By Ada Fisher

As a black Republican of over 52 years, President Donald Trump has my vote not because of party loyalty but because of his delivery on the economy, which has positively affected the decrease in unemployment in all sectors of our communities; support for HBCUs; engagement with Israel (I am a Jew); and other reasons.

He was right to begin restricting immigration, though not for reasons I have pushed — people must be screened before entering this country because there are many diseases from other nations which could adversely affect our nation. Coronavirus is just one. With the high unemployment now facing this nation, foreign workers should not be allowed in when our citizens need to work at any and all jobs available.

Former Vice President Joe Biden’s statement that “You ain’t black unless you back me over Trump” should be perceived as an insult to black intelligence following his previous denigration of those who do not vote for Democrats that they (meaning Republicans) are going to “Put y’all back in chains.”

Demonizing Republicans is used by opponents to obfuscate their repugnant history of graft at the expense of blacks or truly benign neglect in getting input from our communities. This, remember, was the party of Jim Crow and poll taxes, which helped institutionalize racism. This advocating of a lock-step mentality for African Americans when voting versus encouraging people to use an informed freedom of choice in their voting is one of the worst forms of racism.

Republicans haven’t done all we should to help communities of color — especially given that this party was formed with the help of blacks; instituted civil rights beginning with their first such act in 1866; championed the cause of the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments, extending freedoms to so many in arenas which had been closed; as well as being a nidus for the institution of the Historically Black Colleges and Institutions (HBCUs). George W. Bush and Trump have offered them more assistance than other administrations.   

The Clintons were advocating three strikes and lock us up.  As a prosecutor Sen. Kamala Harris wanted to put more folks away in already crowded jails, which is being soundly criticized.   

North Carolina under Thom Tillis leadership of the state House instituted criminal justice reform, which allowed for pardons based on clean drug-free records, voting when restitution had been made and sentencing reform much like that adopted by the Trump administration.

It is past time that a black female sat on the Supreme Court but not because she is black. It’s time because justice as well as a more diverse representative body, which looks like America, demands it.  Judge Alison K. Duncan a judge on the 4th District Court of Appeals from North Carolina would pass muster by both parties without opposition, as she did in her confirmation to her current position.

I am so tired of seeing blacks lick the boots or kowtowing to those who for a vote willingly plaster our lives with promises of stuff of limited endurance without demanding individual responsibility from those receiving society’s largess. The Democrats have advocated for many things so designed without measuring their constitutional boundaries and often overstepping state’s rights under the 10th Amendment.

The Republications are pushing an opportunity society without sufficient safeguards to ensure that all have an equal opportunity to participate. Though, its drive to get out its vote is not the same as voter suppression.

Whites cannot define who is black. That is something many blacks struggle with as we move away from predominantly black neighborhoods, fail to patronize black businesses, buy products from those who do not support our efforts, undervalue the promise of education as a way up and out, dilute our gene pool and engage in self-destructive patterns, while many fail to see meaning in social distancing as a way to self-renewal and survival.

Trump is not the enemy and certainly didn’t cause the coronavirus because there is no precedent for what to do or anticipating the right thing as we learn as we go along.   

Trump has offered viable options while others are all talk.

Salisbury’s Ada Fisher is a licensed teacher, retired physician, former school board member and current N.C. Republican national committeewoman.