by Dee Gibney, Hamilton
Democrats like to paint the Republicans as racist, when it is the Democratic party that has the legacy of racism. The Republican Party’s legacy is one of emancipation, voting rights, civil rights and freedom. Through history Democrats have opposed the Republicans who have had a platform of social justice. When the Civil War ended the Republicans elected 23 African Americans to Congress while it took 60 more years for the Democrats to elect one. In the year 1865 all of the Republicans voted for the 13th Amendment while the Democrats were 77% against it. All the Republicans voted for the 14th Amendment while all the Democrats voted against it. Then two years later, all Republicans voted for the 15th Amendment giving African Americans the right to vote while again all Democrats voted against it. When the Democrats’ efforts to block Republicans’ efforts to help African Americans failed, they started the Ku Klux Klan. This was started to harass the GOP with lynchings and threats. The Klan even assaulted Republican officials in their homes and upon public roads. It is estimated 3,446 blacks and 1,297 whites died by hanging from KKK ropes from 1882 to 1964. Even as late as 2010, Robert Byrd, a Democrat from W. VA, was a former KKK member. He was quoted as saying that the Klan is needed today as never before and was anxious to see its rebirth. The Republicans tried to lead efforts to pass anti-lynching laws and the Democrats blocked those bills and did not condemn lynching.
When the 20th Century rolled around, Democrats took control of Congress and repealed all the Republican Civil Rights Laws and passed the Jim Crow laws, poll taxes and literacy test to prevent African Americans from voting. It wasn’t until 1964 that Republicans, along with only 36% of Democrats, passed the Civil Rights Act with 64% of Democrats opposing it. Then in 1957 President Eisenhower, a Republican, signed a 1960 Civil Rights Act after a 5-day filibuster by 18 Senate Democrats. The in 1964, another Civil Rights Act was signed only after Klansman Robert Byrd’s 14-hour filibuster.
In 1935 every black federal legislator was a Republican and it was Republicans who appointed the first black Air Force and Army four-star general, established Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday as a national holiday and named the first black national security advisor and secretary of state.
Also churches in the 1860’s were the first opponents of slavery.
I would say this is very telling who are the real racists and it is not the Conservatives. The Democrats only want to deflect history off of themselves and point to others, trying to make them believe that they are not the guilty racists when in fact they are the true racists.
History speaks for itself. Learn your history and do not be deceived by the old trick of pointing to others to deflect what you have done yourself.
Gomez says
Lol. Keep trying. That you had to go back over 60 years ago to find an example of conservatives doing something that could be seen as helping people of color is both hilarious and damning. Only one candidate in 2016 was endorsed by the KKK and it wasn’t Hillary Clinton.
helen sabin says
GOMEZ – The DEMS started blacks on the road to the plantation way back when and it is a road from which many have never recovered. Your refusal to face that FACT is what keeps blacks poor, uneducated, and living in the ghetto. And not only blacks but hispanics too. Go check your thinking GOMEZ – and look at the bills from the state legislature now – it might open your eyes if that is possible.
Gomez says
Oddly enough though, White Nationalists, anti-Semites and bigots of all sorts still all gravitate to the Republican Party.