LaRouche Addresses Georgia Black Elected Officials' Conference
by Stu Rosenblatt
March 3, 2023

March 3 (EIRNS)--In a precedent-setting event, Democratic Presidential candidate Lyndon LaRouche participated in the Presidential forum sponsored by the Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials in Augusta, Ga. on Saturday, Feb. 28.

Appearing at the historic Tabernacle Baptist Church along with John Edwards and the Rev. Al Sharpton, LaRouche delivered a stern warning of what lies ahead for the United States if his candidacy is not successful in its drive to return the nation to the precedents last achieved under Franklin Roosevelt.

The event marked the first time that a prominent political organization had included LaRouche in its Presidential forum with the other so-called mainstream candidates. This occurred despite strong pressure on the organization not to include LaRouche, but it also marked a significant turn in this section of the civil rights movement, to enter into a dialogue with him.

The meeting was chaired by longtime Georgia State Rep. Tyrone Brooks, and the audience of over 250 people that heard LaRouche, was filled with such civil rights veterans as Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) leader Joseph Lowery, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, 10 state representatives and dozens of local elected officials. Also present was the state chair of the Georgia Democratic Party, who had voted to deny LaRouche ballot status in Georgia, and a half-dozen Democratic county chairs.

The Bankers vs. the People

LaRouche spoke after Sharpton and Edwards had finished, with the chair of the meeting ushering Edwards out in very "undiplomatic" tones, as Edwards's entourage of media, Secret Service, and goo-goo-eyed gawkers were preventing the more serious remarks yet to come.

In his opening remarks, LaRouche immediately cited the four principles central to the U.S. Constitution, principles which form the core of the true American identity, and the basis upon which to rescue the nation. These are: the Pursuit of Happiness--the Leibnizian concept of doing Good central to the Declaration of Independence and implied in the Constitution; the concept of the General Welfare at the heart of the Preamble to the Constitution; and the Constitution's other two crucial ideas, viz., National Sovereignty; and the necessity that the Good we do, be motivated by its contribution to ensuring our Posterity.

The candidate next discussed the historic battle that has been raging between oligarchical and republican forces internationally, developing at one point the horrible legacy of African slavery that must be extirpated from the soul of the American people.

Following his direct attack on the dreadful state of American education, and the fraud of standardized, computer-scored, multiple-choice tests, the audience erupted into spontaneous applause at the truth being brought to light. In an audience composed of educators, or people looking to education as a way out of the drudgery of typical Southern life, LaRouche's call for a return to the real principles of human creativity was a breath of fresh air--or sanity.

The final section of his speech revolved around a theme that has been at the center of his campaign: Are the bankers, in the middle of a financial breakdown crisis, going to "eat" the people, or is the population going to restore the principle of the General Welfare, and back a leader with the guts to force the bankers to "eat the paper"?

LaRouche dealt with this issue full-force, comparing his record and courage with that of the other candidates, including Sen. John Kerry, and challenging the audience to leave their fantasy life as spectators and realize that their turn in the arena, as targets, has now arrived. He concluded his remarks with ideas similar to those he developed in Talladega, Ala. in January, on the profound concept of immortality. Then, addressing a crowd of civil rights veterans of whom many had marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, LaRouche had challenged them to confront the brevity of life and conduct themselves with a view toward posterity, and what they wish to leave behind. "Do I have the courage to do what needs to be done, even if it means risking my life?"

Following his speech, a spontaneous ovation erupted in a large part of the audience, who had sat in rapt attention, not cheering as if at a ballgame, but immersed in thought about which direction the nation will take at this junction, and their role in that decision.

Followup Discussions

After the speech, LaRouche was followed by several other local candidates and the Rev. Joe Lowery, former national chair of the SCLC. Lowery's remarks reflected the impact of LaRouche, as he excoriated the mass entertainment culture of today and demanded that the largely Baby Boomer audience give up their "comfort zones," as the Boston Democratic Convention and November election approach.

In discussions with representatives of LaRouche over lunch, numbers of elected officials grabbed up copies of LaRouche's Talladega speech, and engaged campaign organizers in intense dialogue. The general response centered around the deadly serious nature of LaRouche's remarks, and their burning desire to know how LaRouche is going to "fix things up, especially on the economy."

A group of trade-union officials and a city councilman left the meeting in the afternoon and continued the dialogue with LaRouche at his hotel, engaging in a two-hour-plus meeting to delve deeper into the issues raised.

The officials kept pushing LaRouche on his solutions to the interrelated issues of free trade, the role of the Federal Reserve System, and the fraud of his exclusion from the Presidential race. This dialogue gave the candidate a chance to discuss the deeper history of this country, the shift from being a producer to a consumer/predator nation, and the nefarious role of the Democratic Party and the Synarchist bankers in the destruction of the nation and the planet.

Looking for "quick fixes," the officials were confronted by the truly insidious problems in thinking that grip them, like the rest of the nation; namely, a lack of historical perspective, the overlay of the Baby Boomer escapist mentality, and the need to grapple with the issue of immortality that lies at the root of their flawed approach. The axioms of their goldfish bowl had been challenged.

All of them were horrified at the vicious role of the Democratic Party in excluding LaRouche from the campaign and the debates, and were shocked that he had been kept off the ballot both in Georgia--where this discussion was taking place--and in neighboring South Carolina, where several of them work. Indeed, several of them had voted for LaRouche years ago, when he was on the ballot, and were appalled that they could not do so again.

However, as in any great drama, and loaded up with DVDs and literature, they all departed in better spirits than when they came in. They were happy to have a clearer view of the tough fight that lies ahead, and perhaps a bit more confident in knowing that real leadership, centered around LaRouche, is very much engaged in the battle.

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