Well, an exchange that got somewhat out of hand-and justifiably so-on this thread, along with a trend of continuing, obsessive and inane posts on the “racism of the Democratic party,” supported by quotes that are often from 50-100 years ago, led me to start another thread with this post; I’ll start this post with some quotes from the most prominent of Republicans, a man respected by Republicans and Democrats as a great President, if not the greatest-a man revered by many for the Emancipation Proclamation-the man who “freed the slaves,” and “made all men equal”-I give you, at his “finest,”
Abraham Lincoln:
Of course, the War between the States became a war for abolition, and Lincoln did what he thought was best for the country-and such quotes are evidence of his being a product of his times and upbringing. Who knows what he would have had to say had he lived past the age of 56-to the ripe old age of John Adams, our first Vice President, and second President, who lived to be almost 91. But Lincoln got what many get for doing what they think is right-however they feel personally: a bullet in the head.
Of course, I could use those quotes to show the Republican partyÂ’s history of racism, as some might, but thatÂ’s not at all the point IÂ’m trying to make here.
Later, LBJ championed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and as a Democratic President, doing what he thought was best for his country. As a congressman from Texas, however, he opposed earlier civil rights legislation-of course, he was doing his job by representing his constituency, and their wishes. In one instance or the other he went against however he felt personally, and did what he thought was the right-or politic-thing to do. After he passed the Civil Rights Act, what was previously a Democratic South started voting Republican, abandoning a party that had not supported what was, essentially, a southern ideology of oppression and segregation towards blacks-whatever forms such things might have taken in the north of the country notwithstanding.
Malcom X spent most of his life as something of a racist, and some might say with good reason. He shook off the laughable ideologies of the Nation of Islam, as well as his own racism, though, to say that he could no longer embrace complete separation of the races, and would accept help from anyone, of any race, in any quarter, for the furthering of his goal of prosperity and equality for the members of his “race.” Shame that he got what so many get for speaking their truth: a bullet in the head. Sadly, Malcom is chiefly remembered by many for his racism and militancy, rather than his later conversion (flip-flop? Epiphany?) to a more moderate stance.
Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia opposed civil rights right up through 1964, and was a member of the KKK at one time. He’s since come to call his KKK membership a foolishness of his youth, and say that he was wrong to oppose the Civil Rights Act. He tried to increase the budget for the Martin Luther King Memorial by $10 million, saying that “…with the passage of time, I have come to learn that his dream was the American Dream, and few ever expressed it more eloquently.” I’ve met the man several times, and, well, he’s old, and a product of his time and place-as we all are-but he’s tried, I believe, and continues to try to be a good man, as well as a good politician-though his positions on civil rights and race continue to be all over the map, as are some of his statements. He’s said that he’d take back his opposition to the Civil Rights Act, if he could-that he sees how the country needed it, and has improved because of it….are we to call him a racist simply because he obviously was one, once, and may even still harbor racist thoughts (as, I believe, we all do) or are we to believe that a person-and therefore an entire party-can change?
Or, should we absurdly, inanely, simplistically and repeatedly label Republicans as “racist,” for what the great man and great President some would call their founder said, more than 100 years ago?
Abraham Lincoln:
Of course, the War between the States became a war for abolition, and Lincoln did what he thought was best for the country-and such quotes are evidence of his being a product of his times and upbringing. Who knows what he would have had to say had he lived past the age of 56-to the ripe old age of John Adams, our first Vice President, and second President, who lived to be almost 91. But Lincoln got what many get for doing what they think is right-however they feel personally: a bullet in the head.
Of course, I could use those quotes to show the Republican partyÂ’s history of racism, as some might, but thatÂ’s not at all the point IÂ’m trying to make here.
Later, LBJ championed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and as a Democratic President, doing what he thought was best for his country. As a congressman from Texas, however, he opposed earlier civil rights legislation-of course, he was doing his job by representing his constituency, and their wishes. In one instance or the other he went against however he felt personally, and did what he thought was the right-or politic-thing to do. After he passed the Civil Rights Act, what was previously a Democratic South started voting Republican, abandoning a party that had not supported what was, essentially, a southern ideology of oppression and segregation towards blacks-whatever forms such things might have taken in the north of the country notwithstanding.
Malcom X spent most of his life as something of a racist, and some might say with good reason. He shook off the laughable ideologies of the Nation of Islam, as well as his own racism, though, to say that he could no longer embrace complete separation of the races, and would accept help from anyone, of any race, in any quarter, for the furthering of his goal of prosperity and equality for the members of his “race.” Shame that he got what so many get for speaking their truth: a bullet in the head. Sadly, Malcom is chiefly remembered by many for his racism and militancy, rather than his later conversion (flip-flop? Epiphany?) to a more moderate stance.
Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia opposed civil rights right up through 1964, and was a member of the KKK at one time. He’s since come to call his KKK membership a foolishness of his youth, and say that he was wrong to oppose the Civil Rights Act. He tried to increase the budget for the Martin Luther King Memorial by $10 million, saying that “…with the passage of time, I have come to learn that his dream was the American Dream, and few ever expressed it more eloquently.” I’ve met the man several times, and, well, he’s old, and a product of his time and place-as we all are-but he’s tried, I believe, and continues to try to be a good man, as well as a good politician-though his positions on civil rights and race continue to be all over the map, as are some of his statements. He’s said that he’d take back his opposition to the Civil Rights Act, if he could-that he sees how the country needed it, and has improved because of it….are we to call him a racist simply because he obviously was one, once, and may even still harbor racist thoughts (as, I believe, we all do) or are we to believe that a person-and therefore an entire party-can change?
Or, should we absurdly, inanely, simplistically and repeatedly label Republicans as “racist,” for what the great man and great President some would call their founder said, more than 100 years ago?
