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OPINION

Give Kindley his say about partisan elections

Letter
Comments (19)

Friday, November 20, 2009

(Updated 3:00 am)

I was glancing at the paper and noticed that the News & Record in an editorial told former county GOP Chairman Marcus Kindley to basically sit down and shut up. As I read more, it was about the Greensboro election where the Republicans gained the super-majority.

It is pretty easy to make comments and not let the person respond to the News & Record’s remarks.

I would like to challenge the newspaper with a task: Why not let Kindley respond to the accusation your paper made and be fair about it? Why not let him submit his response and let the people of this area decide who is right and who is wrong? I look forward to seeing his letter!

Don Wendelken
Summerfield

Editor’s note: All readers are invited to write letters to the editor, if they would like.

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xeno10

November 20, 2009 - 6:24 am EST

Mr. Wendelken, your LTTE re "Republicans" reminds me right away that Congresswoman Vriginia Foxx (R-NC) announced yesterday that it was the GOP that "passed the civil rights bills in the '60s." Well, that's certainly not my recollection! As a matter of fact, the Republican candidate for president in '64, Senator Goldwater, voted against the legislation. (So I refer to "Ginny's" continuing nonsense as FOXX-NEWS!) Now, if a LTTE from Republican Marcus Kindley appears here, I won't be greatly surprised if it also contains a bit of "revisionist" history! Republicans are just "that way," you know! Most of them are quite careless in telling the "whole" truth! Seriously.

Beachwalk

November 20, 2009 - 9:00 am EST

Hitting the wacky weed a little early today aren't you xeno?

Once again, it's pretty easy to prove you wrong. Here are some of the facts.
Minority Leader Everett Dirksen had little trouble rounding up the votes of most Republicans, and former presidential candidate Richard Nixon also lobbied hard for the bill. Senate Majority Leader Michael Mansfield and Senator Hubert Humphrey led the Democrat drive for passage, while the chief opponents were Democrat Senators Sam Ervin, of later Watergate fame, Albert Gore Sr., and Robert Byrd. Senator Byrd, a former Klansman whom Democrats still call "the conscience of the Senate", filibustered against the civil rights bill for fourteen straight hours before the final vote. The House of Representatives passed the bill by 289 to 126, a vote in which 79% of Republicans and 63% of Democrats voted yes. The Senate vote was 73 to 27, with 21 Democrats and only 6 Republicans voting no. President Johnson signed the new Civil Rights Act into law on July 2, 1964.

Overall, there was little overt resistance to the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The struggle was not yet over, however, as most southern state governments remained under the control of segregationist Democrats. It was a Republican federal judge who desegregated many public facilities in the South. Appointed by President Eisenhower in 1955, Frank Johnson had overturned Montgomery, Alabama's infamous "blacks in the back of the bus" law in his very first decision. During the 1960s, Judge Johnson continued to advance civil rights despite opposition from George Wallace, Lester Maddox, and other Democrat Governors.

http://www.gopusa.com/opinion/mz_0808.shtml

Would you like eggs with your crow?

xeno10

November 20, 2009 - 11:40 am EST

beachwalk, I don't consider "eating crow" to be a gustatory delight, but maybe I can assist in providing the meal for yourself (and your kind) as a Thanksgiving Dinner, par excellence! So I say right away, Foxx's claim that Republicans were the real engine behind the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is a common notion among quite a few right-wing nuts! But, beyond a doubt, it was Democratic President LBJ who choreographed the passage of the historic measure in 1964! In fact, as I stated in an earlier post today, Republican presidental candidate in '64 Goldwater voted against the legislation! I recall that he boasted of his opposition to the Civil Rights Act, and made it part of his platform, believe it or not! So, to support the claim that Republicans were actually the architects of civil rights, wingers point out that a higher percentage of Republicans than Democrats supported the civil rights bill. But this ignores the distinct split between Southern and Northern politicians on the issue. And when this is taken into account, the true facts show in both the North and South, Democrats supported the '64 Civil Rights Act at a higher rate than Republicans! This was the time when Jesse Helms and Strom Thurmond made the transition -- leaving the Democratic party for the GOP. And I suspect FOXX is well aware that a Southern Democrat (i.e., "Dixie-crat") during that period is equivalent to a right-wingnut Republican today! And we know (don't we?), in the ensuing years, Democrats have embraced its role as the party of diversity, inclusion, and civil rights!! And Republicans became the party of the "Southern Strategy," opposition to affirmative action, campaigns based on race-baiting, vote-caging, discriminatory voter-ID laws, and ignorant folks like Helms, Thurmond, Foxx, and, of course, beachwalk! Lastly, I sincerely hope that you will enjoy a wonderful "crow special" Thanksgiving Day dinner -- w/ or w/out the eggs! Seriously.

truth

November 20, 2009 - 12:57 pm EST

Republican support of civil rights jibes well with their opposition to affirmative action which, in itself, is discriminatation.

