See, folks, this is the kind of seeming ambivalence about equal protection under the law that gives people the undoubtedly mistaken impression that some of you, just a few, are maybe a tiny little bit—um—racist. Ish. Not much! But a little.
GOP wants to add language that there are fine people on both sides.
Jesus Christ, republicans. How difficult could this possibly be? Remember when 200,000 Americans actually died fighting these bastards in the ETO?
Republicans, just say you dislike nazis. Again, how hard could that possibly be?
Well, here in East TN, they are the base…
Maybe if you actually know some Nazis you have a more nuanced, balanced view of them. A teacher at the middle school, the mechanic at the filling station, a few fellas in the klavern who like to have their bases covered, like that.
HL Mencken would understand. He said a politician would support something as repulsive as cannibalism if voters in his district practiced it. He said the pol would serve missionaries for dinner.
Nazis aren’t any less loathsome than cannibals. But, ya never know, might have some in your district. Can’t offend their tender sensibilities.
Terror is only terror when it against white people. That is the message.
Such resolutions won’t change people’s attitudes. These are called “motherhood statements,” because no-one really is against motherhood. Viewed this way, this resolution may be a way to unmask clowns in the TN legislature. Still, I’m not sure this approach will do much, if anything.
I don’t actually think there are very many Tennessee Republicans who are Nazis or Nazi sympathizers, but it’s sad (sad!) how cowardly they are, how much they fear their constituents, that they’re unwilling to offend the handful who are Nazi sympathizers.
They are afraid of the language? In a resolution? Since when did a resolution have the weight of law behind it?
Just because I have to ask, is that Williams’ left shoulder in the photograph?
If you don’t do anything, you maintain the status quo. Then you can answer questions about whether you support Nazis and white supremacists with things like, “I’m offended that you would even ask such a question or say such a thing,” and then go on hoping for the support of all the racist haters without offending - too much - the decent people in your district.
But, if you pass a resolution to denounce Nazis and white supremacists … well, the little snowflakes get all upset and start marching and showing pictures of you out drinking and having marshmallow roasts at their little burning cross get-togethers and not giving you their campaign donations and on and on.
Democrats need to tar every GOPer running for office as “neo-Nazi sympathizers” and refuse to apologize for doing so, citing their reluctance to pass such measures.
I think that’s a big part of it. Just my observation based on limited travel time but there seems to be a distinction between the “nice” folks who aren’t openly race-baiters and the less nice ones who are, and there’s a tacit agreement not to rile up the latter, it’s just how they are. You sign this thing and you get your office door shot up in the middle of the night, or your car vandalized, or the ever-more-common death threats, and you think who needs it? It’s cowardly but most people aren’t that brave, I find.
Republicans know that they depend on the white supremacist vote. It makes sense, since they are the party of authoritarianism, conspiracy theories, and yes, white supremacy.
In some ways I prefer this to Trump tweeting about MLK today. At least this way they wear that swastika on their sleeves.
I note that this is one of the main differences between Russia and the United States. In Russia, they (still) celebrate their victory over the Nazis. In this country, opinion seems to be divided over rather the right side won the war.
In dubious fairness, a rational coward is much more willing to offend (say) the ACLU than he is willing to offend somebody who finds himself ideologically aligned with genocide.
Weak (or sick).
Only a fraction of Republicans are white supremacists, but nigh on 100% of white supremacists are Republicans. They’re part of the core constituency.
“The second attempt was abandoned just this week, after a Republican lawmaker unsuccessfully tried to alter the motion’s language to make it more palatable to his caucus.”
His caucus:
It’s like Paine said—these are the kind of times that show what people are made of. Coward? Or brave? Venal, or civic-minded? We’re learning a lot.