Category Archives: Racism

The Party Of Lincoln?

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Republicans are fond of calling themselves the “party of Lincoln.”

Of course, it is true. At least it used to be.

But if you watch the Steven Spielberg movie, Lincoln, you discover how far the party has strayed from the principles of its most revered member.

Lincoln saved the Union. Today’s Republicans are trying to tear it apart. Lincoln abolished slavery. Today’s Republicans are trying to abolish the right of the slaves’ descendants to vote. Lincoln was a liberal. Today’s Republicans hate liberals. And Lincoln was horrified by war. Today’s Republicans glorify it.

But there still could be hope for the party. If today’s Republicans attend the movie this holiday season, they just might realize how far they’ve strayed from the past. They might realize that President Obama has more in common with Lincoln than their home state of Illinois.

Of course that would require that they are willing to be open-minded and to check their hatred at the theater door. Oh, never mind.

The Real Makers And Takers.

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Teapublican rhetoric aside, the real makers are in the bluest of states and the vast majority of takers are in the reddest of states.

Washington DC, Delaware, Connecticut, Minnesota and New Jersey contribute the most per capita in income taxes to the federal government.  On the other hand, West Virginia, Mississippi, New Mexico, South Carolina, and Montana pay the least.

Overall, the states that contribute the most total revenue are California, New York, Texas, Florida and Illinois.

So if the government-hating red states of the old Confederacy really want to follow through with their threats to secede after President Obama’s re-election, they may want to consider how they’re going to pay for the federally-financed benefits they now enjoy.  Without subsidies from the blue states, they can expect their benefits to plummet and their taxes to skyrocket.

As for the Union, the blue states will be just fine.  In fact, by eliminating most of the “taker” states, taxpayers in the blue states will likely enjoy lower tax rates while rebuilding their infrastructure, improving education and strengthening safety nets.

My message is this:  All of you so-called “patriots” should do a little research to determine who’s really paying for your military, your border patrol, your prisons, your welfare, food stamps, healthcare, schools, highways, etc.  If afterwards, you still want to secede, go for it.  Don’t trip over your racist anti-Obama signs, your “Don’t Tread On Me” flags, your Federalist papers, Bibles and assault weapons on the way out.

A Victory For Truth And Fairness!

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President Obama’s re-election should give us all hope.

Yesterday, a significant majority of the American people rejected the hate and lies spewed by Teapublicans for the past two years.  Americans rejected a presidential candidate who made many promises with no specifics to back them up.  They rejected a presidential candidate who made a fortune in the US by dismantling American companies then outsourced his profits to Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Luxembourg and Switzerland.  They rejected a vice-presidential candidate who sold a plan to the House of Representatives that would balance the budget by taking money from the poor, the middle-class and the retired and giving it to the wealthy.

American voters also rejected a church-backed agenda that would deny equal rights to gays and lesbians; that would further victimize women who have been raped; that would allow employers to deny healthcare coverage for contraceptives while providing coverage for boner pills.

And American voters re-elected a president who righted our economy, signed a bill demanding equal pay for equal work, passed a bill providing healthcare insurance for tens of millions, ended the war in Iraq, ordered the capture or death of Osama bin Laden, nominated two women to the Supreme Court including the first Latina, and ended the government-sanctioned discrimination of a portion of our population by the military.

A president who is winding down the war in Afghanistan, who has emphasized alternative fuels and higher fuel efficiency standards to increase our energy independence.  A president who has prioritized the environment over the profits of multinational corporations.  A president who has done more good for the people of our nation than I have room to detail.

Despite all this, President Obama was vilified by the reckless and highly partisan Fox News Channel, attacked daily by the loudmouths on conservative hate radio, dismissed by the Republican leaders of Congress, and disrespected by millions of racist teabaggers.

President Obama has deserved far better and the majority of American voters agree.

Race And Politics In America.

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When Barack Obama was elected the 44th President of the United States in a veritable landslide, many Americans believed it signified a post-racist US.  But instead of marking the end of racism, Obama’s election revealed it.

