|
 Many African Americans today know the infamous history of the Ku Klux Klan and its role in terrorizing blacks during the dark days of Jim Crow. Many are less aware, however, of the role the Democratic Party played in its formation. During the era of reconstruction, Democrats in the south saw their electoral advantage eroded by newly enfranchised blacks who consistently voted Republican. In fact, blacks were founding members of several State Republican Parties in the south. Democrats realized that unless they could find more creative ways to disenfranchise black voters they would become politically irrelevant. They thus fathered the Knights of White Camelia and the more recognizable Ku Klux Klan to do the dirty work of intimidating and terrorizing blacks. The Klan was so effective that by the time federal troops were withdrawn from the south, Democrats were back in power nationally.
The Klan did not indiscriminately harass blacks; they were focused and strategic. The Klan specifically targeted blacks who voted Republican. Often times blacks would show up at the polls and be warned that if they voted Republican they would be killed but that if they voted Democrat they would be protected. Combined with poll taxes, grandfather clauses and other legal games, the Democratic Party effectively wiped out the black vote. Between 1870 and 1900, 20 black Republicans made it to the US House of Representatives and two black Republicans made it to the US Senate. All of them were from the south. After the Klan terrorist attacks increased in the early 1900s, blacks found it impossible to win elections, and in many cases were intimidated out of running for office. After 1900 it would be 30 years before another African American would gain national office, and 70 years before an African American would again come out of the south to represent their state.
Unfortunately, Democrats still routinely resort to underhanded tactics to prevent blacks from voting Republican. Afraid of overt violence, Democrats resort mainly to character assassination, public ridicule and the ubiquitous Uncle Tom slander. Apparently, any African Americans presumptuous enough to think for themselves and vote Republican are traitors to their race. Why does the Democratic Party get to think for black people and tell them how to vote?
The most grievous example of Democratic violence against black Republicans was the scandalous treatment of Condoleezza Rice upon her appointment as Secretary of State. Democratic attack dogs ignored her distinguished service as the provost of Stanford, the fact that she speaks five languages and her amazing credentials, and attacked her as President Bushs pawn. The demeaning political cartoons pictured below garnered barely a murmur of outrage on the left. So long as blacks remain safely on the Democratic plantation they can count on protection in the media regardless of their actions. Step off the plantation, however, and African Americans can expect to be persecuted without mercy. History demonstrates that the one thing the Democratic Party cannot allow an African American to be is a Republican.
Examples of Democratic racist character assassination without liberal/media outrage:
|
