Lloyd Marcus

These commentaries have been written by Lloyd.
A Proud Black Conservative!

Posted April 24, 2005

Expect more from students

Robert Moll, an area superintendent for Volusia County schools, was the keynote speaker at the Deltona YMCA/Latino Achievers gala dance.

Moll's speech made my heart leap for joy. First he gave statistics stating that Latinos and blacks scored lower on academic tests than other races. I expected to hear the typical liberal pap about the tests being unfair to minorities. To my surprise, Moll challenged the mostly Latino audience to "raise the bar" for their children, turn off the TV, encourage them to read, study and work harder.

Spontaneously, I applauded and cheered Moll for his empowering challenge.

"Raise the bar! Raise the bar!" Sounding like the Paul Revere of education, Moll's commanding cry filled the banquet hall.

I'm reading the book Reallionaire by Farrah Gray, a 19-year-old black male from the ghetto who made his first million at age 14.

Here's a quote from his book: "My mother planted a tiny yet powerful seed in me before I was born: that I could become and do anything I set my heart and mind to. Thank God I believed her."

Gray's mom, a single mom living on public assistance in the ghetto, raised the bar for her son. She expected more of him, and he exceeded her expectations. Being a minority myself, what so offends me about liberalism is its compulsion to expect and almost encourage little from us.

May Moll's challenge be accepted by Latinos and blacks across our great nation. It's time to raise the bar.

Lloyd Marcus

Deltona


The Washington Times www.washingtontimes.com Letters to the Editor Published November 21, 2004 A shining example As a proud black American, I congratulate Condoleezza Rice on her recent well- deserved presidential appointment to secretary of state ("Bush names Rice as secretary of state," Page 1, Wednesday) after serving as national security adviser for the past four years. If national civil rights and women's organizations were true to their supposed missions, Miss Rice would be their superstar poster girl. They should be holding her high as a shining example of what minorities and women can achieve in America through education, hard work and character. However, I guarantee that this brilliant, outstanding black woman will not be on the A-list of the NAACP or National Organization for Women. Imagine, the highest black woman in America being dissed by the nation's premier minority and women's organizations. Why such disdain for Miss Rice? Her success does not support their real agenda of promoting victimhood. These groups thrive on the myth that the American dream is unavailable to women and minorities. Without question, women and minorities have been wronged in the past and probably still are, although to much lesser degrees. But America has come a long way, baby. The leadership of these groups has not. Oddly, even the mainstream media shows disdain for nonwhiny successful women and minorities. Liberal groups and media almost have a "Who do you think you are, making it without us?" attitude. When the media interview Miss Rice, it's more like a pit bull attack. And yet, with elegance and grace, she smiles and answers their agenda-driven questions. Meanwhile, rappers who degrade women and promote violence against one another and even against the police are defended by civil rights and women's groups and warmly embraced by the media as great artists, visionaries and insightful interpreters of real America. Fortunately, young Americans are smarter and more intuitive than the left might think. They know Miss Rice is the real deal and someone to emulate. She has inspired and will continue to inspire, in even greater numbers, women and minorities to come up higher and achieve their American dream. Miss Rice is an American hero and a national treasure. Congratulations again, Condi. You go, girl. LLOYD MARCUS Deltona, Fla. Copyright © 2004 News World Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.

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