Look at what’s happened over the past four years.

Even before the election results were counted, white right-wingers questioned Obama’s citizenship and, thus, his right to be president.  They claimed that the election was stolen through voter fraud by minorities with the help of ACORN. The Southern Law Poverty Center, Homeland Security and the FBI noted a spike in the number of racist domestic terrorism groups.  Gun sales soared on baseless fears that our first black president would take away our guns.  And an all white group of Republican politicians made it their priority to block every Obama-backed bill and nomination in order to make him a one-term president.

And that was only the beginning.  The racist assault on this president was carried out in many other ways.

For example, during the 2009 State of the Union speech, a white congressman broke protocol to shout “you lie.”  White parents and politicians tried to block the president’s address to schoolchildren for fear their kids would be “indoctrinated.”

When President Obama authorized loans to US automakers, an almost entirely white group of angry citizens demonstrated with undeniably racist signs portraying our president as the Joker, calling him a communist, a socialist, a fascist and even a racist.  The focus of their wrath allegedly was that they were overtaxed, despite the fact that their taxes were the lowest in 60 years.  They called themselves the TEA (Taxed Enough Already) Party and threatened to “exercise their Second Amendment” rights.  They called themselves “patriots” and the President a “Kenyan.”

Backed by the billionaire Koch brothers, the Tea Party verbally assaulted President Obama’s healthcare plan (a plan originated by Republicans and signed into law by former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney).  Much of the anger was directed against non-existent “death panels” and fear that illegal immigrants might be helped by the plan.

In the 2010 mid-term elections, many Tea Party members were elected to Congress, mostly from southern states that once had been part of the Confederacy.  Undeniably, race played a very large part in their elections.  Tea Party candidates won by creating fear of our “illegitimate, un-American” president and of anyone who looks like a Latino immigrant.

There have been videos of racists, including some cops, taking target practice with photos of President Obama as the target.  Racists have regularly flown the Confederate battle flag from the back of their pickups to show their hatred of our president.  There have been a host of racist bumper stickers and T-shirts attacking our president.  Republicans even ridiculed First Lady Michelle Obama’s efforts to improve the health of children through exercise and better nutrition.  Not because it’s a bad idea, but likely because she’s not white.

Leading up to November 6, race continues to play a large role in the 2012 elections.  Republicans have passed voter ID laws in order to suppress Democratic votes in minority-dominated areas.  There have been attempts to intimidate and mislead minority voters.  Republicans have tried to limit poll hours to make it more difficult for working minorities to vote.  At the same time, Republicans have resurrected anti-gay marriage propositions in states in order to excite their most highly-prejudiced base.

Throughout many parts of the nation, yard signs and campaign materials for President Obama’s re-election have been stolen or vandalized with increasing frequency.  Opponents shout racist threats and obscenities at those who display their support for the president.  A racist was admitted to a rally for Mitt Romney with a T-shirt reading “Put the White back in the White House.”  And, in the most telling example of racism, Colin Powell’s thoughtful endorsement of President Obama was ridiculed merely because they’re both of African-American heritage.

Think about that.  Should we then dismiss any Romney endorsements made by white people?

Racism By Design?

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Since 2009, a certain percentage of Americans have been outraged that our president is black.  In Arizona, knuckledraggers drive around with Confederate flags in the back of their pickups in protest of President Obama. And, throughout the country, Tea Party rallies have been dominated by racist posters and threats.

Therefore, it’s not surprising that someone recently attended a Romney event wearing a t-shirt that read:  “Put the white back in the White House.”

Of course, Romney’s campaign later distanced itself from the message and apologized for the shirt.

Nevertheless, that shirt made me think:  Why did the Romney campaign choose white yard signs to advertise their candidates?  Is it a subtle reminder that Romney’s opponent is black?  Now, I realize that may seem like a stretch, but I’ve spent most of my adult life as an advertising creative director.  The decision to choose a design for campaign signs is an important one.  Every detail is thoroughly considered and debated.  Nothing would be taken lightly.

Just sayin’.