TRENTON-- Local activist Dion Clark speaks out about being a Black Republican in a predominantly Democratic town after viewing Kevin Williams new documentary
Fear of a Black Republican at Princeton's Nassau Inn.
Clark, a longtime resident of East Trenton and former Mercer County Freeholder candidate, sat down with Anwar's Reflections--
a Trentonian affiliate-- Saturday morning to discuss his views on the Republican party and the state of his beloved hometown, Trenton.
In the interview, Clark said that Democratic leadership has failed urban communities like Trenton for far too long and that it is time for change.
The East Trenton native said that many people from Trenton ended up not voting for him when he was running for Mercer County Freeholder this past November simply because he was a black Republican. Clark thinks those sorts of judgments are misguided and rooted in ignorance.
Clark says that its important that people come to the Republican party with an open mind. During our interview, he said that it was important to focus on providing more opportunities to individuals living in urban communities like Trenton, not simply throwing money at social programs as Democratic leadership has done.
The East Trenton native insisted that the emphasis should be on giving people a hand-up, not a hand-out. He said that the current system under Democratic leadership has helped create a welfare state where some people have ultimately developed a sense of entitlement after receiving assistance from the government. He went on to say that some people have turned this assistance into a way of life where they rely exclusively on the system generation after generation. He said, "its kind of like a checking account at a bank, if you don't deposit anything, how do you expect to get anything back".
On the other side of the coin, there are those that suggest that the Republican party is indifferent to the plight and predicament of struggling working and middle class individuals. Nine times out of ten, these critics point to budget cuts that adversely affect the everyday lives of poor and working class individuals. Cuts to city aid, education, and so forth are usually what they reference.
Critics like New York Times columnist, Paul Krugman, argue that the Republican party only seeks to undermine social programs like Social Security, medicare, and veteran's health despite the value they bring to society. Critics of the Republican party argue that they only look out for the rich and well-to-do by refusing to raise their taxes despite their large incomes.
Please see videos below:
TRENTON-- Anwar's Reflections-- a Trentonian affiliate-- sat down with former chairman of the Republican National Committee (the GOP), Michael Steele, in November.
