Controlled Black Thought in My Face

7 November 2022

My most recent opinion column was titled “Unpacking the Political Actions of Black Americans.” In order to understand the account that follows, if you have not read that opinion column, you will want to do so. Click this link: https://www.karlmerritt.com/2022/10/25/unpacking-the-political-actions-of-black-americans/

On the afternoon of 2 November 2022, my wife and I went to vote. I have a proven procedure for quickly getting through the crowd of candidate representatives who set up camp outside voting locations and pass out information regarding office-seekers. That is, I get my sample ballot, research candidates, and then mark that ballot showing how I will vote. Walking through that crowd of promoters, I wave the marked-up ballot and tell them that I have already decided how I will vote; no need to talk with me or press any candidate information into my hand.

For the first time in many years, my proven avoidance procedure failed, but only for a moment. A black man met me just as I entered the area of challenge, the providers of candidate information. He was passing out cards encouraging voting “No” on the charter amendment to change the structure of Fayetteville City Council. Totally against my normal course, as he started his spiel saying that I should vote “No”, I stopped, looked at him in his eyes and said that I was voting “Yes”. His response was, “You are with Trump.” As he looked right at me and spoke, he had an expression that seemed to show surprise and disgust at my statement.

My response was, “If you wanted to have a productive discussion of this matter, what you said was not the way to start.” His response was, “All of this is because of Trump.” In that split second, I saw the living, walking, talking confirmation and result of everything that I detailed in that last opinion column. That is, regarding how far too many black Americans are conditioned to think in ways that adversely impact us as a people and are contributing to the rapid disintegration of what has been a great nation.

That man was shocked and probably angry that another black man would disagree with the statement that an effort to restructure city council was caused by Donald Trump. Without doubt, that reasoning was presented to him by power-seeking people who understand and successfully employ the steps for controlling the thinking of black Americans that I detailed in “Unpacking the Political Actions of Black Americans.”

After the man’s adamant restatement of his “Trump charge”, I considered trying to pursue a civil discussion. However, it was crystal clear to me that there was no hope of reaching him with facts and rational thought. That is the absolutely scary part of this controlling of thought among black Americans. Where the control process takes hold in an individual or group, the resulting commitment to beliefs or conclusions that have no foundation in fact and defy reason is absolute; unshakable.

Here is what I put forth in that column regarding the primary steps that are employed to control the political actions of black Americans:

1. Repeatedly reinforce in the minds of black Americans that we are victims of rampant racism and, therefore, deserving of focused actions to address this reality.
2. Suppress critical thought and promote actions based on emotions.
3. Instill in black Americans the belief that, simply due to skin color, white Americans are privileged and are likely racist.
4. Where a black person acts counter to the conduct that normally results from items 1-3, that person is lambasted and excluded from the black community.

Once a black person is exposed to this four-step process, it is extremely difficult to think critically. Consequently, when presented with arguments that are filled with emotion and lacking in fact-based contentions, the all-too-frequent response is adamant acceptance of and unproductive, if not destructive, action.

I submit that what I have explained to this point is what happened with the man who challenged me at that early voting site. His fertile mind was likely influenced by input such as the following post from the official Facebook page of Mayor Mitch Colvin (https://www.facebook.com/MayorMitchColvin):

“Right wing Republicans are trying to dilute African American Representation on the city council. Former Mayors Nat Robertson, Tony Chavonne and Tisha Waddell (Only African American Public Supporter). Vote No to this Voter Suppression/Gerrymandering.”

That statement reflects nothing that is fact-based, shows no critical thinking, and effectively plays to emotions. As an American who is black, watching this approach prove successful time-and-again is draining, dumbfounding, downright painful at every level of my being.

My painful reaction to all of this is compounded by the fact that some other groups that have been exposed to this process are seeing the light and refusing to continue being manipulated while too few black Americans are doing so. Consider Hispanics. Reverend Ruben Diaz, Sr. is President, New York Hispanic Organization. He said the following in an interview that is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b21ZSnA0IZY&t=13s:

“The Democratic Party have been failing us, the Democratic Party have been using us, and the Democratic Party have been abusing us and we’re saying enough. Either you take care of us or we’re going to move to the Republican Party.”  

I encourage you to watch the full interview. I realize that there are some black Americans who make the same case as Rev. Diaz. The difference is that Hispanics are taking action while far too many black Americans are still yielding to the Democrats’ thought control.

My hope is that black citizens of Fayetteville will always be about collecting facts, thinking critically and properly managing emotions. Do that regarding the proposal for restructuring the council, but also in every political decision. Be reminded that we are responsible for ourselves, but also for others, innocent children and for generations yet unborn.