“Metamorphosis”
a complete change of form, structure, or
substance, as transformation by magic or witchcraft
Lest we forget, Thurmond, ever the race war
activist, drafted the Southern
Manifesto in 1956 in
response to the Supreme Court’s ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, which
desegregated public schools. In the “Manifesto” Thurmond called on all
supporters of racial segregation to work to “bring about a reversal of this
decision…” Thurmond was also a supporter of the Southern strategy which refers in part to Richard
Nixon’s and the Republican Party’s 1968 plan for winning elections in southern
states by exploiting racism against Black Americans. Were he alive today Strom Thurmond
and the 99 co-signers of the “Manifesto” would be proud of the Republican Party
2012. The GOP has completed their nearly half a century long transfiguration
from supporters of Civil and Voting Rights to that of ReSegregationist.
From Wisconsin to Florida Republican state legislators and governors have set
about on a course to deny the fundamental right of voting to African Americans by
way of Voter ID (read Voter Suppression) laws. See: An
Absence of Honor
As we noted in July, voter ID laws place a financial burden (a poll tax) on low income voters, minorities, senior citizens and college students - groups that typically vote Democratic. The Toledo Blade described it this way, “During the last century, when black voter suppression was enforced with poll taxes and literacy tests, black churches rallied their members to protest such blatant injustice... Although poll taxes have been eliminated, voter suppression has taken a more insidious form… If Americans have learned anything over the years, it is that efforts to discourage people from voting never stop. They become more creative and cynical.”
The Republican Party’s efforts to disenfranchise African Americans of the right to vote is so saturated in the divisive, racial politics of Strom Thurmond that Ohio’s chief election official, Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted, is waging a war on Christian voters. For years churches in African American communities have brought entire congregations to register to vote and more recently, to vote early on the Sunday before election day. Last week Mr. Husted unilaterally decided to restrict early voting to weekdays only. The move has been universally called out for the blatantly hostile act that it is, an effort to suppress turnout among African American Christian voters.
Segregationist Strom Thurmond
Florida GOP Gov. Rick Scott
As we noted in July, voter ID laws place a financial burden (a poll tax) on low income voters, minorities, senior citizens and college students - groups that typically vote Democratic. The Toledo Blade described it this way, “During the last century, when black voter suppression was enforced with poll taxes and literacy tests, black churches rallied their members to protest such blatant injustice... Although poll taxes have been eliminated, voter suppression has taken a more insidious form… If Americans have learned anything over the years, it is that efforts to discourage people from voting never stop. They become more creative and cynical.”
Ohio GOP Secretary of State Jon Husted
Former KKK Klansman David Duke
Republican
Party’s war on ChristiansThe Republican Party’s efforts to disenfranchise African Americans of the right to vote is so saturated in the divisive, racial politics of Strom Thurmond that Ohio’s chief election official, Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted, is waging a war on Christian voters. For years churches in African American communities have brought entire congregations to register to vote and more recently, to vote early on the Sunday before election day. Last week Mr. Husted unilaterally decided to restrict early voting to weekdays only. The move has been universally called out for the blatantly hostile act that it is, an effort to suppress turnout among African American Christian voters.
Segregationist Bull Connor
Pennsylvania GOP Rep. Mike Turzai
In 1994, when the GOP won both Houses of Congress
for the first time in forty years, the new majority immediately began a campaign
to “defund the left.” The defunding took
the form of withholding federal funds from PBS
and NPR and other ridicules antics. None of it worked. PBS and NPR are as strong today as they ever were.
But, Strom Thurmond’s GOP hasn't given up on defunding, or dividing America. On
the campaign trail this year Republican presidential candidate Willard Romney
said that he wanted to ‘get
rid’ of planned parenthood. With voter suppression laws, euphemistically
called “voter ID laws” Strom Thurmond’s Republican Party has graduated from trying
to defund programs that they don’t like to disenfranchising, 'getting rid,' of African
American voters.
The
New America
When their party won big in the 2010 mid-term
elections, the GOP began in earnest its descent from being the Party
of Lincoln. Considering the new
demographics of America, that America is no longer a majority caucasian
nation and with bi-racial populations ever increasing, it is at once peculiar
and confounding that the Republican Party would revert backwards and embrace
the failed hateful, divisive politics of Strom
Thurmond. Peculiar and confounding though it may be that is exactly what
Republicans have done with their ever strident attempts to suppress the votes
of African Americans. They (Republicans) have picked up the mantle and legacy of
Strom Thurmond and the segregationist. They have completely destroyed their once
proud brand. Neither American demographics nor right is on the side of the
Republican Party and their updated for the 21st century voter
suppression tactics. It is important to remember that during the civil and
voting rights battles of the 1950s and 60s the segregationist lost.
For more see:
The Rachel Maddow Show on NBCNews.com
by Brent Scott,
Executive Director of Vote by Mail America
For more see:
The Rachel Maddow Show on NBCNews.com
by Brent Scott,
Executive Director of Vote by Mail America
