HispanicVista Columnists
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By
Raoul Lowery Contreras - May 15, 2009
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Jack Kemp Was My Friend
- By Raoul Lowery Contreras
Jack Kemp died this weekend. Jack Kemp was a friend of mine. He, in fact, wrote the introduction to my latest book. Jack was a huge Republican who had more influence in our time than any other Republican since Richard Nixon. That includes Ronald Reagan.
Jack was a “Big Tent Republican” meaning that the party must include many people of different views, of different backgrounds and of different races and ethnicities.
Immigration reform was at the top of his list of goals. So was Free Trade; so was economic development from the bottom up.
Jack was the political father of “Enterprise Zones” in which companies get special tax consideration if they invested in a job creating enterprise in low-income zones set aside for this program. Many pooh-poohed the idea but when he saw it come into being thousands of jobs were created in inner-cities where few existed before.
He was for tax cuts before Reagan was.
He was an intellectual leader on political economics who led not followed.
Jack Kemp became a political quarterback after he retired from Professional Football where, he in fact, was a quarterback.
After bouncing around as a back-up quarterback in the
NFL and in Canada after being drafted in the 17th round of the
NFL draft, he landed in Los Angeles, his home town playing for the fledgling
AFL Los Angeles Chargers founded and owned by Barron Hilton of the hotel
family. The team moved to
I was at the first San Diego Charger game along with 11,000 other paid customers in August of 1961. I paid $4.00 for my ticket. Jack Kemp was the quarterback. Paul Lowe was the running back. He had been working in a mail sorting room when Charger coach Sid Gillman called him in for a tryout.
Kemp excited us in
On my youngest brother’s 10th birthday, I
invited Jack and his wife Joanne to join us for dinner at the
Jack was let go by the Chargers and was picked up by
the Buffalo Bills. That was a huge mistake by the Chargers. Jack went
on to bring two league titles to
He retired and joined a Buffalo bank as a Vice-president.
I wrote him in 1967 about one of my brothers who was
tearing up
Jack responded with a kind note thanking me for the
clippings I sent. Within a week, the
He then ran for Congress and won. I proudly donated money to every Jack Kemp campaign for Congress and when he ran for President.
As it turned out, he led the Reagan Revolution. When President George H.W. Bush appointed him Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, the little guy had a real champion in Jack.
In 1996 Republican presidential nominee Bob Dole chose
Jack Kemp for his running mate. The ticket lost to Bill Clinton. That was
the last political campaign for Jack. He cofounded Empower
He died this week, four years older than me and light years of accomplishment ahead of me.
That accomplishment was presaged one Sunday afternoon in 1961 when number 15 – Jack Kemp – took the ball from center and stepped back five steps to turn and search for a receiver. It was 4th down and 12 yards to go. There were but 20 seconds left on the game clock. The Chargers were behind by four points.
Not finding a receiver open, Jack started running to his left, then backtracked to his right, then straight back. Now thirty yards behind the line of scrimmage Jack looked up field and saw Paul Lowe running free down field. Jack stopped stepped forward and let fly a 60 yard in the air pass that landed softly in Paul Lowe’s hands as he crossed the goal line. Chargers won.
- Jack Kemp was a winner. I feel sad that he is gone. But, I do have my memories and the country has his legacy. We are a better people and country because Jack Kemp lived and worked among us.
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- Contreras’ books are available at www.amazon.com
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