I used to be a community organizer and my old profession came in for some open derision and scorn tonight from both Rudy Guiliani and Sarah Palin. That’s okay. I don’t mind. I actually kind of welcome being singled out for special abuse. It validates everything I do, and have done, in politics and in poor urban communities. These people hate me and they hate the poor people I helped. I understand. I already knew that. I’ve spent a good part of my life trying to argue that case to people that were not convinced. “They hate you”, I said. Many couldn’t quite believe it. During the primaries I looked at Team Clinton and I told the denizens of the blogosphere, “They hate you.” Many were not so certain.
Guiliani and Palin did me a favor tonight. They came right out and told us that they hate community organizers and the people that they serve. Good. Now I’ll have a much easier time making my arguments about that point in the future.
Something that should be understood about community organizers, though, is that most of them don’t work on elections, which only come along every so often. Most of them work with people that have fallen behind on their bills and are trying to avoid losing their home. They teach people how to budget. They fight against pay-day lending and advance income-tax rebates and check cashing joints, and other forms of legalized usury. They rally people against crime and drug trafficking and gun violence in their neighborhoods. They fight to keep local parks open and to open local health clinics for the uninsured. They teach people how to speak English and how to use computers. They do job placement and drug and alcohol counseling. They take care of abused woman and children. They organize to clean up garbage and vacant lots.
And, yes, they register people to vote. I know the Republicans think it is a crime to register black people to vote and that is why they demonize and legally harass ACORN. They think I’m a criminal. I knew that. Now you know it, too.
The Republicans hate a lot of things. They hate niggers and spics and faggots and Muslims and European ideas (according to Mitt Romney). They tell us these things everyday in large and small ways. It is uncomfortable to watch but it is going to be very satisfying to see all those community organizers elect one of their own in two short months. And, you know what? You’ll all find out that community organizers aren’t out to screw anybody over. An Obama administration isn’t going to return the hate. They will look to use the government to help all the people that were previously dependent on lowly community organizers for what little help they got.
