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- Sep 30, 2011
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State Rep. Bruce Franks Jr. explains black Democratic apathy approaching midterms in Missouri
Woman: We have a potential tragedy in Missouri. We could lose a Senate seat. Hawley could win, and McCaskill could lose. She may not be speaking to folks, but we have an opportunity to lose an important seat in the Senate. How can we get folks out to vote for that, understanding that itās touchy?
Franks: As a black man in a poor black community, how would you express to me the need to vote for Claire McCaskill?
Franks: I understand what youāre saying. Iām going to vote for Claire. I so appreciate this question, but we have folks who donāt come from this particular community and donāt understand the barriers and challenges. They come in and they say, āListen, we could lose a Senate seat.ā And theyāre telling us that we can lose a senator that we never knew existed because this person hasnāt shown up in our community. This person hasnāt spoken to our needs.
I was asked this at the Hadley Township meeting. A lady said, āWell, somethingās better than nothing.ā I said, āNot when you already have nothing.ā
Woman: Let me push back. Look at what you are getting with [U.S. Senator Roy] Blunt[R-MO]. Youāre getting a lot less with Blunt.
Franks: Can I push back right there? As a black man from a poor black community who voted for Jason Kander, who would vote for Jason Kander any day over Blunt: One thing I can tell you about Roy Blunt is Roy Blunt is the chair of appropriations. He appropriates the federal funding that comes down that funds Youth Build (a program that connects low-income youth with jobs and educational opportunities). The entire Youth Build program. One place Senator Blunt has always fought for and made sure we had funding was Youth Build in St. Louis.
Woman: Thatās ⦠heās giving you crumbs!
Franks: When Iām saving young black lives every day, we canāt consider that crumbs. Thatās a whole loaf. What happens is, now we are talking about folks who, chances are, are having trouble voting for Claire. So, her votes on the good stuff, those are crumbs. Her rhetoric, those are crumbs. But when we have tangible things that we are seeing each and every day that are saving young peopleās lives, who had no hope, who come from a disenfranchised community, we canāt consider that crumbs.
Why should blacks be motivated to vote for McCaskill? State Rep. Bruce Franks Jr. explains black Democratic apathy approaching midterms in Missouri
I tried to take essential parts of the conversation without taking too much out to break rules. But, it highlights that general feeling of dissatisfaction that many are not paying attention to.
Woman: We have a potential tragedy in Missouri. We could lose a Senate seat. Hawley could win, and McCaskill could lose. She may not be speaking to folks, but we have an opportunity to lose an important seat in the Senate. How can we get folks out to vote for that, understanding that itās touchy?
Franks: As a black man in a poor black community, how would you express to me the need to vote for Claire McCaskill?
Franks: I understand what youāre saying. Iām going to vote for Claire. I so appreciate this question, but we have folks who donāt come from this particular community and donāt understand the barriers and challenges. They come in and they say, āListen, we could lose a Senate seat.ā And theyāre telling us that we can lose a senator that we never knew existed because this person hasnāt shown up in our community. This person hasnāt spoken to our needs.
I was asked this at the Hadley Township meeting. A lady said, āWell, somethingās better than nothing.ā I said, āNot when you already have nothing.ā
Woman: Let me push back. Look at what you are getting with [U.S. Senator Roy] Blunt[R-MO]. Youāre getting a lot less with Blunt.
Franks: Can I push back right there? As a black man from a poor black community who voted for Jason Kander, who would vote for Jason Kander any day over Blunt: One thing I can tell you about Roy Blunt is Roy Blunt is the chair of appropriations. He appropriates the federal funding that comes down that funds Youth Build (a program that connects low-income youth with jobs and educational opportunities). The entire Youth Build program. One place Senator Blunt has always fought for and made sure we had funding was Youth Build in St. Louis.
Woman: Thatās ⦠heās giving you crumbs!
Franks: When Iām saving young black lives every day, we canāt consider that crumbs. Thatās a whole loaf. What happens is, now we are talking about folks who, chances are, are having trouble voting for Claire. So, her votes on the good stuff, those are crumbs. Her rhetoric, those are crumbs. But when we have tangible things that we are seeing each and every day that are saving young peopleās lives, who had no hope, who come from a disenfranchised community, we canāt consider that crumbs.
Why should blacks be motivated to vote for McCaskill? State Rep. Bruce Franks Jr. explains black Democratic apathy approaching midterms in Missouri
I tried to take essential parts of the conversation without taking too much out to break rules. But, it highlights that general feeling of dissatisfaction that many are not paying attention to.