Today, when I checked the mailbox, there was a letter from MyFaithVotes with a “message from former Arkansas Governor and once Presidential contender, Mike Huckabee. Personally, I liked then and respect him but over the last four years I have watched the Republican Party champion conservative values but support a POTUS who in some regard the complete opposite. I decided to share my response in my blog.

Mike Huckabee

I will not be sending letters written on behalf of MYFaithVotes to Congressman Bobby L. Rush, Senator Tammy Duckworth, or Senator Dick Durbin.

While I am Pro Life, I am also Pro Living. While I believe in human life from moment of conception, I am also concerned about oppressive forces in this country that make it hard for them to breathe after birth.

I do believe in standing for policies that unite us as “One nation, under God” while respecting the beliefs of other who have different faith walks. I support the inner-faith community as a human being. While Judeo-Christian values, as you mention, are an important part of your faith, I question the voting propaganda paraphernalia for any Christian to believe one party is more aligned with spiritual doctrine than any other.

You call them to care for those who are most in-need but continue to support administrative policies for the past 12 years that would lock up immigrants, deny asylum request, and separate immigrant children from their parents. The words of Yeshua are recorded in the sacred text state, “that which you do to the least of them you do also unto me”.

You call for them to uphold the rules of law. This is a reinforcement of the current administration and its policies for strong policing and law and order even in the face of unarmed Black women and men being murdered across this country by law enforcement. This same administration and Republican law makers are working to ensure that any protestor is arrested and charged severely enough that they will lose their rights to vote as citizens. How can you champion the voice of the forgotten while the Republican Party is enacting voter suppression through this country.

You ask to strengthen marriage and families, which I am in full agreement with, but this is not reflective of the current administration and your approval and acceptance of their nepotism. Your remarks regarding the former President and him “pretending to be a Christian” are not what strengthen marriage, family, or community. When taxes penalize married couples how can that been seen as supporting families (ok, maybe that a state issue).

When you say “Defend our Constititional rights” I assume that you mean the right to bear arms. Living in Chicago, a city that has no guns stores, has been plagued with gun violence for over a decade. Nothing has been done federally to prevent the flow of guns from MS, TN, or AL. The response has been more policing and more police funding but nothing established from a federal level to assist cities with grants, funding, and re-equipping our schools with funding to bring back electrical engineering, automotive workshops, and nursing programs for our high schools. When armed militias can storm state building with guns and get photo ops with police but peaceful protestors show up with posters and get beat by law enforcement with baton, when the National Guard can be sent to protect building and not communities, when President’s meet with police and not to families who children have been murdered by police officers I have a hard time comprehending which Judeo-Christian values you expect Christian citizens to uphold.

As a Military veteran, as an African-American, as a Christian, I do no represent a single demographic of people. I was called to defend every citizen, even the racists who claim Christianity but clearly do the opposite. I, as you, are conservative in belief and values but those values are not the foundational beliefs of this country.

The mistake you, and many others make sir, is to confuse Conservatism with Righteousness. It has been a foothold on every Christian who being told we can’t vote Democratic if we are Christian. I can give you $750 reasons of the hypocrisy for Christians aligning with this administration. When this administration can call tiki torch carriers very fine people and you stand beside him, this can’t be the Judie-Christian values that you speak of. When he can say to Black athletes that you are “the sons of btcs”. When he can disrespect African American female reporters for asking journalistic questions by vile and accusatory responses I question the Judeo-Christian values we are to uphold in our vote.

Personally, I liked you as a presidential candidate. We share a lot of the same values. But pandering a few Black conservative Republicans like Allen West on to speak for the African American community does not mean that Black people need to “wake up”. We are well aware that the only African Americans that fit the conservative agenda.

It is clear that “all men are not created equal” in America’s eyes. When Conservatives support those law enforcement officers who kill unarmed African American, while they peacefully arrest Caucasians, we can’t possibly all be equal. When Conservatives spend 8 years blocking an African American President from being successful while championing a President who openly admitted to grabbing vgnas, which values are we to support with our vote?

While the Democratic Party has taken the African American vote for granted I am hopeful that they have learned from 2012 the importance of taking actions on behalf of their African American constituents. Actually, I appreciate such a letter generated as a lesson for Democrats to do more than ask for support but layout, as you have, valuable reasons for support. I did analyze how you didn’t say which party to vote for but I am no stranger to political correctness or micro aggressions that happen in race or religious dogma. I am traditionally a very conservative voter (yes, my friends call me The Republican). I voted for Bush, twice (readers don’t judge me). Part of my spiritual growth is standing for the marginalized, the forsaken, and the forgotten. That is the life I work to live daily in honor of my Lord Yeshua.

I would encourage you to speak to your colleagues who still hold office, who are strong in Republican numbers, and ask them to stand for righteousness. They should not admire dictators. They should not align with fascists. And they surely should not place Antifa (no large fan by the way) and the KKK in the same breathe of threat for this country. They surely should not prevent a African American president from making a SCOTUS appointment in an election year but give every reason for White President to make one in an election year. When they do, it shows there is no equity in decisions, no inclusion in choices, and no diversity in opinions.

Blessings Mr. Huckabee.

Signed,

A Christian, a veteran, a citizen, a human being, an American.