I have made it a point to talk to minorities that voted from Trump. I found out a co-worker voted for Trump. The man is black and has the mannerisms of a gay man. He is not openly gay. I developed a rapport with him and began to question why he chose to vote for Donald Trump.
 
Before I go further, I want to say I do believe a black person can be a conservative. I think black people should follow any political party that feel will uplift their community. However, I feel Donald Trump was a uniquely unqualified candidate for the black community. His rhetoric was intensely vile. He seemed to have no sympathy for the poor or disenfranchised. His involvement pressuring newspapers to write negative articles on the Central Park Five and numerous housing discrimination cases would cause most black people serious concern.
 
The co-worker that I will name Larry, for the sake of storytelling recounted his childhood. A single mother raised him while attending beauty school. He and his two other siblings were raised without a father in the house. They went through many hard times until he was able to join the Navy at eighteen. He used the GI Bill to go to college and now works at a job in which he makes over $100,000.
 
I asked, given his background, wouldn’t he like for the next generation to have a safety net. If he was helped growing up or money had been given to him to go straight to college, he could be even further in life. He replied that struggle has made him stronger. He has more than most people that had two parents in a middle-class household. If money were given to him or a safety net, he would never have “stepped out there and trusted G-d.”
 
His response gave me insight into how black people in the Orange Meme will internalize the need to prove themselves. Strive drive is the focus of the Orange Meme. A person needs to feel that they have earned everything that they have. There entire life can become proving themselves to other people and other people proving themselves to them.
 
His logic also assumes that the only motivator is fear. He was afraid of ending up in a “dead-end job” in the hood, so he joined the Navy and used the GI Bill. He could have been motivated by love of the country or need for adventure and done the same thing. He also doesn’t consider all the other black men that were not able to overcome all of those barriers. How many blacks went to the military and died in combat before they could go to college? How many black men could not make it in college due to discrimination or lack of ability? I feel that there should be some safety net for those people.
 
I feel the Republican Party could do more to ensure this safety net without violating their core principles. For example, Republicans could do more to keep jobs in America. I applaud Republicans for being against illegal immigration that has a disproportionately adverse effect on black labor. Donald Trump was also against the Trans-Pacific Partnership which many leading analysts said would pull jobs out of America.
 
Even though Trump did have some policies that could benefit black people, Larry never mentioned them. Larry was against immigration because he did not want America overrun by foreigners. Larry cited many anecdotal cases of Muslims attacking citizens in Europe and attempting to set up Sharia Law. He was against “hand-outs” and college grants because it would reduce work ethic and people would not appreciate what they are given. He believed people should rely on G-d and not the government. These are very emotional arguments.
 
I suppose that being part of a subculture many people become heavily influenced by the dominant culture. These people adopt the values of the dominant culture because it could help them improve themselves. Being self-reliant and being steeped in preserving your religious and patriotic roots can ground a person. However, a person can never lose sight of the bigger picture. Even if a few individuals can overcome tremendous odds, most people can’t. Also, the same logic used to keep Muslims disenfranchised because they are not American, has and continues to blacks. A few Muslims in a town what Sharia Law, the media will make people believe they all want Sharia Law. A few black people are on drugs; the media will make people think all black people are on drugs.
 
In conclusion, I don’t think minorities should leave or not vote for the Republican Party. I simply think the motivation should always be what is best for the community. It is important that everyone recognizes their unique place in society and works to make things easier for people like them in the future. A person should also look deeply into their mental shadows. Understand how shadow could affect decision making. It is imperative that all minorities act logically and not out of emotion.
 
The pathologies presented in Larry are unique to the Orange Meme. The Orange Meme focuses on earning your reward and proving yourself. The need to prove oneself becomes the shadow. Most Orange Meme individuals believe they are operating solely on logic. Attempting to alert people of their shadow will cause a ton of resistance. Shadow work needs to be an essential practice for anyone involved in Ego Development.