HELLO!;

I have had several people complain about the apparent lack of attention 
FIDO pays to Blacks, but maybe folks don't know; FIDO is not a government 
agency, so you have to take the initiative, get off your  butt, or you 
get ~nowhere~. TURNCOAT_USA echo is for ~~anyone~~, but it is ~about~ 
Blacks who know they can do for themselves and are willing to share their 
thoughts with others, and it is MY hope that ~~~all~~~ interested parties 
can get together somehow and turn these thoughts into productive action.

Turncoat is focused on initiating real dialogue between all people who
want to make a difference in the present and future of Black Ameri-
cans, even if that difference involves nothing more than talking about
it. It is open to those of all races, philosophies, and political 
affiliations, but conservatism will dominate and permeate the 
discussions.

That means that discussions concerning economic, political, and social
activities is ON limits. I believe firmly that, even with discrim-
ination by lenders, realtors, and employers, Blacks can STILL move
forward in America by establishing our own economic infrastructure,
just as others have done under similar circumstances.

The political, economic, and social infrastructure which supports a
near-majority of Blacks -and a ~wide majority~ of our young and poor-
is already in place, but was established and is maintained by the
government, -and you see where that has left us- as compared to the
system which sustains the REST of the country, which was established
by individuals and private enterprise (You know, that's the one where
Blacks go and beg for whatever scraps may be 'set aside' for them.

Economics is the key that opens the door to political power, and
Blacks have the potential to build a system that works just as well
as any other system in place. It surely won't compete with the Ameri-
can economy, and it doesn't HAVE to be a separate system, but it
should be capable of standing on it's own.

If this idea sounds foreign to you, and you feel it can't be done,
then I invite you to join anyway, so you can help me prove either that
Blacks CAN compete on an equal basis with anyone else, given an equal
opportunity, or that we can't. There is no middle, no excuse, no
rationalizing. Either we are equal in our capabilities or we are not.

I have no time nor the patience for those (of ANY race, color, or ethnic   
group) who must include the phrase "the last twelve years" in every 
sentence. You know, those who think that Reagan/Bush policies were the 
cause of all the Blacks' problems (As if there were none before Reagan or 
none after Bush). Political affiliation is irrelevant, as long as 
conservatism is stressed, and conservatism is irrelevant if you have no    
solution to the problem you are discussing.

Those who would like to write a new page (of self reliance and achie-
vement ) in the Black History book need to try this echo for at least
thirty days.
If you are a sysop, please consider adding TURNCOAT_USA to your list of
independent echoes. Just Freq TURNCOAT from me or from any Overleaf hub
and review the info pkt.

If you are not a sysop, please do the same or netmail a request for the
echo, and I will arrange to send it or have you pick it up.
TURNCOAT_USA is carried on the following BBSs:

BullChips        Augusta,      GA 706-560-1384  Sysop  Stephen Frazier
The Mess,        Stevensville, MT 406-777-0109  Sysop  Robert Healy
New Horizons BBS Amarillo,     TX 806-653-0167  Sysop  Mac MaGuire
Goedel's Law     Rockville,    MD 301-279-8634  Sysop  Matt Prastein
The Desert Reef  Tucson,       AZ 602-624-6386  Sysop  Eric Gray

Please call one of these boards and check out TURNCOAT_USA.

I look forward to hearing from you. 
Stephen Frazier Conference Originator
and Moderator
