I’ve been remiss in not sharing with you a great resource: the Republican Party of Texas. The web site contains a few links to publications about the history of the GOP and other research.
A friend e-mailed the link to a new publication: Civil Rights Platform Comparision (PDF)
This booklet lays out the platforms of both parties from 1840 to 1964, immediately preceding major civil rights legislation. I suspect this won’t be new information to most of you, but I thought I’d share it with those who believe the Republicans opposed civil rights. To the contrary. They led the way in the face of Democratic resistance. The report also clears up misconceptions about the late Strom Thurmond, who changed his racist ways before joining the Republican Party in 1964. Interesting stuff. Examples:
1856
Democrats — “The Democratic Party…will abide by and adhere to a faithful execution of the acts…settle by the Congress of 1850: “the act for reclaiming fugitives from service or labor”…[We support] non-interference by Congress with slavery in state and territory, or in the District of Columbia [i.e., we oppose all congressional attempts to abolish slavery in any area of the nation].
Republicans — “As our Republican fathers, when they had abolished slavery in all our national territory, ordained that no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, it becomes our duty to maintain this provision of the Constitution against all attempts to violate it for the purposes of establishing slavery in the territories of the United States…”
1860
Democrats — “The Democratic Party will abide by the decision of the Supreme Court of the United States upon these questions of constitutional law…[T]he enactments of the state legislatures to defeat the faithful execution of the Fugitive Slave Law are hostile in character, subversive of the Constitution, and revolutionary in their effect.”
Republicans — “[W]e brand the recent reopening of the African slave trade — under the cover of our national flag, aided by perversions of judicial power — as a crime against humanity and a burning shame to our country and age; and we call upon Congress to take prompt and efficient measures for the total and final suppression of that execrable traffic.”
1884
Democrats — “Asserting the equality of all men before the law, we hold that it is the duty of the government in its dealings with the people to mete our equal and exact justice to all citizens of whatever nativity, race, color, or persuasion…We believe in a free ballot and a fair count…”[The author notes that despite the "free ballot" claim, it was only Democratic state legislatures that instituted polls taxes to keep blacks away from the polls.]
Republicans — “The Republican Party, having its birth in a hatred of slave labor and a desire that all men my be truly free and equal, is unalterably opposed to placing our workingmen in competition with any form of servile labor…”
1896
Democrats — “The Constitution of the United States guarantees to every citizen the rights of civil and religious liberty. The Democratic Party has always been the exponent of political liberty and religious freedom…”[Despite this language, Democrats opposed all 24 civil rights laws passed up to this point]
Republicans — “We program our unqualified condemnation of the uncivilized and preposterous practice well known as lynching, and the killing of human beings suspected or charged with crime without due process of the law.” [Republicans tried to pass federal anti-lynching laws, but Democrats successfully blocked the bills.]
1948
Democrats — “We again state our belief that racial and religious minorities have the right to live, the right to work, the right to vote, the full and equal protection of laws…” [It was around this time that Southern Democrats, opposed to civil rights for blacks, broke from the party and formed the Dixiecrats. Strom Thurmond ran for president on the ticket and lost. He joined the Republican Party in 1964 because he had a change of heart on civil rights issues. Many erroneously believe Southern Democrats joined the Republican Party to continue spreading racial hatred. Untrue. The author notes that in 1971, Thurmond became the first southern Senator to hire a black staffer.]
Republicans — “We favor the abolition of the poll tax as a requisite to voting. We are opposed to the idea of racial segregation in the armed forces of the United States.”
In an attempt to combat some of the lies about the GOP, I wrote Why Courting the Black Vote Won’t Work. Coming up: Biblical Issues Platform Comparision.
Happy Friday! 
Addendum: In case anyone misses the point, it’s my contention that the Democrats are still instigating racial strife between whites and blacks. It was necessary then to retain the white vote, and it’s necessary now to retain the black vote.
Update: Another shout-out from Mr. Limbaugh.
