What is an oxymoron? It is when Republicans say they care about minorities.

I noticed the stark differences between the two national conventions. The Democratic party truly represented the greatness and the diversity of this country.

At the Democratic convention, there were young people, old people, and people of all colors, races and creeds. They even played hip-hop music.

In comparison, the Republican convention looked like a commercial for prune juice with paramedics standing by: 98 percent white people, age 50 and above, and a few minorities for show. They call that window dressing, by the way.

To make matters worse, they had the audacity to play Frank Sinatra — and think that is being with the times. I then knew we were in deep doo-doo.

I am Republican, pro-life and black. I did not vote for Barack Obama. I believe in personal responsibility, lower taxes and no free lunch, especially if you are a CEO making $150 million. I think they call that welfare, but I could be mistaken.

In the past 10 years, I have met with each chairman of the Washington state Republican party. Of course, they all said the same thing. They pledged to me to make a real effort to reach out to Hispanics and blacks. I am saddened to report that they have done nothing. And for that, they should be ashamed. I believed they were telling me the truth, but I was wrong.

I would rather have them say “This party is for white people only and minorities need not apply.” I can respect the truth.

J.C. Watts, a former black congressman from Oklahoma, said: “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” It is true the Republican party can win a presidency, but they cannot win the hopes, dreams and hearts of the next generation by appealing only to white people, or by talking about lower taxes, Joe the Plumber and Sarah Palin.

I had a discussion with a friend who happens to be Hispanic and conservative. He asked me, “What are we going to do about a party that talks the talk but doesn’t walk the walk?” I promised him that at some point it would be better, and not to give up hope on the Republican party.

I told him that there is a battle going on regarding the direction of the Republican party. One group says we just need better technology and to stick with lower taxes, personal responsibility and less government.

Then you have the other group led by Bobby Jindal, governor of Louisiana, who comes from a family of immigrants from India. He also happens to be a rising star in the Republican party. He said the Republican party will never regain control of Congress or the presidency if it continues to believe that all it needs is the white evangelicals, who make up 28 percent of the party’s base.

The irony of this belief: While they reach out to the Hispanics, who are the fastest growing minority, they continue to build a wall to keep those same Hispanics from being with their families. Does anybody believe that the Hispanics are going for that “smoke and mirrors” theory? The answer is no. It just seems so hypocritical.

What the party needs to do, instead of building walls, is build bridges. I have called the state party four times, and each time, they said they would return my call. I’m still waiting.

Martin Luther King knocked on the doors of the Democratic party and said “Let my people go.” I plan to knock on the door of the state Republican party chairman and say “Let my people in” because we are all Americans, regardless of color.

I am asking anyone who believes in equality to let the party know they will not support a party for white people only. Conservatives believe that all we need to do is lower taxes, reign in government spending and preach to the choir.

What would Jesus say? Jesus would care less about lowering taxes, but he would care about children who have no health care. He would care about the millions of abortions that occur every year. He would care about the homeless. He would not care about the capital gains tax or even bailing out Wall Street.

That’s what Jesus would do. What are you willing to do?

No excuses.

Federal Way resident Walter Backstrom can be reached at: wkbackstrom@aim.com