Revisionist History
The conservative readers of this site have taken issue with my stance on the Civil Rights movement and have even gone so far as to say,
"Republicans were the ones who fought slavery and passed the Civil Rights Bill."
I thought it would be helpful to examine a few quick facts, and give them a, "better view of historical events."
Its is true that behind Senator Dirksens leadership, a majority of Republicans voted for the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Its also true that this Act was introduced by LBJ, a Democratic President.
It is also true that in July of 1964 the Republican Party held its National Convention and nominated for president Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona, an outspoken opponent of the Act. So while a large number of the northern Republican Senators did in fact vote for the Civil Rights Bill, their party as a whole was undeniably opposed to it. Why else would they give the nod to one of the most outspoken critics of the Act.
In 1964 Incumbent Democratic president Lyndon Johnson easily defeated Senator Goldwater in large part because of his opposition to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Goldwater did carry a few states, so lets take a detailed look at the states that voted for him. Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina.(and his home state of Arizona...thats it!)
These were all states opposed to the integration of African Americans, and all states that opposed the Civil Rights Act. How can you possibly square these facts with your absurd notion that it was the Republican party who stood up and fought for Civil Rights. At the most critical moment in the movenments history, the Republican candidate was on the wrong side. In actuality it was individuals in both parties that fought this injustice, but it was undoubtedly the Democratic party which took the lead in this movement.
posted by ian @ 4:01 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
The accomplishments of Kennedy and Johnson in the field of civil rights in the 1960s are well known, so I wont even bother to debate these statements. As to Lincoln though I feel it neccessary to address the question of Lincoln as a great champion of Civil Rights.
In "The Mythical Lincoln," Thomas DiLorenzo describes how "Lincoln was glad to accept on behalf of the Republican Party any votes from abolitionists, but real abolitionists despised him." William Lloyd Garrison, the most prominent of all abolitionists, concluded that Lincoln "had not a drop of anti-slavery blood in his veins." Garrison knew Lincoln well. He knew that Lincoln stated over and over again life that he did not believe social or political equality of the races was possible, he opposed inter-racial marriage, supported the Illinois constitution’s prohibition of immigration of blacks into the state, once defended in court a slaveowner seeking to retrieve his runaway slaves but never defended a runaway."
In an article from the Free Republic, one author describes the Emancipation Proclimation as "a limited, complex, and constitutionally dubious measure. Still, it was a brilliant propaganda coup that won foreign sympathy for the Union cause. It redefined the Civil War as a contest over slavery rather than secession, distracting attention from the basic question of whether a state could declare its independence of the Union."
If Lincoln can be known as the greatest abolutionist then Kennedy and Johnson will CERTAINLY be credited for the Civil Rights Act.
I don't know much about Goldwater, so I won't argue the point (beyond saying that a single man's opinions do not nullify the fact that the majority of Republicans supported the act and a majority of Democratcs voted against it).
I will point out, however, that LBJ did not introduce the Civil Rights Act. He was president. Presidents cannot introduce legislation.
And let's not forget which was the party that supported slavery both before and after the Civil War.
THAT SINGLE MAN HAPPENED TO BE THE REPUBLICAN NOMINEE FOR PRESDIENT !!!! So don't you think his stance on the most pressing issue of the time was a reflection of their views??
Do you consider John Kerry to be representative of all Democrats' views in 2004?
Post a Comment
<< Home