I was duly impressed by Frank Macia’s “Polish up Black Politics” (Daily Nexus, Feb. 9) editorial. Frank, reading your article was worse than listening to a Creed song. Now, my disgust was not a result of your opinion on the subject of Republican policies and their “positive” effects on African-Americans. As a senior at a university where one should know how to write an argumentative paper … I think I threw up a little in my mouth in reaction to your ridiculous generalizations and illogical syllogisms.

Firstly, you said that there exist no members of the Democratic Party, including the black ones, that “like” black people. Bad move. You then told us that Democrats were members of the “slavery party.” Slavery ended about a century and a half ago and those who were Southern “Democrats” at the time were the ones who became Republicans after the Civil War ended.

One of my favorite parts of the article was the statement made about one Democratic senator who belonged to the KKK. What the hell does that have to do with the price of rice in China? You can’t use one person who did something shameful in the past to represent the value system of all Democratic senators. Why don’t I mention a certain Strom Thurmond? He was the white, racist Republican, infamous for conducting the longest filibuster in American history to oppose the Civil Rights Act. He also shagged his black servant and, decades later his half-black child spoke up after his death. Bringing up one extreme example of a Democratic senator has nothing to do with your actual point, but if you want to use that as a supporting idea, then two can play at this game.

You explained that Condoleezza Rice is perceived as a traitor to the black community because of her Cabinet position. It does no good for your argument to use one of the most powerful black women in the world and speculate that her conservative values can apply to all blacks. I can think of a black conservative who truly is a self-hater and his name is Justice Clarence Thomas, the anti-choice, anti-gay, anti-black and anti-Christ of the Supreme Court and one of Dubya’s favorites. Thomas has written dissenting opinions where he bashes his own race using neo-conservative principles. But, like you said, black Democrats don’t like their own people.

You spoke of Republican blacks who are classified as not truly black, poor conservatives who are misled and gay Republicans who are self-loathing. The modern day Republican Party gets its votes, in general, in a few ways. Republicans tend to achieve the Midwest and Southern vote due to their stance on social issues such as abortion, homosexuality and abstinence education. That constituency thrives on the evangelical pull within the current administration. They identify with winners such as Tom DeLay and Rick Santorum. The Bush administration also gets its votes from big business players who love to hate taxes – you know, corporations like Enron. All good people. To be honest, I’ve never met a gay Republican and trust me … I know a butt load of gay people. In addition, Bush receives a large percentage of the Hispanic vote partially due to social values and immigration laws while on the side, he fucks over Latin-American farmers with the Central American Free Trade Agency. In 2001 you said families were lifted from “extreme poverty” to “just poverty”? Is there that significant a difference between the two?

No Child Left Behind may be decreasing the gap between races in the subjects of math and English. However, more students are dropping out. While you got to finger paint and learn about the Gold Rush, students these days get to interact with packets all day long. This summer I interned in Washington, D.C. at a feminist organization. That’s right Frank, I’m one of those. I was walking by the National Education Association one day and I laughed out loud at the makeshift red schoolhouses erected in honor of No Child Left Behind.

We all know Kanye West wasn’t the brightest pea in the patch for saying what he said on national television. Be more original in your example of people who truly don’t like blacks. Maybe use Barbara Bush. She assumed out loud that the black children must have been enjoying their stay at the luxurious five-star Superdome because it was quite the upgrade from the ghetto.

Had you made an intellectual argument, I would have disagreed with you but I would have respected you for giving your conservative schpeel in the midst of us liberals. Your message was written inarticulately and it strayed from your actual point, which, I think attempted to explain that, and I hope I get this straight — that Republican legislation is trying to lift blacks out of poverty and lessen social injustices, but Democrats don’t like black people.

Amy Krakower is a senior law & society major.