Don Villella – 8/22/12

This page was last updated on August 22, 2012.

Democrats historically against civil rights; Don Villella; Beaver County Times; August 22, 2012.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“In response to Stephen Kislock’s letter. Stephen, white supremacist organizations are not part of Conservatism. They are old-time Democrats. All you have to do is check out history and you will find out that:

“The Southern states that we fought in the Civil War were Democrat states

“After the Civil War, Republicans moved in and blacks voted, ran for office, started businesses, etc., for years, until Democrats won back the states.

“The Ku Klux Klan is a Southern Democrat organization.”

[RWC] The KKK also operated in the North.

“The Underground Railroad was a religious and Republican organization.”

[RWC] I think Mr. Villella may be reaching. While this was likely true in the South, I found nothing to indicate the UR was exclusively a Republican endeavor in the North.

“The NAACP was started with the help of Republicans.

“The Civil Rights Act was passed by Republicans, even after a long filibuster attempt by Democrats.”

[RWC] Here’s a better description of what happened. Republicans delivered the votes for cloture of the Democrat-led filibuster of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. In the Senate, 82% of Republicans voted for the act while only 69% of Democrats supported it. Of the “nay” votes, 78% were by Democrats. In the House, 80% of Republicans voted for the act while only 61% of Democrats supported it. Of the “nay” votes, 74% were by Democrats.

“Martin Luther King Jr. was a registered Republican.”

[RWC] Though Dr. Alveda C. King, Mr. King’s niece wrote Mr. King was a Republican, who knows? Further, who cares? Regardless of his party registration, Mr. King appeared to support policies/programs of the left, other than his opposition to government-sponsored discrimination.

“It is liberals and Democrats that separate people based on their race, national origin, religion, sex, etc. They are the prime example of the old theme of ‘divide and conquer.’ Republicans have never changed their quest for equal rights, but Democrats and the government-controlled media want to keep blacks, Hispanics and uneducated under big government programs, and control every part of their lives, much like the slave owners did to their slaves in the South.”

[RWC] Please read “Lefty race baiters,” “Democrats – The party of civil rights – not,” and “Republicans – Civil Rights.”