The more we think of words like hate, hypocrisy, lies and racism, the more the Republican Party comes to mind. The Republican Racist Dictatorship of Bamastan display their hatred openly, but when challenged, use self-reliance as an excuse to deny their racist hate. Could there be any truth to their self-reliance claim? Lets examine the evidence.
Alabama is currently celebrating Confederate Heritage Month with a state-wide holiday and a series of public events aimed at remembering and honoring those who fought on the side of southern, slave-owning states during the Civil War. At one such event this week, organized by the Ladies’ Memorial Association, Alabama’s Secretary of State John Merrill lamented recent calls to remove Confederate symbols from government buildings.
“The next question that has to be asked is so what’s the next thing you are going to do,” he asked, “are you going to take a bulldozer to the monument and forget what people fought for to preserve a way of life that makes us special and unique?”
Civil rights groups, including the Southern Poverty Law Center, slammed the remark as “shameful.” But in a follow-up conversation with ThinkProgress, Merrill explained that the “way of life” he celebrates is based on Confederate soldiers’ independent spirit, not their advocacy for slavery.
“When we have things happen in our state, we don’t rely on the federal government to come take care of us,” he said. “We take care of ourselves. For example, after the tornadoes in 2011, or after the massive flooding we had. That’s who we are. That’s who these people were. I’m proud of that.”
Alabama, however, is the ninth most reliant on federal aid out of the 50 states, taking far more in aid than the state pays back in taxes. As for the 2011 tornado damage Merrill mentioned, an auditor recently found that the state improperly received about $1.2 million in federal aid that it now must pay back. Antebellum Alabama’s “self-reliance,” meanwhile, depended from its founding on the unpaid labor of hundreds of thousands of slaves… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <Think Progress>
There it is! like most of the reddest states, the rest of is are supporting them with our tax dollars. I for one, do not want my tax dollars spent to support racist policies. That’s why I keep saying that…
Every Republican in office
is one Republican too many!!
7 Responses to “Republican Racist Self-reliance”
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"(A) way of life that makes us special and unique" – Would that it did make them special and unique. The sad fact is that racists are a dime a dozen, and are all over the country and all ocer the world. Slaveholders also exist all over the world. Many of them are pimps. Does he want to celebrate pimping? Oh, wait, he might, he's a Republican.
the world would be much nicer and safer w/out republicans, but next best is to just keep them out of office
“We take care of ourselves. For example, after the tornadoes in 2011, or after the massive flooding we had. That’s who we are. That’s who these people were. I’m proud of that.” No, you don't care, except for yourself, and your racist agenda with your cronies. Plus paying back the $1.2 million in federal aid that Alabama now must pay back.
Look, his pants are on fire!!!
If they were truly independent to the extent that their ideas and related impacts were inflicted on no one but those who believe it also, like many survivalists, then their claims would have validity…inflicting them on a state’s entire population does not meet that standard.
John Merrill is a very foolish man. You cannot rewrite history. Those whose ancestors were slaves are still fighting prejudice every day of their lives. This bigotry does not exist only in the south, either. I have lived in northern states where I saw a great deal more bigotry than I ever did in my small town in Kentucky. I have mentioned this before, I grew up in a coal mining town where there were several different ethnic groups as well as a large African/American population. We knew each other because that is how life is lived in small towns. I am grateful I had that privilege. When you really KNOW someone, you don't think about your differences. I have ancestors who fought on both sides of the civil war, but none of them were slave owners.
The last part of Merrill's inane question sums it up quite nicely, I think: " and forget what people fought for to preserve a way of life that makes us special and unique?”
It's very sad that some people in Alabama think that it is a merit to distinguish yourself as a person and a state by being racist and want to preserve this hate and bigotry as a way of life while holding out their hands to receive federal aid. Very sad indeed.
Thanks, hugs, and Amen to all!!