Showing Stacey Some Love

Dear Stacey Dash,

I’m a huge fan.  My favorite rap video moment is you running through the airport in slow motion in Kanye’s “All Falls Down”.  That however, is not why I am writing to you.  We all know that you’re a very beautiful woman.  I could scarcely describe how beautiful you are in words.  Luckily, this letter is about your politics and not the way you look in a bikini.

First of all, I support your decision to vote for whomever you choose.  I disagree with your decision to vote for Romney but that is your choice.  What I want to address is the fallout that occurred afterwards.  Even I got the retweet from one of my friends that couldn’t believe his eyes.  I know that you were surprised at the aftermath so let me explain a few things.

First of all, you underestimate the power of black stars to black communities they’ve never entered.  With so few tangible role models, stars of the screen carry a heavier weight than they should be forced to carry.  Further complicating the matter is the fact that you have brown skin.  You aren’t just black and beautiful along the lines of Mariah, Beyoncé or Halle Berry, you actually boast a little pigment, which only attracts the masses to you more.

But you probably know that black people love you.  We also love Barack Obama.  We love Barack for the same reason white people love Neil Armstrong.  They both did things most people didn’t even think could be done.  Both, bright shining symbol of what we could accomplish (Ironically, we love Bill Clinton like white people love Louie Armstrong).  Barack is one of us that gave hope to the rest of us that what they said was impossible was all a lie.  Even those of us that knew it was a lie all along still got chills when someone finally proved it.

The four years since Barack landed on the moon, I can see why anyone can forget the strength of the moment.  After all, for the last 2 years all we’ve heard is that we aren’t getting rich fast enough and it is Barack Obama’s fault.  While the Republican Party did make itself look like a bunch of assholes nearly the entire time, their beliefs were front row center in the American media for long time.  In the meantime Barack was too busy turning around the economy (which the republicans say he didn’t do fast enough), saving the auto industry (which Mitt once said he wouldn’t have done, then said he would have done sooner) and ending the war in Iraq.  Sure, that seems like a lot, but that is because it is. 

I know the party line response to that: What about the economy?  Yes, there are too many people out of work.  I mean, nothing like what they are seeing in almost every other place on the planet, but not what we are used to in America (Yes, that was sarcasm).  To help you understand why blaming this all on Barack is b.s. please consider this: Money does not evaporate and unemployment is not the economy.  When the wealth that was once in the economy disappeared and caused the shrinking that lead to the unemployment rate, where did it go?  It is certainly not in Europe.  If it went directly to China, we wouldn’t owe those companies so much money right now.  It simply got hidden away in the coffers of the rich.  That is why Mitt Romney has enough money in “Blind Trust” to earn 20 million bucks in a year where he had no job.

The economic downturn was simply the rich being stingy.  They don’t care about the unemployed because many of them have never had jobs, only balance sheets.

Unfortunately, black people don’t identify with the rich.  The fact of the matter is, in America, wealth is mostly white and male.  For many people, a vote for Mitt Romney is also a vote for those same people that horded money so much that it shook the global economy (let’s face it, Romney never even courted the black vote).

For a lot of black people that simplify the choice between the black Neil Armstrong and Mr. Burns from the Simpsons, you might understand their anger when you profess that Mr. Burns is the right choice.

I know. There is a difference between anger and the absolutely horrible things people were saying to you on twitter.  When you look at the adoration we have for stars along with the images of the candidates, you begin to understand the fury.

For a black star to jilt the leanings of the community there’s going to be some friction.  After O.J. married a white woman, you see what he had to do to get black again.  It’s like that one idolized crush you have just tweeted a picture kissing someone that you can’t stand.  Now imagine that crush was as beautiful and desirable as Stacey Dash.

I really hope you get on with your career and this doesn’t get to you.  I only ask that you don’t let the reactions of some of your twitter followers be played up as the whole of the black community.  The whole community didn’t turn on you and I think that things sort have gotten played up like that.  You should see some of the things they’re saying on Youtube about “blacks” and “liberals” and using you as evidence.

I’m black, I’m liberal and I got nothing but love for you.  Keep your head up ma’am.  I’ll see you at the polls.

Your fan/friend,
Cogito