Outreach vs. Engagement
Good Monday morning everyone! Thanks for checking out the weekly message. Before we get to the message itself, I must address an issue.
Last week something happened in our nation’s capital that should incense and anger any true, real, America. During the visit of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, sympathizers aligned with the islamic terrorist organization Hamas took down US flags and replaced them with the standard of that terrorist organization at Union Station, just blocks from Capitol Hill. As well, they vandalized statues and memorials and in full view, burned our flag. I am one of the first who will defend any American’s right to freedom of speech, expression, and to peaceably assemble. However, this was far too much to stomach, and it has grown way out of hand.
It is not “free speech” to support a designated Islamic terrorist organization that less than a year ago killed Americans, and to this day still holds Americans hostage. That is a felony offense of aiding and abetting the enemy as well as providing material support and comfort to the enemy. Hamas is our enemy, and the blood of Americans is on their hands. American citizens supporting and sympathizing with Hamas should be properly arrested, charged, tried, and sentenced for their treasonous actions. Non-American citizens should be immediately deported from this nation.
No one, and I mean no one, should ever feel they have a right to take down our American flag and replace it with any other standard or banner. That is especially true in the case of Islamic jihadists. Kudos to the members of Congress who, after ending their daily session, went to Union Station and raised up our flag, Old Glory.
This must never be allowed to happen again in our Republic, without very dire consequences and ramifications for the perpetrators of jihadism.
Now, onto our Monday message.
I have never been a fan of the word “outreach” and have made myself very clear about that. I found it quite amusing when some tried to use that stance against me in the campaign for Chairmanship of the DCRP. If you think about it, outreach for Republicans has always meant you show up in a designated month of ethnic recognition. You attend a few events, try to eat the cuisine, and, perhaps like Joe Biden at the Juneteenth celebration, stare off with a distinct deer in the headlights look. Just so you know, Juuneteenth was the result of Republican principles and policies, not the Democrats’. But for Republicans, after the appearance, most times no one ever hears from them again until 60 days before an election, and the public in that ethnic community is asked for their vote. This has been the counsel — for many years — by so-called political consultants. Many of whom have given the advice not even to focus on the minority communities, where you will find, especially in urban centers, the greatest failure of leftist ideology policies.
Albert Einstein aptly described insanity as continuing to do the same thing expecting different results. It is time that the GOP did something different, and that is called “engagement.”
Engagement is different because it is about building relationships. I remember being in Afghanistan as a civilian/military advisor to the Afghan army based in Kandahar. It was a duty that I had for two-and-a-half years because just coming in for six months to a year does not allow one to build the right relationship, trust, and regard that is necessary in that type of environment. The same goes for what we must do at the Dallas County Republican Party.
Back when I was the Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas, I took a trip to South Texas my first weekend, to McAllen. The folks there had not seen a Texas GOP Chairman. The same thing I was told when I went to El Paso on several occasions. When we seek out people, hear them, and convey the common denominator of our concerns and issues, we win people over, Most of our minority communities are conservative in principle and values. They have a high level of faith, our Judeo-Christian heritage. They are strong believers in the traditional nuclear family. They want better educational opportunities for themselves and their children, along with small business entrepreneurship opportunities. They want safe and secure neighborhoods. This is the base upon which we shall engage in Dallas County.
We have such a diverse community from Hispanic to Korean, from Black to Vietnamese, from Ethiopian to Indian, and I believe that common thread is the desire to have a great quality of life. No one truly wakes up everyday and decides that they want to be a victim, but if they never consistently hear the message of being a victor, then they will settle for the unforgivable former, instead of the uplifting latter.
Let me reiterate, this is not about an election cycle, this is about building relationships and regard. This is about getting these communities engaged in the electoral process. Ya know, one of the largest communities in Dallas County has one of the worst voting records, the Christian community. George Barna of The Barna Group has done extensive research in this area, and he has deduced that on average 25 million Christians do not vote in a presidential election cycle. Twenty-five million! I am the National Spokesperson for the organization My Faith Votes, and Jason Yates hammers away on the lack of engagement by the Christian community.
So, here is the call to action: engage with someone outside of your comfort zone, but in your sphere of influence. Seek out the common denominators and find the ground by which you can come together. If possible, become a voting registrar, get out and register people to vote. It only takes 2-3 for a short training. Hold a voter registration drive in your neighborhood. Speak to your pew mates at church, and humbly ask them to vote for the values they profess.
Let’s endeavor to breakdown the imposed Balkanization that will undermine our simple theme of “E Pluribus Unim.” Come out to DCRP events that are being co-sponsored with communities across the county. Lastly, consider inviting me to meet. I am happy to be with you and our communities!
Steadfast and Loyal.
Chairman West's #MondayMessage
Thoughts, insights, & topical perspectives delivered to your inbox each week!