Tree Shakers

On this morning’s edition of Sunday Insight with Charlie Sykes, the discussion was all McGee all the time. We could have used another half an hour. Once again, I was privileged to sit on Mr. Sykes’ panel along with Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial columnist Patrick McIlheran, Milwaukee Community Journal editor Mikel Holt, and Milwaukee mayoral aide Joel Brennan. Many angles of the debacle that was Mike McGee’s time in office were explored, but I want to weigh in more heavily on one of the questions Charlie asked the panel: Will things ever get better in the inner city?

My response:  Sure they will. When the civil rights generation that allowed this crap to happen either repents or dies.

Strong words I know, but let’s get real, the civil rights generation and their now antiquated notions of race and power have created the atmosphere of abuse that grips the inner city of Milwaukee. Anti-poverty agencies, affirmative action, welfare and forced segregation are all products of white guilt that have enabled many black Americans to race hold instead of compete, improve and join mainstream society.

Now they are not interested in joining the mainstream. Now many inner city blacks demand charity while they reject responsibility.

On this morning’s show, Mikel Holt (God bless him) quasi-defended McGee by saying that “at least he shook the trees.” This is how the song usually goes… at least we had a black nationalist out there letting people know about poverty and the plight of the disenfranchised.

Plight, disenfranchisment, black nationalism.  Everybody together now…”We shall overcome… “  I don’t buy it!

This is the old school antiquated, generational, time warped pap that I am talking about.

We don’t need more black leaders! What we need are hard working moral individuals who value God, community and character over useless emotional rhetoric and black separatist idealism.

Forty years of tree shaking has gotten us what? Has taken us where? Are black people better of today then they were in 1967?

(That should be a campaign slogan but it would only work if a Republican used it.)

As a people, black Americans’ collective mentality is forty years behind the times. Do the math. Somewhere in the 1960s, Americans of African descent chose the wrong road -- the road to dependency, whether it was dependency on government or dependency on so called black leadership.

Comments

[Bruce]

This viewer perceived that as far more than just a quasi-defense, James.

Mikel Holt has always to me seemed like such a reasoned, logical guy... his inability to see that the damage they've done in the community (as well as the bad PR they've brought this city for far too long now) far outweighs the handful of "feel-good" programs either of them has put together that is always the nature of his defense.

[Glenn D. Frankovis]

Very well said James. I hope Charlie has you on his show more often to balance the discussion (even though Mikel, at times, does point the finger of blame squarely where it belongs).

[phel jones]

Hi James, great stuff this a.m. Mike Holt seemed like he was holding back hysteria.

[Diana]

Good show this morning James. Can't wait to hear you on tonight's program.

[Andy]

How did you guys keep from cracking up when Joel B. did his Winners & Losers at the end of the show? :)

[James B.]

James, an acquaintance emailed me and said you were in the blogosphere now. Stirring things up, I see ;-)

Haven't had a chance to catch your radio show. But if it's available through streaming audio I'll give it a listen.

Take care.

[Kevin Facey]

I did not have a problem with some of things that Mikel Holt stated. For me, a person who lives in Mike McGee's district, when we had the recall election, I was not that impressed with the candidates that seeking to be the representative of that district; though I would admit that Una Van Duvall, did almost make decide to look at her, especially with the thought of development within our district.

Would I vote for someone like Mike McGee again? To be honest, I am not sure. If you have the same kind of candidates during the recall election, then I would vote for McGee. However, if you had someone who can articulate what he or she believes in helping to get the district to the next level, then I would vote for that person over McGee.

[mickey]

The McGee saga and it's aftermath, including blog posts like Kevin's, have taken inner city dysfunction to new levels.
Most of us outside of the "community" stand astounded at what those within the "community" aren't livid at McGee's actions. Assuming McGee dodged conviction, what kind of thinking human being would want to assocaite with him?
I mean who besides Eugene Kane.
The people in greatest need of competant leadership accept a thug.
McGee's behavior whether convicted or not is simply unacceptable.

[Justus McGee]

Bravo. Bravo. Well done Mr. Harris. You have officially received your Uncle Tom Country Club card. Wait did I say that? Ok that may be too antiquated. How about House Negro Gold Card? Ok that is even more antique. Name calling isn't gentlemanlike, actually beneath me. But you can hear those voices can't you Mr. Harris? Maybe you've heard them all your life. But you have joined the litany of Black men who have admonished another Black man in order to gain favor with the "mainstream". When you say "mainstream", are you talking about good old fashioned American values? Because when I hear that I think of White American values. And many people who support my brother (his ideology not his actions) hear the same thing. I'm not going to make excuses or condone what my brother did. His actions speak loud enough. You seem like a rational person and you may quietly admit that there is a pattern of Black leaders who face persecution from the "Man" as Mr. Holt pointed out. Go back to MLK, Malcolm X, and Marcus Garvey. If you are a Black rabble-rouser there will be repercussions. Maybe Black America should have adopted accommodation like Booker T. Washington advocated over a century ago. But by the Civil Rights Era people were tired of black only bathrooms and sitting in the back of the bus. I do agree there needs to be a paradigm shift in Black people's thinking. However that will not happen until Black leaders are not targeted for shaking the tree. Hey wasn't Jesus a tree shaker? Look what happened to him. And I'm not making an inference Christ was a Black man so calm down. But that shows you how far back it goes. Well that is enough... for now.