the prestigious Harvard Law Review and went on to become a community organizer and local politician before winning a U.S. Senate seat, they are trying to convince the remaining voters to
give her a lead in popular votes that could conceivably allow our SuperDelegates, political leaders who can chose to vote for any candidate and ultimately decide on the candidate the Democrats will put forth for the general election this November.
Many of my friends here are of Boricuan heritage, and since I am of Creole heritage myself, a fair skinned black man, I am often mistaken as Cuban or Puerto Rican. I know that your families are of mixed ethnicity as I am. You know all too well how the sting of color-based power has been used against minorities. Look at the backlash that is racially tinged against undocumented immigrants here in the U.S.. Hillary Clinton is against them being able to get drivers licenses. She has turned out to be just another power hungry rich capitalist interested in her own power at the expense of anything and everyone else. We need your help here in the states. Your votes count in the Democratic Primary and we need your voters to understand what your vote means to our collective future. If Hillary Clinton succeeds in her attempt to use your votes to put her in a position to steal this election, the rift she creates will be permanent and the future for your families and mine will be the worse for it. Do the right thing Puerto Rico, we need you to find the rhythm and help Barack Obama change this country, with our help for the better.
With Love,
Paul S. Peete
Labels: Barack Obama, boricua, Clinton, Obama, Puerto Rico, vote, voters
