Cliven Bundy reveals his racist beliefs–Niger Innis, where are you?

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?