A POLITICAL DISCOURSE CONCERNING RACISM IN AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
...gures in the Democrat party admit that Lott's remarks were only truly racist if he was in fact making a racial inference (which, by the way, a majority of bi-partisan African-American leaders admit, was probably not the case). Moreover, what Lott's attackers apparently fail to realize is...Lott doesn't have a history of speaking in code. He is known by his fellow legislators and constituents as a staright-talker who is not afraid to say what he really means... and what he reall!y meant last week at Strom Thurmond's 100th birthday had nothing to do with race! It had everything to do with praising a man who has lived a remarkable life in the public eye for over half a century. After all, who could forget that 24 hour and 37 minute non-stop fillibuster in 1963? Simply amazing! But, let's assume that Lott was speaking in code to his fellow conservatives present at the party, does that mean the whole Republican party is racist (as many key Democrats claim)? I think not - for several reasons... 1. When Strom Thurmond ran for president as a segregationist he was a DEMOCRAT...a "dixie-crat" to be exact. 2. The Republican party is mainly responsible for passing the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Over 80% of Republicans voted for the bill while only about 60% of Democrats did. The key Democrats of the day (including Al Gore's father and the three elder Democrats that Bill Clinton listed last year as his "personal heroes") did not vote for this bill. 3. It was Republican Richard Nixon (yes, yes that's right...GASP!) that first implemented Affirmative Action after meeting with Dr. Martin Luther King. Bear in mind also that it was Democrat John F. Kennedy that secretly spyed on Dr. King and tapped his phone. Thus, I think it is clear that the Republican party is not, as a who...