Lawrence Jones: Democrats 'gaslight' Black community on race issues while 'restricting our freedom'

The coronavirus pandemic has proved once and for all that the federal government does not care about the best interests of its people, and "that goes double for the Black community," said "Fox News Primetime" host Lawrence Jones Friday. 

"They don't care. They don't care about the business that are closed or that our kids are locked out of our schools," Jones said. "They don't care that restricting our freedom and expanding the power of the state is is having a dangerous long-term impact on Black and Brown people."

At this point, he added "Democrats know that on the merit of the policies alone, they will get hammered at the ballot box in 2022 and beyond. What do they do? They fight dirty. They have to, to win. 

"They are trying to gaslight us on racial issues ... Instead of having an honest conversation about the kitchen table issues that matter to all Americans, they would rather scream their lies through the megaphone and divide us all."

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To combat this, Jones explained, Republicans have to have a cogent message to the Black community. 

"There is a void where the conservatives and their arguments should be," he said. "If the Republicans ever want to win it back, they have to act right now."

"The Republican Party made gains under Donald Trump but that's because of the man, not the party as a whole," Jones added. "The GOP has a chance to expand the tent and make inroads with minorities. But the question is how? It's not enough to say that the Democrats failed us. The Black community knows that better than anyone. The problem is, what is our alternative?"

The GOP can start, he said, by demonstrating the effects of lockdowns on the economy.

"The number of Black-owned small businesses declined by 41% from the start of the pandemic. Compared to January 2020, Black unemployment is up 50%. Be the party to reopen America and take credit for it. Expand the pro-business agenda in the community. Double down on the Opportunity Zones and keep pushing for the economic development in the urban areas."

Another possibility is emphasizing support for the right to bear arms.

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"Instead of locking young Black men up for firearm possession, we should eliminate unconstitutional gun laws. We should encourage gun ownership and gun safety classes so Black people can properly protect their own neighborhoods.

"When it comes to justice, you have to be consistent on the issue. If the state abuses their power, we must hold them accountable. If a bad cop kills somebody on duty, take the case seriously. Justice must always be applied fairly and evenly. We believe life is precious. We believe in due process, too. And despite what the media will have you believe, we support good cops."