Why is Dave a Republican?

"You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.  You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.  You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.  You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down.  You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.  You cannot build character and courage by taking away people's initiative and independence.  You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves."

                        - Abraham Lincoln

 The Democratic Party has a proud history of accomplished Patriots. Men like Andrew Jackson, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, and John F. Kennedy have been great Democratic Presidents. Georgia has a plethora of important Democrats like Carl Vinson, Sam Nunn, and Zell Miller. Local Democrats such as Bruce Gilbert and Chester Thomas have been good for my community. 

In my humble opinion, however, the Republican Party defends liberty more vigorously than Democrats. Remember, it was Republican administrations that:

·       Ended Slavery

·       Had the first woman address a National Convention and seated as a delegate

·       Gave Women the Right to Vote

·       Founded the NAACP to fight Jim Crow statutes

·       Created the National Parks System

·       Started Environmental Reforms

·       Established the U.S. Civil Rights Commission

·       Broke Up the Monopolies (Trusts)

·       Introduced Affirmative Action

·       Ended the Cold War
 

The sad, ugly “Jim Crow” era was created by Democrats. The NAACP - founded in 1909 by Republicans - organized to fight Jim Crow statutes and Democratic president Woodrow Wilson’s segregation of Federal offices. (I admire Wilson for his foreign, not domestic policies.)

While it is true that Lyndon Johnson finally signed the Equal Rights Act of 1964, most Democrats fought the measure for nearly a hundred years. In fact, prominent Democratic Senators Sam Ervin, Al Gore, Sr. (the inventor of the internet’s father), and Robert Byrd were so opposed, they filibustered the measure for an amazing 54 days. In the end, 80% of Republicans voted for equal rights. Only 61% of Democrats voted yes. Ditto the Voting Rights Act of 1965. In the Senate, 17 Democrats voted no. Only one Republican voted no.

Did you know that Martin Luther King Jr. was a Republican? Most great African-American leaders like Booker T. Washington, Frederick Douglas, and Harriet Tubman were Republican.

Regarding woman’s suffrage, Republicans seated women delegates at state conventions as early as 1870. By 1892 they were seating women at the Republican national convention where J. Ellen Foster was the first woman to address a national convention. In 1878, Susan B. Anthony convinced a Republican senator to introduce the 19^th Amendment. It was defeated four times by the Democratic-controlled Senate. While it is true Woodrow Wilson was president (1913-1921) when it became law, it wasn’t until Republicans won the Senate that it finally passed in 1919. Not sure how much the Democrats helped there either.

Nobody is perfect, and the Republican Party is certainly no exception. But in general, they were on the right side of history most of the time.