Liberalism will never liberate the black community

History teaches that it has not always been, but liberals have a way of appealing to the black community. (Yes, I prefer "black" to "African American.") They say all the right things and pose with all the right people, giving the appearance of being the pro-minority, compassionate party. This, of course, is not historically accurate. Republicans, not Democrats, fought to free and empower blacks, a truth that some do not know and others will not admit. Black History Month is as good a time as any to remind people that Abraham Lincoln, a Republican, freed the slaves, and the KKK was composed of Democrats.

I don't know where I first learned it, but from the time I can remember, I had the notion that blacks were supposed to be Democrats because that's the party that cares for the "little guy," and Republicans were racist, caring only about rich, white people. I was apolitical most of my life. I never even voted until 2004, so I don't know where and when that idea originated; it was just always "truth," and many blacks will tell you it has been their "truth," as well. My eyes have since been opened. I recognize the detriment liberalism poses to the black community.

As I digest the rhetoric from Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders, the two remaining Democrat presidential candidates, I can't help but shake my head. Each tries to outdo the other in their professed support for blacks. They excoriate law enforcement's treatment of blacks, blast the criminal justice system's incarceration of blacks and criticize the nation for being racist toward blacks.

Let's get real: Clinton and Sanders are simply pandering for votes. This is what Democrats do. They promote victimhood and promise to bring improvement. But they neither have what it takes to make things better nor truly want to make things better. Progress would be counterproductive to the left-wing agenda. The very survival of some of these people rests on the narrative that blacks are victims in need of their help. Imagine what would happen to Al Sharpton, for example, if societal ills -- real or imagined -- were eradicated? He would end up a faint mention in history books. You know it, and I know it -- and if we know it, you'd better believe Sharpton knows it, too.

These liberal "leaders" don't care about the black community. They don't desire black empowerment. What they desire is to use the weakness of blacks to maintain their own power. If they truly wanted to help blacks, they would find the courage to tell us to take personal responsibility for our own actions. They would tell us that if we really believe factions out there are just waiting to incarcerate us, impose stricter penalties on us and deprive us, we should stop doing things that put us in the hands of these factions. They would stop telling us we need liberals to swoop down and do something for us because we cannot do for ourselves. They would stop suggesting, "You can't make proper decisions, you can't stay out of trouble and you can't do better, so let's pressure society to be more lenient with you." Instead, they espouse what is known as "the soft bigotry of low expectations." It is its own form of racism.

Liberalism can never rescue the black community because it's not willing -- for fear of losing influence with blacks -- to speak the painful truth. Liberal "leaders" don't want to talk about the fact that nearly 75 percent of black children are born out of wedlock and that an ungodly number of these children do not have fathers at home. Until the "helpers" are willing to tell us it's time to help ourselves, to deal with the root causes of our poverty and incarceration, rather than symptoms alone, they're not really helping.

Clinton and Sanders have presented themselves as champions for blacks, all the while praising Planned Parenthood and a woman's "right to choose" to abort her baby. Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger was a eugenicist, who deemed blacks "unfit" -- "human weeds" to be exterminated. Most of Planned Parenthood's clinics are in minority neighborhoods, and though blacks only make up 13 percent of the American population, blacks receive almost 40 percent of abortions. Abortion kills more blacks than heart disease, AIDS, cancer, accidents and violent crime combined. Nonetheless, liberals champion abortion and Planned Parenthood, while professing to love the black community. The hypocrisy is glaring.

The problem with the black community is a spiritual problem, an identity problem, a we've-been-duped-into-not-understanding-we-were-created-for-better problem. And though many of these liberals promise to take care of us and fix our flaws, they cannot, and they would not even if they could -- because it would end what they do: use us for their own gain.

Adrienne Ross is an editor, writer, public speaker, radio show host, former teacher and coach, Southeast Missourian editorial board member and owner of Adrienne Ross Communications.