Facts and Truth Matter!
Note: A letter from NHRG member Roger Keats was recently published in the Dripping Springs Century News. It’s reprinted here, including an unpublished footnote, with Roger’s permission:
Last week DSCN published a well-intentioned and heart felt letter decrying the symptoms of racial strife. I agreed with much. Unfortunately, the letter ignored the actual problems. Everyone is saddened by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, but we must also add similar deaths in LA, Oakland, Baltimore, Ferguson, Missouri and Chicago to name a few. Over Father’s Day weekend 104 people were shot in Chicago and 15 killed. It appears all 104 were Black Americans. The dead included 5 small children. The weekend before it was 85 shot and 24 killed. Barely a mention outside of Chicago Media. Why did no one care about those Black Americans? What do all these deaths of Black Americans have in common?
In every case, the Mayor is a solid liberal. The City Council is solidly liberal with usually not even 1 Conservative on the Council. The city votes staunchly liberal at all levels. The Police Chief is liberal and appointed by the liberal Mayor. The Police are unionized and that union supports the liberal status quo. The public schools are usually third rate and run by a solidly liberal educator and the liberal teacher’s union controls those schools, not the parents. The economy in those liberal Democrat dominated inner cities is moribund and cannot produce enough jobs to employ local folks. All are one party “states”. Is the common denominator obvious yet?
At the 1960s Selma Bridge riots, the water hoses, clubs and dogs were in the hands of Democrats. Many of the Civil Rights demonstrators were Republicans joined by high profile Republicans such as Charlton Heston and George Romney. 100% of the Civil Rights legislation of the 1950s & 60s was filibustered by Democrats and only passed because of overwhelming Republican support. 80% of the Southern Schools were integrated by Presidents Eisenhower and Nixon, Republicans both. Every Jim Crow law was passed by Democrat Legislatures and signed and enforced by Democrat Governors.
Myth busting: 1) There was no Nixon Southern Strategy. He had an impeccable civil rights record and in the 1960 election with JFK & LBJ Nixon was supported by much of the Civil Rights leadership as well as the best-known civil rights activist of that era, Jackie Robinson. 2) Except for Strom Thurmond, all those Democrats remained Democrats and died Democrats. The claim they switched parties is not true. Facts and Truth matter!
A footnote: Prior to retiring to Dripping Springs in 2011, I lived in the Chicago Metroplex for 60 years and was very active politically. I was an honoree for Black History Month in 2009 and was honored by Rev. Jesse Jackson and Rainbow/PUSH in 1989. I spent 11 years on the Board of Chicago’s largest drug treatment facility in arguably the toughest area in Chicago (West Side). I was on the front line. I have grown weary of hearing people whine, but virtually never confront the actual problems as I did. Many of us paid a real price. The causes are known. There are answers! I would love for all of us to put those solutions forth in a public forum.