Thread by @l78lancer

AN APPEAL TO MY FELLOW BLACK MEN AND VOTERS:

I have truly missed going to the barber shop for the past few months. For me it's a comfortable place of comradery and acceptance where black men can have wide ranging conversations, debates, at times disagreements,...

...but we can always speak openly and be heard regarding the issues that affect us. Sometimes we talk trash about much of nothing. Or we watch sports, play chess and backgammon, or listen to music. But often we discuss important issues and have genuine learning experiences.

And importantly, it's one place on earth where old men and young men gather, intergenerational knowledge is passed, and respect is acknowledged, given, and received. I don't know how it is or what it means for people of other cultures, but it's a part of ours.

I suspect that many black men can relate.

One of the things we would surely discuss are the elections. Because of my past experiences, I know that there would be differences of opinion and, of course, some people who would not want to participate in the suffrage process at all.

I'd be worried about that. Voting is about having a seat at the table. If you give up your seat - even if you don't like what's on the menu, you don't even have any voice to voice your opinion. If you're not at the table, the only thing you can ever hope for is crumbs.

And, you will never be in a position to affect change. You will never have the possibility to direct your own lives or have input to the things that impact you, because someone else will always make your choices for you.

You will always then be the subject of someone else's decisions, whims, and possibly abuse. You will always be subject to someone else's will - a potential victim. To me, not voting is a form of self-appointed and self-imposed slavery.

It's really just that deep.

As one of the "Old Heads" of the shop, I have been asked my opinion and perspective of things from time to time. And while I make it clear that my experience is my own, and I don't know it all, I feel that I have a sense of responsibility...

...to share my experiences in the hope that someone may find it useful or even helpful. If not, so be it. In some ways I guess my role is that of an encourager, motivator and counselor.

I've lived my life fairly anonymously, handling my business, just doing what I gotta do.

I've never had anything like a national public forum. I've never aspired to anything lie that. But if we were in the shop discussing the elections and was asked my opinion of who to vote for and why, I think one way I might approach the subject is like this:

Gentlemen, can I ask you a question?

If someone owed you $100 for four pay days straight, but then come the next pay day they asked to borrow another $100, would you be inclined to give it to them?

Probably not, because they wouldn't have any credibility due to them having failed to pay back their previous debt. Abd you might really be able to use that $100, too.

Make no mistake, that's what Trump is doing in courting our votes.

The economy is crushed. It's that way because #COVID19 is more out of control than ever. Meanwhile, Trump actively and overtly courts racists and promotes police violence against us, black men. Trump is responsible for all the above. How does any of that benefit us?

Trump has literally lied. and failed, and lied some more, and he's gotten a pass each time. Yet he believes that he can bait black males into voting for him, or persuade us into staying home with stereo types, machismo and false bravado, and all kinds of false promises.

He believes that he can make those promises about what he will do for you because, after all, he's rich. But he has done absolutely nothing with the four years he has already had, and things are measurably and visibly worse. We all know what a hustle is.

Some of us may have been hustlers. Trump is hustling us.

Now I'm not asking you to love Joe Biden. But I AM ASKING YOU TO USE YOUR COMMON SENSE. I am asking you to not allow yourselves to be used as suckers and props for an individual how has yet to deliver on anything.

Now think about this for a minute: Leaders are known for the decisions they make. Without exaggeration, Trump has a record replete with terrible decisions that have led to 4 years of continuous and unmitigated disaster at home and around the world.

If you want to discuss specifics we can. But, I'm sure you know the facts and reality as well as or better than me.

So logically speaking, why would you or anyone you know make any decision based on an individual's leadership of demonstrated poor decisions and failure?

It boils down to trust. You can't be the leader in your own home or community if you make bad decisions because no one will follow you and you will have no credibility. Why? Because no one will trust you, and why should they.

Why does he deserve to be leader without any trust?

It's not about our manhood, our pride, our intelligence, how we carry ourselves or anything else no matter how the media tries to portray us. It's about doing what's best and what's right for you and yours. Let's consider just this year alone:

If your work situation has been impacted, if your kids have had their schooling disrupted, or if your parents are terrified of becoming sick, those should be reasons enough to vote him out. If not, why not?

Trump has framed himself as the ultimate deliverer.

In reality, he has delivered nothing.

Please don't let let Trump fool you into voting for him for more shiny objects and empty promises, or convince you to stay home. Because if you do, you are taking yourselves out of the game no matter how rigged you may think it is.

And if you're supposed to be a leader, why bench yourself?

If you performed on your job anywhere near the way Trump has performed on his, you'd be fired and not given a second thought. Trump works for you. So, why does he deserve different treatment?

My suggestion: Please consider carefully, then vote for Biden because the person currently in the office has already failed. You never get a second chance to make a first impression. And, anyone who has already failed should not be given more time to make things worse.

If we are going to be leaders we have to lead by example. Your families are watching you. Your community needs you. And because of the issues we face as black men that are unique to us in this nation, we need to do it for each other.

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