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| Image from tea party Web site |
Unless you have been hiding in a cave on a Costa Rican Beach, you know that this week the leadership of the NAACP accused Tea Party activists — via a resolution condemning racism — of tolerating bigotry within the Tea Party’s political ranks. NAACP President Benjamin Jealous in a statement said “You must expel the bigots and racists in your ranks or take full responsibility for all of their actions.” The proposed resolution, which will not become official NAACP policy until approved by the National Board of Directors this October, has attracted both attention and controversy.
I find the entire situation on both sides as being comical and reflective of the rampant ignorance plaguing our great nation. First to condem “racist elements” within the movement does not imply that all involved in the entire Tea Party movement are racist. No organization is monolithic and to intentionally interpret or misread it as such is reflective of either denial or illiteracy.
Both factions need to accept that America was built on racism and bigotry and that any organization, in particular a predominantly white one, will have the same proportion of racists that exist across America, so to say there are no such people in the movement is akin to stupidity.
As far the NAACP, making such a statement, or proclamation of resolution doesn’t have any force behind it and resembles more posturing that substance. That’s one of our problems, we want to get mad over things we have no power to change, instead of those things that we can change like high school drop out rates, enterprise development and improving the health of our communities. The NAACP is not a governing body not to mention it is not like the tea parties depend on it for support. Likewise, the response from the St. Louis Tea Party requesting that the NAACP withdraw the proposal. is just as much a waste of time.
The truth from a historical perspective is that the NAACP was founded by people similar to the Tea Party organizers in 1909. Funded by Rothschild banking empire, Jacob Schiff founded the National Advancement for the Association of the Colored People, intentionally to engender the conflict between black and white communities, and the NAACP did not have its first African American President until 1920 when James Weldon Johnson held leadership.
All of this bickering is childish and doesn’t change anything really. In the end the NAACP will continue to be powerless and the Tea Party membership will continue to reflect the demography of America, racists and all. It is really ‘Much Ado About Nothing.”
