nykola.com | bothering people since 1981

Ambra, you might not want to comment on those elderly ladies with K/E fans, but I will.

My earliest political memory dates from the 1956 elections. Having just learned to read, I was exploring the "adult" world of my local, small-town Alabama newspaper. I came across a full page sample ballot for what must have been the upcoming primaries. At the level of local/state politics, only the Democratic party existed, so that's the only choice voters had. But what I remember best was the Alabama Democratic party logo. It wasn't a donkey. It was a rooster crowing surrounded by "White Supremacy for the Right."

It wasn't surprised by the racism. I was surprised that they'd be so proud of something so ugly. Only long later did I learn that one of the basic differences between our two parties is that the Democrats are proud of evil (then segregation, now abortion), while the Republicans are terrified at taking any sort of moral stand.

My own theory about the latter is that it was born during the 1870s when attempting to control the resurgence of white supremacy became so messy, that the Republicans, who had been trying to do something about it, retreated into a bean-counting, "we make government more efficient" stance. (Historians refer to them as "liberal Republicans.") 130 years later, they're still stuck in their phobia about doing or saying that anything is wrong. Sad.

But I never, never, never would have thought that after watching the Democratic party defend first slavery and then segregation, the black vote would be so solidly Democratic. It is totally and utterly bizarre.

I see two possible reasons, one defensible, the other not. First, if the only politics you've seen is race politics, you often can't conceive of any other kind of politics. For such people, politics is race politics. Sad, but not in itself racist. Just a lack of the sort of vision that died when MLK was replaced by the likes of Jesse Jackson.

The other is racist. The Democratic party today appeals to blacks for the same reason it once appealed to Southern whites. It tells them they're the victim of That Other Race, and promises to protect them with special treatment. White-only jobs became Black-only preferences. Legalized segregation became legalized affirmative action. That, I suspect, is why the more successful Democrats (LBJ, Carter, Clinton and to some extent Gore) are southern. Race politics requires different rhetoric from the ethnic politics of the two coasts. Yankee politicians, Kerry included, still haven't mastered it.

Very, very sad. The only good that can come out of it is that it demostrates that bigotry is a human tendency typically created and nutured by corrupt politicians. It doesn't restrict itself to any one race. And that means that if we discredit the politicians loudly and often enough, we can solve our problems. After all, even George Wallace gave up his race baiting, so perhaps there's hope for the Rev. Sharpton.

And where there's life, there's hope, particularly if a new generation grows up thinking more clearly. After all, those women are elderly.

"help is on the way?" judging by that "fur" next to the lady in white,I think help has already arrived. Not only does Kerry go into the church,but he's got the nerve to replace those ole Martin Luther tha Kang fans, with his own. And does grandma in black have her teeth in?

Let's see.........."older, but wiser". Oh, another good one, "respect your elders".Who made that garbage up, anyway?

Keep dreamin, grandmas, on both counts. Neither of you are as wise or politically mature as you think, so what's my motivation? Respect your old age?

Still, in all likelihood, your grandkids will vote democrat like they've been told...........while we hold out hope for the the great-great grandkids.

May the Lord help them.