By DAVID EPPS
Pastor

His Honor Bill Campbell, the current mayor of Atlanta, is in a heap of trouble. It appears that the FBI is investigating the mayor for a variety of alleged possible wrongdoings.

Frankly, I don't know much about that. Atlanta politics is such that I am continually grateful that I do not live within the environs of the city of Atlanta. The petty bickering of small-town politics is more than enough excitement for me. However, the truth will eventually come out and the mayor will either be vindicated or humiliated. Life will go on. There is, however, something that I am curious about.

Recently, a prominent minister in the Atlanta area, a black man, declared on Atlanta television, something to the effect that the mayor was the victim of a vast government conspiracy to attack and undermine black political leaders. In fact, if memory serves correctly, he intimated that all prominent black leaders were in danger of falling victim to this conspiracy.

Okay, let's go with this thought for a minute. Let us assume that the United States government is actually and actively involved in the systematic harassment, undermining, and discrediting of black political leaders in the United States.

So, it this is true, the local FBI office, which is accountable to the national headquarters of the FBI, which is under the jurisdiction of Janet Reno's Justice Department, is targeting black leaders.

Reno, an appointee of the President, surely, if this logic holds, would not act independently in such a sweeping probe, but would act with the full knowledge and consent of the President of the United States of America. So, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Justice Department, and the Clinton-Gore administration are all conspiring to attack black leaders. Follow me so far?

So, black leaders, who are, by and large, Democrats, are being targeted by the conspiratorial Democrats who currently are in power in this country. Remember, Republicans do not hold the White House and neither do they control the Justice Department nor the FBI. The Green Party, the Libertarian Party, the Reform Party, and the Communist Party have virtually no voice in this or any other matter. The Democrats are in control in this arena.

Here's my question: Does the good Reverend really believe that the Democrats in Washington are targeting the black Democrats in Georgia and elsewhere? If he does not believe such a statement, then why did he make such a statement on television?

But let us assume that the Reverend was speaking in all honesty. Let us assume that he really does believe that the Democrats are working to undermine black leaders who are themselves mostly Democrats. Why on earth would the Washington Democrats do such a thing? What possible reason would Democrats have for attacking leaders in their most faithful voting bloc?

But here's my real question: If the Reverend believes what he said and if many African-Americans also hold to the same viewpoint (which a black friend of mine said is quite probable), then why in heaven's name would black voters cast their ballot for Democrats?

I mean, if I believed that the national leaders were out to destroy the influence of my leaders, I would want to identify who those national leaders are and work to defeat them, not elect them. I certainly would not want to be a prominent black leader under a Democratic president.

So, for me the issue of Mayor Campbell's alleged wrongdoing is not nearly so interesting as the allegation made by the minister regarding a national conspiracy against black Democrats by a government that is led by Washington Democrats.

So here is what I am curious about: Is the black minister from Atlanta going to cast his vote for a Democrat in the upcoming election? And if so, could he please tell me why?

[David Epps is rector Of Christ the King Church, which serves south metro Atlanta. He may be contacted at FatherDavidEpps@aol.com or at www.ChristTheKingCEC.com.]

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