In 1963, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. told us about his dream that one day, his children would live in a nation where they would not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. Ever since that powerful speech, Democrats have portrayed themselves as the keepers of that dream. But now, they have turned their backs on it.
Yes, they pay lip service to it with their DEI poison, but attempts to divide this country along racial lines are not at all what Dr. King had in mind. DEI stands for diversity, equity, and inclusion, but all it achieves is division, evil, and injustice. It will kill the dream.
The Democrats have sold their souls for political power at the expense of the people they claim to care about. And too many Republicans have just plain sold out and refuse to stand up to this nonsense.
Is this nation perfect? No, but we try to be. Look how far we have come. Blacks have reached the highest levels of government, business, medicine, law, sports, and entertainment. As Dr. King predicted, the descendants of former slaves and former slave owners have been sitting down together at the table of brotherhood for decades. We are so close to achieving Dr. King’s dream throughout all segments of society. Yet every time we go to kick the football to put points on the board, the Democrats pull it away.
They pull it away by telling black kids to look at their white classmates as oppressors. You can’t get to equality that way. Kids don’t see race. They see friends. Why would anyone want to destroy that innocence?
You can’t get to equality by trapping poor kids in failing schools. Education is the great equalizer, but only if you put the interests of the children ahead of the teachers’ unions.
You can never get to equality by pushing more people into poverty with sky-high inflation and out-of-control spending. The middle class is shrinking. Everyone is struggling with soaring prices for food, gas, and housing. Everyone, that is, except the elites.
You won’t get to equality by throwing money at programs without demanding accountability for results. California spent $24 billion over the last five years on programs for the homeless but has no idea where a lot of the money went or whether its programs are working. No one can account for the spending, and no one is taking responsibility for the outcomes. Despite the massive spending, homelessness has increased to crisis levels.
It’s impossible to get to equality by keeping people desperate and dependent on the government. You can’t get to equality by making communities unsafe and allowing deadly drugs to flow like water into our cities and towns. You will not get to equality by forcing carpenters and plumbers to pay off the loans of wealthy lawyers.
And you will never get to equality by mocking people of faith. Blacks have a long tradition of turning to their churches for strength in difficult times. When Democrats attack Christians and their beliefs and try to remove God from all aspects of life, that doesn’t just affect white conservatives, which is bad enough. It harms the African American community in a profound way.
The Republican party is the party of Lincoln — the party of freedom. It’s the party of Reagan – lifting all boats with economic prosperity and strength. Republican policies provide the best path for achieving Dr. King’s dream: school choice, parental rights, border security, law and order, a strong military, energy independence, fiscal discipline. Unfortunately, Republican lawmakers are wasting time fighting with each other instead of moving the ball as a team.
The American people are paying attention. They have every right to ask their elected representatives questions like, “Are you making our lives better?” “Are you keeping us safe?”
“Are you keeping the country strong?” “Are you spending taxpayer money wisely?” “Are you lifting people out of poverty?” “Are you teaching kids how to think instead of what to think?” “Are you preparing them for success in life?”
The Democrats can’t answer “yes” to a single one of these questions. It’s clear we can’t count on them to advance the ball for us. It’s time to put them on the bench and let Republicans run it into the end zone. Otherwise, we run the risk of losing the dream forever.
Herschel Walker is a former Georgia Senate candidate and NFL player.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller.
