The Democrats may have a bad record on civil rights, but lets not forget this.
My friends, to those who say that we are rushing this issue of civil rights, I say to them we are 172 years late. To those who say that this civil-rights program is an infringement on states’ rights, I say this: The time has arrived in America for the Democratic Party to get out of the shadow of states' rights and to walk forthrightly into the bright sunshine of human rights.
Let us do forget the evil passions and the blindness of the past.
Hubert Humphrey at the 1948 National Democratic Convention.
Once the Democratic Party adopted Humphrey's position, Strom Thurmond left the party. He would later join the Republicans.
Thurmond praised President Nixon and his "Southern Strategy" of delaying desegregation, saying Nixon "stood with the South in this case"
Also, Ronald Reagan said this in 1980 in Mississippi:
I believe in states' rights
I agree the democrats do have alot of pros on civil rights but the Republicans do. Reagan also said in his MLK day speech.
"Abraham Lincoln freed the black man. In many ways, Dr. King freed the white man. . . . Where others—white and black—preached hatred, he taught the principles of love and nonviolence."
-Ronald Reagan
Supporting statesrights does not make you racist. I get what you mean about Thurmond though but its important to remember many racists stayed with the democrats Hollings,Smathers,Wallace.
I don't disagree with any of that. I'm just saying that you can't base your vote on what Woodrow Wilson said 100 years ago.
States rights however have always been a code word for discrimination. It's states basically saying "we know the rest of the country doesn't agree with us, but we would like to keep our peculiar institutions no matter how despicable they may be."
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