By Jeffrey Charles
After Roy Moore was defeated in Alabama’s election last week, the Democrats and liberal pundits lavished praise on the black female voters who gave Doug Jones his victory.
The left celebrated these voters for ensuring that the Republicans will have a thinner majority in the Senate. It’s understandable, given the fact that a Democrat has not won a major office in the state for decades. However, this victory may not benefit blacks as much as they might think.
For years, black Americans have voted overwhelmingly for the Democratic Party. You would think that such loyalty would be rewarded by the Democrats by promoting policies that will make a positive impact on the black community. However, they have let black America down time and time again.
When Doug Jones won his Senate seat, Democrats — and even many Republicans — were relieved. The left was ecstatic because they won a huge victory in a red state. Conservatives were glad that they didn’t have to deal with the fallout that would inevitably come from having an accused child molester who happened to be a Republican in office.
After the results of the election were announced, Representative Joe Crowley (D-NY) called the black turnout “something that is remarkable and something that we as Democrats not only need to take note of, but respect and understand that commitment.” He also said that “there has to be a two-way street of the African-American community as well.”
Crowley wasn’t the only one. Several left-wing news outlets also lauded black women for pushing Jones over the top.
However, black Americans should not expect any real benefit to voting for Democratic politicians. For decades, the Democrats have enacted policies that have not helped black Americans. Indeed, most of their policies have caused great damage to the black community.
One of the most pernicious policies that the Democrats have promoted is the welfare state. Harvard economics professor Thomas Sowell pointed out that before the 1960s, when Democrats expanded the welfare state, the situation for black Americans was getting better. Many blacks were living better after the first 100 years after slavery than they were after the welfare state hit its stride.
He writes:
“Were children raised with only one parent as common at any time during the first 100 years after slavery as in the first 30 years after the great expansion of the welfare state in the 1960s?
As of 1960, 22 percent of black children were raised with only one parent, usually the mother. Thirty years later, two-thirds of black children were being raised without a father present.”
The breakdown of the black family is one of the biggest contributors to the reality that a disproportionate number of black Americans are living in poverty. It is a well-known fact that children raised in single-parent homes are more likely to live in poverty. Moreover, they are more likely to engage in illegal activities and end up in prison. According to the Heritage Foundation, “the absence of marriage increases the frequency of child poverty 700 percent.”
There is a distinct connection between the Democrats’ welfare programs and the rapid increase in the number of single-parent homes in the black community. Before the 1960s, about 22% of black children were born into single-parent families. After the expansion of welfare programs, that number increased to two-thirds of black families.
The problem with the welfare system is that it encouraged young black men and women not to stay married. It rewarded mothers for raising the children in single-parent homes and punished those who decided to marry. Public housing, food stamps, daycare, temporary assistance, and other welfare programs gave more money to unmarried mothers. If a woman did marry, the government cut her benefits by 10% to 20%.
It is clear that the expansion of the welfare state has had a devastating impact on the black community. By incentivizing single parenthood, they have relegated a large number of Americans to poverty. The overall poverty rate for Americans has decreased since 1960 (because of other economic factors), but the poverty rate for blacks is 27%, which is double the rate of other Americans.
The Democrats have taken the black vote for granted — mainly because black Americans have voted overwhelmingly for leftist politicians despite the fact that their policies have caused rampant policies in the black community. The cities in which blacks (and others) are experiencing the highest levels of poverty are run by Democrats.
Black voters were there to help Democrats win in Alabama. Indeed, it’s doubtful that Doug Jones would have carried the election if black women did not turn out to vote. Unfortunately, it is highly unlikely that blacks in Alabama will see any improvement in their situation because of their vote. Perhaps black America would be wise to try something new, instead of faithfully giving their support to a party that does not care about them.
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