Bush Wimps Out on Confederate Flag Issue
But now that Bush’s home state of Texas is about to be targeted by the South-bashing bigots, he isn’t talking about state’s rights, he is talking about "compromise," the GOP’s favorite word when discussing issues involving principle and backbone. In a short segment shown on MSNBC, Bush was asked why he did not want to keep the Confederate symbols inside the court building. "Because…because…the symbolism," Bush babbled. Now what exactly is that supposed to mean? Is Bush saying that he agrees with the Jesse Jackson crowd that the flag is a nasty symbol of "hatred" and "racism"? In an AP story from April 20th, Bush repeated his position on the South Carolina flag that "It's the right of the state of South Carolina to make the decision on the flag." Does your own state of Texas, where you preside, as governor not deserves that same right Governor Bush? We already know how successful "compromise" is with the thugs in the NAACP. Even after the cowards in the South Carolina legislature passed a bill to remove the flag from the dome, the NAACP, still fighting the Civil War, continued its huffing and puffing. They vowed to continue their boycott because the flag was going to be moved to a monument on Statehouse grounds. Days later a large coalition of black churches publicly stated that they also rejected the compromise and would continue to recognize and support the boycott led by the NAACP. If that is not enough, earlier in the month, South Carolina lawmakers tried to lighten tensions by passing a bill that instituted a holiday for America’s most beloved plagiarist, adulterer, and socialist conman, Martin Luther King, Jr. However, the NAACP wanted no part of it since the bill also created a Confederate Memorial Day. The NACCP was so unyielding that a number of black lawmakers publicly stated that the group was being unreasonable and that they were supporting the measure anyway. When will the GOP learn that this is a group that can never be satisfied, no matter how much pandering, groveling, and compromising they do? If Jack Kemp’s nauseating "reaching out" campaign to the "minority community" didn’t teach the GOP anything; I don’t know what will. It seems like the GOP is getting a lot of advice these days from people who have never been particularly friendly or helpful to the causes of conservatism. The media and other self-proclaimed "experts" are constantly told that they must pick up the "Hispanic vote" no matter how many whites it chases off. Gerald Ford, a guy who was never elected as president or vice president and then lost to Jimmy Carter, tells us that the GOP must drop its pro-life plank and Bush must embrace a pro-choice vice president. The Republicans are also told that they must stop talking about issues like tax cuts and start talking about new social programs or they have no chance. Bush has taken most of the advice. He has consistently chased the "Hispanic vote" and cheered mass immigration even though he is still well behind Al Gore nationally in gaining their support. He has never ruled out picking a pro-choice running mate, and he has proposed enough social programs to be compared to a "New Democrat" by the Washington Post. Through it all, desperate Republicans have never questioned Bush and he remains well ahead of Al Gore according to the Rasmussen Research poll. Before the Bushies flood my mailbox with denunciations for questioning the greatness of their man (Bushies get very upset over criticism), let me clarify that, yes, I understand how much is at stake this election and I probably won’t have any other choice but to vote for Bush. But I am under no illusions that a Bush presidency is going to result in great conservative achievements. Government won’t get any smaller, taxes won’t be greatly reduced, troops will stay in Kosovo, the US will continue policing the world with a Cold War mentality, the abortion mills will stay in business, etc. Say what you will about conservative "cranks" like myself, but even under Ronald Reagan, the supposed Messiah of conservatism, government continued to grow. Joe Sobran, one of America’s bravest and most courageous columnists said it this way, "Most conservatives still believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, but Reagan runs a close fourth…. Like God, Reagan comprehends every perfection…and has ascended to the plane of a Platonic form, a pure essence unsullied by lower matter." Sorry, but as much as conservatives would like to dream otherwise, there is nothing godly about the man that gave us Sandra Day O'Connor and who did nothing while the Department of Education and other government agencies became more and more bloated. Bush should ignore any advice to "compromise" on the Confederate flag issue. If he caves into the demands to the thugs of the NAACP and other enemies of the Confederate flag, he will be dishonoring the dead Southerners who fought against the tyranny of liberalism and big government, the same very vices Bush supposedly opposes. June 9, 2000 Bill Barnwell is a freelance journalist and co-editor in chief of www.thepotatoe.com |
Now
that the NAACP and its band of demagogues have succeeded in removing
the Confederate flag from the South Carolina capitol building, they
are now ready to turn their sights on Texas Governor George W. Bush.
You see, while the Confederate flag isn’t flying above the Texas
capitol, there are remnants of it in the Texas court building and
the NAACP simply will not tolerate it. During the Republican primary
debates when Bush was asked whether or not the flag should fly above
the South Carolina dome, he stated that it was a decision to be
made by the people of South Carolina. It would have been nice to
hear Bush say that the battle flag is a symbol of brave resistance
against tyrannical government, and for the NAACP to take a hike.
However, it’s quite understandable that he wanted to avoid every
race baiting tyrant shouting, "Bush is a bigot" right
before election day.