WANTED: Some Spines For Republicans!
By Doug Hagin (01/09/03)
Will someone somewhere please locate the spine for the Republican Party? It seems to have been lost sometime after the ridiculous furor raised over Trent Lott’s now infamous remarks at Strom Thurmond’s birthday party.
Y’all remember how quickly the entire GOP started tripping over themselves in desperate attempts to apologize profusely enough to sate the race baiters at the Democratic Party. Trent Lott even went on Black Entertainment Television and did his best spineless jellyfish impersonation following the fuss made over his remarks.
Lott’s appearance on BET was an opportunity for the GOP to get it right and make a stand. Instead Lott caved in like a frightened child. He could not apologize enough or surrender his ideals quickly enough. He was pathetic in short. Frankly a man in Senator Lott’s position should have more guts than to act in such a disgraceful manner.
And the rest of Lott’s party was jumping all over themselves displaying their dismay over Lott’s comments. Watching and listening to all this cowardice made me wonder just how far the Party of Reagan has sunk.
It seems frankly, that all a Democrat has to do is accuse a Republican of racism, or of making a racially insensitive remark, and the courage is immediately sucked out of the Republican. And no sooner has Trent Lott surrendered to the race pimps than another Weak-kneed Republican is lining up to take the banner of gutlessness up.
Bill Back, who is currently the vice-chairman of the California State Republican Party, is apologizing for telling the truth about history. How dare he do such a thing? Doesn’t he realize history is only to be told according to what the politically correct deem proper?
In fact, it seems the beliefs Back is apologizing for were not even his words, but the words of another man, Bill Lind, who is a member of the Center for Cultural Conservatism.
In 1999 Back sent some remarks made by Lind to party members via e-mail. The remarks dealt with the War Between the States and race relations after the war. In his remarks Lind opines race relations were severely hurt by reconstruction and that a Southern victory in the war would have avoided the horrors of reconstruction.
True enough remarks and certainly nothing in them should offend anyone who is knowledgeable about history. Race relations were harmed by the period of reconstruction in the years of 1865-77; there is no doubt about this fact. Northerners pitted Blacks and Whites against each other for political gain and power.
Yet telling the truth can get you in trouble today if you are a Republican. And this is not going to change unless Republicans take a stand and soon. As long as Democrats know we are going to fold at the first accusation of racism they will continue to play the race card.
And Bill Back, just like Trent Lott before him failed to take such a stand. Instead he caved in and began apologizing for sending an e-mail, which contained some historical facts.
Instead of taking a stand Back issued this contrived apology. “ I believe his (Lind’s) conclusion and analysis are fundamentally incorrect and he mentioned nothing about how repugnant slavery was and it’s impact on America.”
What kind of mindless drivel is he spouting? The remarks he is addressing had nothing to do with slavery, so why would they mention slavery? Does Mr. Back think everyone must express how bad slavery was anytime they are discussing the War Between the States, which was not fought over slavery?
This, apparently is the mentality of today’s Republican Party. Anytime a Liberal accuses you of being a racist start blubbering and make some scripted apology making sure to mention how evil slavery was. Then follow up with a repudiation of any Conservative ideals, which might possibly, somehow, someway, be construed in such a way as to offend someone.
Does the Republican leadership really feel cowardice is the way to go now when they have just seized leadership? The voters spoke in November, and Republican ideals won. Yet the Republican leadership is still terrified of being called racist.
Does this party still not see Democrats fort what they are? A bunch of mud slinging, race-baiting whiners who will not let the truth get in the way of their smear campaigns. Democrats will always accuse Republicans of racial insensitivity. It keeps the Black population voting for them they believe. And as long as Republicans are willing to lay down and surrender every time such an accusation is made, Democrats will gladly continue.
Yet the so-called leadership of the Republican Party continues to crow about how they handled the Trent Lott affair. As if back pedaling and acting like gutless wonders is the way to gain respect.
Are they really that stupid?
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