Of course, these very words from the late Democrat George C. Wallace, are inflammatory and racist, in context of today's American society. We hear them, and we cringe in discomfort, as the obvious racial bigotry shines through, and we have to do something to help us cope with the guilt of knowing a white man ever even uttered these words! So we canonize Wallace as a southern racist bigot, who just didn't get it. In fact, anyone who "supported segregation" is tarnished and scorned, because we have to find a way to excuse ourselves for the truth.
The truth is, we began life in a segregated society at the end of the Civil War. For an entire century, our society was indeed segregated, adopted and maintained segregationist policies, and supported continued segregationist policies in every phase of government, which was completely controlled by whites. We were segregationists through the end of the 1800s, into the 1900s, through two world wars... we sent black soldiers to fight and die for America, and returned them home to sit on the back of the bus. We did this in the South, North, East and West! There was nowhere we didn't practice segregation and discrimination against black Americans! This WAS the law!
When we hear Liberals speak today, of political pasts... we often hear "he supported segregation!" As if, 'segregation' were this obscure radical idea some southern rednecks adopted, and wanted to impose on the rest of the free and uninhibited, open-minded people of America! As if some Bubba had said, ya know what'd be a good idear, if we segregated them ni**ers from the whites! To hear liberals speak of it, that is what you would think Segregation were all about! They fail to comprehend that we lived in a completely segregate society! We had lived in it for 100 years! It was the way things were!
People who were "supportive of segregation", were merely supporting the popular status quot, what had always been the practice, what society had accepted and maintained for 100 years! To not support segregation policy, was radical! THAT was the radical view, THAT was viewed as being controversial. What's more, blacks were not a factor in getting elected, so the politicians would have been politically stupid NOT to support segregationist policies! The truth, as ugly as it may be, is that every politician prior to 1965, is responsible for supporting segregationist policy, because they DID! Repeatedly! For a century, every president, every Congress, and every Judge they appointed, upheld and maintained a system of complete and total segregation in America!
This FACT and TRUTH needs to be realized and understood by ALL! Because, frankly, we are in danger of losing focus on the magnitude of Civil Rights. Does it not bother black people, that Liberals have perverted the meaning of "segregation" into a petty insulate retort thrown at Republicans to convey a sense of racism which doesn't exist? Is it not important they have somewhat marginalized Civil Rights, and made it far less historically significant, in order to politicize conservatism? This would really bug me if I were a black American.
Abraham Lincoln, The Great Emancipator, did not make blacks and whites equal in society, in fact, Lincoln opposed the very idea of it, (see: Lincoln/Douglas debates), so as great as his achievements are, Lincoln was also a staunch segregationist. So were all the presidents to follow, including the beloved liberal FDR! They ALL supported and condoned a policy of complete segregation across America!
The segregation prior to 1964 has ended. The wall will never go up again! Blacks are now a vital part of the political process, as well as those who support black interests. Civil Rights was indeed significant in changing the politics of America forever, and it has been monumental in doing so! Some people like to pretend it was always this way, except for a brief period in the mid 60s, when racist rednecks wanted to segregate society, and the Great Liberals stood with the blacks to defeat them!