Beachwalk

November 20, 2009 - 1:07 pm EST

xeno(IQ)10.
It is the democrats who ALWAYs bring up race. Republicans truely want a color blind society.
I thought we were talking about Democrats and Republicans, NOT the North and the South. Libs like yourself ALWAY skew facts and split hairs to make them fit your wacko agenda. The Fact remains a much higher percentage of Republicans voted for the 1964 civil rights act than did the democrats.
You have got to stop watching so much MSNBC and CNN. Not only has it skewed your facts, it has skewed your brain. Enjoy the crow. Seriously.

danagain

November 20, 2009 - 1:56 pm EST

Wow that's the first time I've seen truman actually participate in a debate albeit he doesn't understand what paragraphs are.

xeno10

November 20, 2009 - 3:16 pm EST

beachwalk, it's past time for Foxx to be placed in an assisted living facility; she is definitely showing signs of dementia -- and so are you! Seriously.

danagain

November 20, 2009 - 4:42 pm EST

"...t's past time for Foxx to be placed in an assisted living facility,..."

Yeah let's give former KKK Kleagle Robert C. Byrd another 3 or 4 senate terms truman.

neocon

November 20, 2009 - 3:41 pm EST

Beachwalk, don't waste your time on this. Both the government schools and liberal college professors have done an extraordinary job of rewriting history.

The official stance of the current democratic party (aided and abetted by the media, of course) is that the likes of Bull Connor, George Wallace, and 'the conscience of the senate' and Grand Kleagle KKK recruiter Bobby Byrd were really republicans! YES! The old racist democrats who turned vicious dogs loose on the civil rights marchers and sprayed them with water cannons were really republicans!

I know that's a stretch, but it doesn't take a lot to indoctrinate the likes of truman into a full fledged believer.

fredr

November 20, 2009 - 4:17 pm EST

Thank you for providing the voting history for the Civil Rights Bill. However, the vast majority of those legislators who opposed the bill soon thereafter switched to the Republican Party which became the Party of the "Good ole Boys" who would rather go back to pre civil rights days. Who can forget Jesse Helms and his "Senator No" reputation. Today we have many Jesse "wannabe's" by standing in the way of legislation that would help millions of Americans. Today there is little use for a Republican legislator.

xeno10

November 20, 2009 - 8:13 pm EST

Amen, fredr!

fredr

November 20, 2009 - 4:08 pm EST

I don't understand why so many Republicans resort to lies and confusion to win support for their elections or causes. More disturbing is that so many people read and listen to their garbage as fact. Two terms for George Bush and Dick Cheney - is a case in point. Death panels, seriously asking if Obama is "the devil", and many more idiotic examples abound. Republicans call themselves the party of Lincoln. I believe that many Republicans would just as soon not be identified with Abe Lincoln but rather George Lincoln Rockwell. I also don't understand why reasonable thinking Republicans, who truly believe in democracy and truth, would still label themselves as Republicans. Republicans say they have to oppose what the Democrats want to do. Why? Why not join in to help make our Country better with healthcare for all U.S. citizens, by passing laws to ensure our grandchildren will be able to enjoy the earth, and work together to make this a more peaceful world.

danagain

November 20, 2009 - 4:48 pm EST

"Why not join in to help make our Country better with healthcare for all U.S. citizens, by passing laws to ensure our grandchildren will be able to enjoy the earth, and work together to make this a more peaceful world."

Hey fred, where is the money going to come from to pass laws to make health care better for all US citizens and ensure our grandchildren will be able to enjoy the earth? Hint, hint, we already have a $12 trillion debt.

And if this health care bill passes the tax collections start now but the benefits don't start till 2014. If better health care for all of our citizens is such a dire need then why the 4-5 year delay?

Personally I think that idea might cook Obama's turkey come 2012. People get their taxes raised with nothing in return. Kinda like paying for a car now and the dealer tells you he'll give you the car in 4 years.

xeno10

November 20, 2009 - 9:30 pm EST

danagain, you're still not very bright, are you? So you believe legislation expanding health coverage to the uninsured (which is deficit-neutral) somehow or other adds an unacceptable debt burden to "grandchildren?" You truly live in a fantasy world that Republicans, you, and neocon understand. Or maybe you are just a debit-health insurance salesman, and have no ideas save the ones delivered in "talking-points form" from insurance companies that are grotesquely profiteering on the fears and anxiety of many Americans. And: Nothing erases my sympathy for you faster than reading your daily whiney, nonsensical posts on this site (or something like that!), Seriously.

neocon

November 20, 2009 - 5:51 pm EST

More smoke and mirrors from the left...the same left that 'can't understand why republicans lie', also can't seem to grasp the simplest concepts of majority rule.

The dimocrats don't need one single republican vote to create your socialist utopia where our shillrun and granshillrun can enjoy the earth free from war, Fred. But I have no doubt you and truman will follow the lead of the little messiah, Peloski, and Emanuel and blame the republicans when your vision of utopia fails to materialize this year.

xeno10

November 20, 2009 - 9:34 pm EST

neocon, you amuse me. You really do. Seriously.

xeno10

November 20, 2009 - 8:14 pm EST

Yes, fredr!

danagain

November 20, 2009 - 9:10 pm EST

That's more like it. Seriously. Golly.

neocon

November 20, 2009 - 6:53 am EST

neocon's note: Writing letters to the editor and getting them published are two different things. Especially in a paper that has 'basically told them to sit down and shut up'.