Update II: A commenter invoked Trent Lott (R). What he said about Thurmond at his private birthday was nothing to get upset about. What Chris Dodd (D) said about Robert Byrd on the floor of the Senate on the public’s clock was worse. See Two Old Men, Two Different Standards. Liberals in the audience, I ask you to explain to us the difference between the two incidents: why Trent lost his leadership position and why there was no backlash against Dodd.
By the way, Walter Williams is guest hosting for Rush today.
Update III: This post is also up at Blogs for Bush.
Update IV: My thoughts on “hate” crimes.
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La Shawn Barber details the differences between Republicans and Democrats as regards civil rights. You know, none of this surprises me in the least, and I understand complet [...]
Glad you posted this. Mark Levin has been stating this fact for months: the Democratic party has its roots in supporting slavery and the Republican party has its roots in opposing slavery. In fact, he discussed the Democratic party’s roots in detail again this week while pointing out the horribly repugnant racist cartoons of Condoleeza Rice, that were published by the Washington Compost and the NY Slimes and how no Democrat or Liberal voiced their outrage over it – a read indicator of how dysfunctional the Democratic party is.
ah, Let’s see, the Democratic Party…the party of:
Slavery
Indian Removal
Compromise
Jim Crow
Lynching
Korea and Viet Nam
now they’re the party of peace and brotherhood?
How they really feel:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,139031,00.html
It’s interesting. I have had many conversations over the years with co-workers and friends about racism. I grew up in suburban Philly. Back in the 80’s there was a wave of Black home burnings (whenever a Black family moved into a white neighborhood, their house was torched… and God forbid it be an interracial couple). I, like others who grew up Black and in the North, always labeled Southerners as racist, the North was overall GREAT. When I joined the Army and was stationed in the South, my eyes were opened to the true racism in American. Down south, if someone did not like me because I was Black, I knew and I knew right away. There was no smiling in my face at work and then burning down my house if I moved next door. You knew. I began to see the silent, sly racism in the North (and sad to say) with Democrats that we really face.
The Black community is now in another form of slavery. Mental slavery. Unable to believe in itself, unable to take care of itself, looking for “ole’ massa” in the form of the government to take care of us (not all Blacks but I think you know what I mean).
It’s really sad that this form of “mental” slavery was able to take root after the civil rights movement of the 60’s in such a strong way. The more educated we became; the more we fell into this form slavery. Just like in the days of physical bondage, there are Blacks out there lined up to help this “Mental Massa” control us (in the same “other” African tribes help deliver the slaves that were brought to America into the hands of the slave traders).
“The disadvantage of men not knowing the past is that they do not know the present.”
G. K. Chesterton
“Unless we learn from history, we are destined to repeat it. This is no longer merely an academic exercise, but may contain our world’s fate and our destiny.”
Alex Haley
Smooth,
Interesting, as I read your comments I am listening to wabc radio over the internet(I live in Raleigh, NC). Mark Levin is fun to listen to in the afternoon.
As for the preception of the two parties, the Democrats have done an excellent job of framing the Republicans as the racist. I will admit that the Jesse Helms types of the Republican Party have never helped the image of the party.
greg: ‘now they’re the party of peace and brotherhood? ‘
They’re also the party that nearly committed suicide for their Civil rights stance. Driving people out and into the GOP. I don’t understand why people keep bringing up the southern racist past of the democrats, when clearly the democrats have turned their backs on that. Who is welcoming those who were spurned? Who created a ’southern strategy’?
It is necessary to remind Democrats that they were the racists because they continue to perpetrate the lie that Republicans oppose civil rights.
Actus,
Stop it! You keep talking about how the Democrats are reformed racist. They gave up their sinful ways and have seen the light. Yeah right. Hope is it that Bill Clinton praises Fulbright and he gets a pass. Trent Lott praises Thurmond and he is sacked! Com’on! How about Al Gore,Sr. and Robert Byrd(isn’t he still a Dem Senator from WV)?
