A Strong Foundation for Racism.
By: Terry Donnelly
April 25, 2014
Writing an opinion column can be hard work. Fortunately,
every now and then, someone or some activity makes the job a lot easier.
Thursday was one of those days.
Liberals have been beating our collective heads against a
wall trying to expose Cliven Bundy, the Bunkerville rancher, for what he is; a
common criminal who has stolen from the people of the United States for over 20
years. His worldviews are extreme, but not unprecedented. He claims no foundation
for the United States federal government and eschews any laws or authority the
feds may try to enforce. He does, however, prance around on a horse carrying an
American flag–go figure.
The authority he does cite is that of the county sheriff.
Where did he get that idea? He got it directly out of the origins of the
segregated, racist Jim Crow South.
After the Civil War, during Reconstruction, Northern
military troops occupied the Confederate states to be sure the freedoms granted
to the slaves were put into action. For some ten years after the war, black
citizens freely voted and many held public office. In 1876 the southern states
petitioned to have the occupying troops removed and that they be given their
autonomy back. Part of that request stated that the county sheriff was the
ultimate authority, and the one officer who could enforce laws–sound familiar?
The North pulled out of southern occupation and within
months state and local governments began enacting what would become 90 years of
escalating Jim Crow laws that sent black freedoms and equality back to the
times of slavery. The vote was taken away as was any hope of holding public
office, along with any semblance of integration. 1876 was the start of blacks
being banned from theaters, libraries, public parks, and schools.
African-Americans were assigned separate drinking fountains, inferior public
restrooms, and waiting rooms in hospitals, and even forced to ride at the back
of busses to cement the illusion of black inferiority into the Jim Crow South.
The beginning of all this segregation began with the idea
that the county sheriff was the ultimate authority of the land.
Cliven Bundy still believes that is true. He has made it
clear that he also believes that black citizens would be better off still being
slaves. He contends that his thoughts are strictly in the African-American
community’s best interest. But, like any bigot, his interest is completely
self-serving.
Mr. Bundy is not alone with his strong, loathsome bigotry.
There are many, many more who share his views. It is difficult to get many to
express their dark secrets so clearly because to do so makes one toxic in the
scope of public opinion. Public officials, who once supported Mr. Bundy and his
cause of stealing from American citizens, are now running away, no longer
wanting to be associated with a person and a cause built on such a vile
foundation.
Gov. Sandoval, Sen. Heller, and even some of the Fox News
personalities who championed Mr. Bundy as little as a week ago, have made their
plea to the American public to forgive them.
We probably shouldn’t. The likelihood of Mr. Bundy being
racist was well telegraphed all along and should have been expected by our
leading officials. They ignored the warning signs and leapt in head first to show
support, hoping for political hay from their base of voters. Those who
supported Mr. Bundy aren’t very good politicians to miss the red flags and the
voters should reconsider any support at the ballot box for such political
hacks.
Also a part of this debacle is Niger Innis. Mr. Innis is
running for Nevada’s Fourth Congressional seat, now held by Steven Horsford. Unseating
Rep. Horsford will be difficult, as he has done a pretty good job over the last
two years. But, one of Mr. Innis’s slams on Rep. Horsford is that he took the
easy way out and did not state categorically that Rep. Darrell Issa was not
being racist when confronting Rep. Elijah Cummings in a committee meeting a
month ago.
Niger Innis stated categorically that Rep. Issa was not
being racist and that Rep. Horsford’s refusal to state the same was a
disqualifying, and reprehensible act.
Mr. Innis is right. Rep. Issa’s act of cutting off Rep.
Cummings and not allowing him to speak was rude and an indication that Mr. Issa
is not ready for congressional leadership, but not overt evidence of being
racist. Rep. Horsford should have said so. That doesn’t let Rep. Issa off the
hook. He may still be a racist, we just don’t know, and only Mr. Issa can tell
us whether he is or not.
Mr. Issa won’t do that, but Mr. Bundy did.
Missing from this messy flurry of activity is Niger
Innis. Mr. Innis supported Mr.
Bundy in his recent efforts, but has been absent from the conversation since it
turned blatantly racist. Like Mr. Innis challenging Mr. Horsford to answer
‘yes’ or ‘no’ to a simple question. I now pose the question to Mr. Innis.
Yes or no, Mr. Innis. Is Cliven Bundy racist?
