An ominous stage was decorated with empty lecterns last Thursday and the Republican Party was sending a message. There were no segregated bathrooms at Morgan State University and the blacks in the audience were not forced to sit in the rear. Nevertheless, the feeling of disjunction between minorities and the party of white elitists was tangible and four Republican candidates chose not to give a damn.

Flashbulbs were poised, a live audience was fidgety and the nation was ready to observe the Republican candidates field some questions of actual importance. The debate at Morgan State University was intended to give black and Hispanic journalists a voice and to allow Republicans to show they actually cared about the topics most significant to the minority community. While the recent blunders of the Republican Party have been shocking, nothing was more bewildering than the decision of four Republicans to simply blow off such an opportunity.

To be fair, it was only the four Republican candidates who actually stand a chance who decided not to show: Mayor Giuliani, Sen. McCain, Gov. Romney and Sen. Thompson. Also, let us be understanding ‘ all four absentees did claim to have ‘scheduling conflicts.’

But shouldn’t the four most important Republican candidates be the ones most willing to interact with those they seek to represent? And hold on, but weren’t the candidates invited in February, eight months in advance, to attend this debate? Could it be as plain and simple as it appears? Could these Republicans simply not care about minorities? Evidence seems to point in such a direction.

Minorities are not the core of the Republican voter base and candidates do have busy schedules. However, those who had the time and desire to truly represent all Americans seemed to be less sympathetic: ‘I’m embarrassed for our party and I’m embarrassed for those who did not come,’ said Gov. Mike Huckabee. Even President Bush criticized the decision of the four absent candidates.

This was not a special occurrence. Over the summer the NAACP held a forum to promote minority awareness and only Republican candidate Tom Tancredo showed up. Similarly, a Republican debate on Univision, a Spanish television channel, was attended by only one candidate. Republicans are electing to allow their actions to speak louder than their words, and the message is pretty disturbing.

The issue of inequality, especially in politics, is one that requires attention. As much as the War in Iraq, federal spending and health care, candidates have an obligation to address the problem of minority representation in our government.

Though Republicans are taking steps in the opposite direction, hopefully this will serve as a wake up call. The days of segregation are long behind us, yet minorities still struggle to be heard. As stated by Sen. Sam Brownback, ‘I think it’s a disgrace for our country, I think it’s bad for our party and I don’t think it’s good for our future.’

Where will our nation be if it is to be lead by those with ‘scheduling conflicts’ in the struggle to achieve political equality?