Civil Rights and Republicans
On PBS News Hour tonight, they interviewed some voters, and one black man said of the GOP: "I don't trust their party. I look at historically ... they were not for civil rights, they were not for women's rights ..."
Dammit, this is just false. More Republicans -- as a percentage -- than Democrats supported the Civil Rights Act of 1964. There were more Democrats in the House, but 79% of Republicans (136-35), as opposed to 63% of Democrats (153-91), voted for the Act, and it never would have passed without the support of the Republicans. And Eisenhower laid the groundwork for the civil rights act, in the 60s.
As to women's rights, the GOP *started* women's rights, first proposing the ERA in the 20s, and included it in their platform for many years. It was the Democrats who blocked it. The GOP reversed and opposed it in the 80s, largely because it was no longer necessary: not that women were treated equally, but the law and precedent was clear enough that the ERA was rightly considered redundant.
"Historically," the GOP actually has a much better overall history than the Democrats on civil rights. Of course, the question is: what have you done for me lately? And here, the GOP has had a bit of a rocky road (for many reasons, both good and bad). But so have the Democrats; they just do a better job of faking it.
Dammit, this is just false. More Republicans -- as a percentage -- than Democrats supported the Civil Rights Act of 1964. There were more Democrats in the House, but 79% of Republicans (136-35), as opposed to 63% of Democrats (153-91), voted for the Act, and it never would have passed without the support of the Republicans. And Eisenhower laid the groundwork for the civil rights act, in the 60s.
As to women's rights, the GOP *started* women's rights, first proposing the ERA in the 20s, and included it in their platform for many years. It was the Democrats who blocked it. The GOP reversed and opposed it in the 80s, largely because it was no longer necessary: not that women were treated equally, but the law and precedent was clear enough that the ERA was rightly considered redundant.
"Historically," the GOP actually has a much better overall history than the Democrats on civil rights. Of course, the question is: what have you done for me lately? And here, the GOP has had a bit of a rocky road (for many reasons, both good and bad). But so have the Democrats; they just do a better job of faking it.
"It is the common fate of the indolent to see their rights become a prey to the active. The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance; which condition if he break, servitude is at once the consequence of his crime and the punishment of his guilt."
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