As we celebrate Martin Luther King Day today, let us not forget…
It was a Republican President, Abraham Lincoln, that signed the Emancipation Proclamation that freed the slaves on January 1, 1863.
It was the Republican Party that ensured passage of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution which abolished the practice of slavery, ensured equal rights protection, and ensured anti-discrimination laws.
It was the Republican Party that passed the first Civil Rights legislation in 1875.
It was Republicans in the 87th Congress that met between 1961 -1963 that drafted an extensive Civil Rights Bill.
It was Republican Congressional support of the 1964 Civil Rights Act that helped ensure its passage.
It was a Republican President, Richard Nixon, that desegregated southern schools, and first created affirmative action to help break the power of racist labor unions.
It was a Republican President, Ronald Reagan that signed the bill declaring Martin Luther King Day an official Federal Holiday.
It was a Republican President, George W. Bush that appointed Blacks to more high level cabinet positions than any other President in history during his term between 2001 – 2009.
It was the Republican Party that named Michael Steele, the first Black Chairman of a major party in 2009.
The Gameplan from Coach
The other day I turned on Glenn Beck to find him talking to Coach. Well, the man who played Coach, Craig T Nelson. They had been discussing the state of the economy, the tea parties and the gameplan for the GOP.
The government has put us dug a very deep hole with the bailouts, the high taxes- set to go even higher, takeover of private companies, and the excessive government waste.
It was then that Coach laid out the gameplan. He announced on Glenn Beck, that he would rather go to jail than pay his taxes to an irresponsible and wasteful government.
I wished we all had that courage. Yet, despite our kicking and screaming we don’t refuse to pay for it. We still write our check out every April 15 without fail.
While it is true that the tea parties attracted some attention, it is not enough to speak our mind to a government that listen. It is time for action. It is time for civil disobedience.
The Tea Parties were named after the Boston Tea Party, (perhaps a misnomer), because the Boston Tea Party was not a peaceful protest, it was an act of civil disobedience. The settlers were refusing to pay their taxes to someone who did not represent their interests. Instead, they choose to destroy their tea rather than concede the authority of a legislature in which they were not directly represented.
We could certainly say the same. The Government of Corporate Bailouts, and Hostile Takeovers is not my government. The Government of Greed and Excess is not my Government. They do not represent our interests or the interests of our children and grandchildren, who will undoubtedly be slaves to a government that has dumped this pile of debt at their door.
In November, Our Country voted for change, but it is up to us to bring about real revolution. Change does begin with the government. It begins with the courage of a single individual who is willing to say NO MORE!
NO MORE GOVERNMENT WASTE!
NO MORE BAILOUTS OF FAILED COMPANIES!
NO MORE HOSTILE TAKEOVERS!
NO MORE GOVERNMENT GREED AND EXCESS!
IF everyone would join in this act of civil disobedience, the government would not be able to stop us. It would be a political disaster if they tried. And that would be the beginning of a new revolution.