| If you look at U.S. Political History, there is a | | | | would lose a great deal of their momentum. |
| common theme. The rich and powerful have to | | | | Republican white voter turnout would be lower. |
| find a way for the poor and middle class to | | | | Now, it needs to be made clear that not every |
| support their cause and economic ideas. To do | | | | Republican or Tea Party member is a racist, not |
| this, they often use race. One example would be | | | | by a large stretch. However, race is being |
| the way poor Southern whites supported the | | | | constantly used by the right to help strengthen |
| Confederacy during the Civil War, even though | | | | these movements and the white vote. |
| the economic system of plantations and slavery | | | | What are the outcomes of this race baiting? For |
| was actually limiting their own possibilities. The | | | | one, it is going to hurt the Republicans in the long |
| poor southerners would at least be more | | | | run. The population under 18 is now shown to be |
| powerful and not have to worry about the | | | | 47% non-white. Whether people like it or not, the |
| African-Americans around them if the system | | | | racial demographics are greatly changing. There is |
| continued the way it was. Another famous | | | | no way that the right can continue to push this |
| example was Nixon's Southern Campaign, where | | | | race baiting and still hope to remain relevant in the |
| he used the Republican's own opposition to the | | | | future. More importantly, this phenomenon is |
| Civil Rights Movement to convince white | | | | continuing to keep racial relations from improving, |
| southerners to switch to the Republican | | | | and may be in fact, setting back racial relations in |
| Party....and it worked. | | | | the nation. After living out of the country for a |
| Today, this old tactic is still being played. We saw | | | | few years, I am amazed when I come back and |
| it recently with the whole debacle surrounding the | | | | still see how racially divided the country is. All |
| "edited" video of Shirley Sherrod, where her video | | | | countries deal with racism; however, there is still a |
| where she explained how she learned to | | | | more distinct division in the United States that |
| overcome racial hatred after her father was | | | | many countries have moved past. Just look at |
| murdered by a white man and the man was | | | | the churches in the U.S. if you want to see the |
| easily acquitted by the all white jury was twisted | | | | racial division. I really believe the country could |
| into proving that she was a discriminatory racist. | | | | have moved way beyond the point of racial |
| You can see it on outlets such as FOX News as | | | | relations we are at now, if it was not for |
| they try to spark up fear of undocumented | | | | politicians constantly trying to exploit race for their |
| workers, painting them as criminals, lazy, and | | | | own gain. |
| damaging to society. Of course, this ultimately | | | | I do believe there is hope. I believe there is even |
| leads to negative feelings to the whole Latin | | | | hope for the Republican Party. However, they are |
| American population. You can see it with the | | | | going to need to do something more than pick a |
| "charges" against ACORN that were made by the | | | | few handful of token minorities to represent |
| right. More recently, you can see it in the passage | | | | them. They will have to really work for the |
| of the highly racially charged new immigration law | | | | interests of minority communities and stop using |
| out of Arizona. You can also see it with the | | | | racial politics to appeal to their white base. With |
| attempt to link Obama with in the words of Glenn | | | | the country as a whole, there have been |
| Beck to, "a hatred for white people." | | | | wonderful signs of progress and change in racial |
| Why is this done? It is a way to keep the poor | | | | relations (certainly since the 1950's or 60's). |
| and middle class white vote fearful and angry in | | | | However, there is still a long way to go. Let's not |
| order to mobilize them to be used for the cause | | | | the sly racial political tactics make us fearful of |
| of the wealthy and powerful. It is the same tactic | | | | one another and keep us from moving forward |
| that has been used for the last 150 years. If race | | | | and coming together as one people-regardless of |
| were not still an issue, groups like the Tea Party | | | | race, culture, or ethnic heritage. |