As promised the Democrats are next. I started being involved in elections with Ted Kennedy’s first campaign in Holyoke. I had gotten involved in Civil Rights, successful self-help groups, and having learned a lot from my experiences and research. The JFK Era was great, people working together to solve their problems, and with Peace Corps, Job Corps, retired Teacher’s Corps, VISTA, etc. I liked it a lot. Poor people, minorities, working Am.’s given opportunities of their own making with some help and resources to do so. But, with 4 assassinations,…talk about your bad times… And, the LBJ administration, a lot went South. Growing up in neglected neighborhood, and having a diversity of friends including Black Americans the programs quickly got to me. 1. Those who worked so hard to solve problems, our real problems, were displaced by “professionals,” policies and practices came out of Boston and D.C. 2. As much as 70-80% of budgets went to administrative expenses. No wonder we soon had Democrats for Reagan. Democrats: the Party of the Poor. As mentioned above, what happened was some got rich, but not the poor. There were improvements and laws were changed, but I and others in Civil Rights and from the Black Baptist Church where I was a member were angry. The reforms were for all. NO! We believed they were for those who earned it. We believed that the decent, hardworking, churchgoing, civic minded; a veteran, and community involved Black family should be able to go to a quality school, and college, buy a house where they wanted, apply and be able to get a better job when qualified, not be insulted or abused for being Black. We knew and accepted that there were Black people who did not deserve help. Clean up your act first, and then seek benefits. And, White people too. Your rebellion against your suburban parents was not enough to give you welfare in the city. Opportunities and resources should be for decent people, not those who just wanted to live off of the system; Black or White. So I quit being involved in Dem. politics.
Next the Peace Party: Johnson’s War. Viet Nam was a Buddhist country, a former colony of France, but to be involved in governance Vietnamese had to be Catholic, and speak French. Government officials sold war goods, given by us, to the enemy; worked the opium trade, and their governments were more often dictatorships of an elite. I had pen pals in Viet Nam who told me if anything went wrong they would be the first out of the country to homes in the So. of France, Switzerland, and Belgium. But, you could not question your Democratic President…though I did. Don’t get happy both Parties had it that way.
Next: I believe in competition in elections, that is a political no, no. (in both Parties). More trouble for me. Though chairing 2 local committees, and having been a State Committee member I still managed to create problems when speaking out about the $100, $1,000 etc. events. I believed the general membership should get to meet and socialize with the candidates. And, when I had no support when I ran for State Rep., and received no support from them; that was it. So, no not the Party of the Poor, but as the other Parties, the Party of those with status, and that was status quo. I found that the gentry too often dominated, and they were as much upper business and finance as the others.
More about the issues of elections later…Your former Ward 2 City Councilors, Brian Hoose, [email protected]
