The Left Could Use A Little History

From Matt Spivey at American Thinker comes a history lesson that all of us -- especially liberals -- could use (emphasis mine):

So in light of the [coming] inaugural event, let's recap the process that helped us get to Tuesday. And let's closely notice the political parties involved.

We are all aware that it was Republican Abraham Lincoln's brave belief in freedom and diligent disbelief in secession that freed nearly four million black Americans from slavery. But, it was shortly after Lincoln's death that the Civil Rights Act of 1866, which extended equality legislation to former slaves, was passed by the Republican Congress, overriding the veto by the Unionist-Democrat President Andrew Johnson.

The Civil Rights Act of 1871 gave protection to blacks from the violence of the Ku Klux Klan. This legislation was proposed by Republican Congressman Benjamin Butler and signed into law by Republican President Ulysses S. Grant.

The Civil Rights Act of 1875 gave everyone equal treatment in public accommodations and was proposed by Republican Congressman Butler, once again, and Republican Senator Charles Sumner. It was also signed by Republican President Grant, and though it was mostly ineffective at the time, it became the basis for many of the provisions passed in the 1960s.

The Civil Rights Act of 1957, a voting rights bill, was proposed by Republican President Dwight Eisenhower, but it was dramatically filibustered and drastically amended by Democrats, rendering it largely ineffective for several years.

The ensuing Civil Rights Act of 1960 was a stronger piece of voting rights legislation, and despite continuous filibustering by 18 Democrats, the bill was eventually signed by Republican President Eisenhower.

The famed Civil Rights Act of 1964 aimed for across the board equality and the repeal of Jim Crow laws. The bill was introduced by Democrat President John F. Kennedy in 1963, but it was once again filibustered by Democrats before being revised and passed with the assistance of Republican Senators.

Finally, the Civil Rights Act of 1968, commonly called the Fair Housing Act, prohibited discrimination in buying or renting property, and was signed into law by Democrat President Lyndon Johnson.

If the overwhelming number of proposed and enacted equality legislation throughout history is not enough to demonstrate the Republican promotion of fair treatment for all Americans in the face of Democratic opposition, our nation's first black elected officials also bear a striking similarity.

During Reconstruction, our nation elected its first two black Senators, both Republicans, as well as 21 black members of the House of Representatives, all Republicans. And the first black Congressman in the modern era (from Illinois, interestingly enough) was also a Republican. However, ironically, since 1935 nearly all black Congressmen have been Democrats.

While many liberals claim that Republicanism is the choice of rich, old, white guys, they must be reminded on a regular basis that it was Republican legislation and elections that paved the way for Tuesday's historic inauguration. For many, January 20^th is additionally important due to its proximity to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. But again, let's examine an important nugget of history and remember that the three primary politicians responsible for imprisoning King and prompting him to write the powerfully poignant Letter from a Birmingham Jail, Albert Boutwell, Bull Connor, and George Wallace, were all -- you guessed it -- Democrats.

Liberal educators may claim that the Civil Rights Movement and Democratic politicians of the 1960s are what brought Barack Obama to his date with destiny. ...

Yes, Democrats have finally jumped aboard the train of equality in the last 45 years, and they deserve some credit. But Republicans have been on the side of African-Americans for 150 years, and somehow they are still the racist, intolerant, oppressors.

Though it may be uncomfortable for Obama's friends in the NEA and AFT, our students deserve the truth of American history, and this week is a great opportunity for such an intellectual enlightenment. And while Democrats and African-Americans are beaming with pride at Barack Obama's accomplishment, history has shown us that, regardless of beliefs in policy, it is actually many white Republicans who are proudest of all.

It's too bad the public school system is run by the NEA and the federal government (not to be redundant) nowadays, or people might know some of this stuff. You may ask why it's important, and that's a good question. It's important because we need to know where we've come from in order to prevent making the same mistakes again. It's also important that we base our decisions on facts and past experiences, which usually provide meaningful context for current decisions.

Something I've observed over the past few years is that many, many things in politics have a perception that is completely backwards from the reality. The history of racism in America is one of those issues. It's time we got it straight.

There's my two cents.