Political Voodoo, Ouija Boards and other Hooey

I’m southern.

I’m a sweet-tea-drinking. . .

Black-eyed-peas-and-cornbread-banana-pudding-eating. . .

Sunday-Bible-toting-unapologetically sassy-sarcastic-back-talking-southerner.

And in being a southern lady, there are some things we Belles keep to ourselves and then there are other things that we just have to get off our chest.

You see, everything old in politics is new again. Because we are in the home stretch for the presidential election, they’re pulling out the big guns – between you and me, it’s nothing that we’ve never seen before.

As we’ve listened to the candidates and heard rumblings from their respective political parties, it’s important that we remain focused on what the real issues are: women’s rights, immigration, and the economy. Do not be fooled by the political Voodoo (i.e., Jedi Mind Trick) that’s being played out in mainstream media that would like us to focus on sound bites, inflated statistics and this pervasive xenophobia mindset that is as long and wide and deep as the Mississippi River.

I do declare.

Political voodoo is being used more than you could imagine but like my grandmother would always say, “Jes cuz y’ put ya boot in da oven, don’t make ‘em biscuits.”

Translation: just because you say it’s so don’t mean it’s true; it doesn’t change what it is.

Here are a few examples:

Political Voodoo: Making you believe that you’re paying or funding welfare for (an implied) race of folks to sit on their behinds and that they don’t work.

Belle backtalk: Honey, get over yourself, this is called delusional entitlement. Most of the people shouting this don’t make a whole lot of money and will probably never even see a six-figure salary in their lifetime, let alone be part of the 1%. Ultimately, the designation of hard working Americans does not belong to one group or race. The economic class of being a poor American does not belong to one group or race of people.

Political Voodoo: Making numerous egregious comments (e.g., racist, sexist, homophobic) and then making a half-assed attempt to “apolo-lie” err apologize later.

Belle backtalk: Did I hear something about sending somebody back to Kenya? What tha devil?! Let me tell you something: people say what they mean. If they said it the first time, they meant it.

Political Voodoo: Claiming that your freedom is in jeopardy.

Belle backtalk: Child pah-lease, the only freedom in jeopardy in this country is immigrant freedom. Period. Thank-you-very-much. Next question.

Political Voodoo: Desperately appealing to women’s sensibilities without considering the whole woman. Sending messages that women should not be allowed to vote (not making this up); or that we should focus on issues that impact women above the waist (not making that up either).

Belle backtalk: Ain’t nobody sticking me in a binder for consideration of a job solely because I’m a well-educated, highly experienced, award winning professional African American woman. Which leads me to question, if I got the job will you pay me equally? Or will I get 77 cents on the dollar?

And quite honestly when I walk into a room I bring my v-jay-jay. And when I vote in November, my v-jay-jay will be in the booth with me.

The only way to break the voodoo spell is to arm yourself with knowledge. Leave racial and gender hatred behind, we have to if we want to survive. This is not the time to sell your soul for money (money that you may have or money that you think you should have because of how you look).

Business is all about profit. If we put business in the White House there will be a focus on the profit and not the people. Use your vote to make a difference.
For Sale: Un-used Ouija Board and Voodoo Doll.