The Republicans have their problems but history is history. The Dinosaurs as LaShawn calls them, and the race hustlers like Jesse and Al just won’t speak the truth. Where is Julian Bond on these facts? Where is Maxine Watters now? OK, Cynthia “give me the money” McKinnney; speak out against the deeds of the Dems and their history. Actus, tell me, are the Dems guilty of any past racism?
‘ Actus, tell me, are the Dems guilty of any past racism?’
Very. And they have paid a price for the amount of work they did for civil rights. Which is not to say that there is work left to do in civil rights.
Ok this is another example of ‘it ok to use racial comments to a black conservative’.
Geezz Rush made a comment that was in my view very true and he’s off the football cuicit. Jimmy the Great made a comment that may have had SOME element of truth to it and he’s off the football circuit. The Grease Man made a racial comment (I didn’t hear it) and blam – he’s off our airways.
But this? And he’s still on?
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&u=/ap/20041119/ap_on_re_us/radio_host_remark_2&printer=1
As Charlie Brown so wisely put it ‘Good Grief!’
JJ
Hurray, La Shawn!
You are my favorite blogger.
love (in a Christian way, for a sister in Christ.),
-Josh
Yeah, I came across that PDF a few weeks ago and archived it. Pretty good. I guess the ole leopard might have changed its spots, but not its heart. Go figure.
I guess we’ll be seeing Actus working for the NAACP to help keep ‘em down on the plantation in exchange for the limo and big bucks. As long as he’s taken care of, who cares about the truth setting them free.
Ms. Barber,
I’d like to raise two points, the first in reference to your Times piece, and the second in reference to today’s blog.
First, the Times- You cite JFK’s efforts in the 60’s as the paradigm shift of blacks away from the republican party in the 1960’s. However, I’d like to respectfully disagree.
The GOP had a solid black voting block after the civil war for obvious reasons. Booker T. Washington became a favorite of Republican Presidents as the ambassador for the race. However, it became politically uncomfortable for republicans to continue to support blacks, and particularly black advancement/assimulation. The direction of the late 19th/early 20th century Republicans was to keep blacks servile and more or less obedient. This caused some black thinkers to disagree with Washington’s relationship with, and percieved subjugation of the race.
Northern Democrats seized on these divisions, and coupled wit FDR’s new deal, began siphoning black votes. By the end of FDR’s presidency, Blacks were solidly democratic in the north, and unable to vote in the south.
Kennedy, who needed the south, did go into and attempt to register black voters in the south, but the shift had already taken place by the time he ran.
Thus, it was the Republicans who sold us down the river in the early part of the century that caused the shift. Not to say that Dems do anything different.
In reference to today’s blog- Your point, as you stated was that “the Democrats are still instigating racial strife between whites and blacks. It was necessary then to retain the white vote, and it’s necessary now to retain the black vote.”
However, in the context of the history described supra, BOTH the Dems and the GOP have instigated and flamed racial strife to funnel votes. This is not an area where one party is less culpable.
For instance, support of the ’stars and bars,’ is now a decidedly republican issue, notwithstand your previous post to the contrary. How do we know? Because it was Sen. John Mcain that was the victim of choosing which side of the controversy he was on during the S. Carolina primary. Regardless one’s position on the issue, the clear implication is that there are some devout racists who love that flag. On some level, the argument was speaking directly to them. It would be intellectually dishonest to say otherwise.
Further, the affirmative action debate, while academic to some is purient to others. Senator Helms, as another poster mentioned, deftly used race to his advantage.
Bush 41 also used race to his advantage, willie horton anyone. While that may not have been the only reason, let’s not fool ourselves into thinking in today’s sophisticated presidential campaigns, that anyone accidently stumbled on this.
My point is that while many Dems have a vested and annoying interest in labeling all black disadvantaged victims of the ghetto….
Many Republicans have just as strong an interest in labeling blacks the victimizers from the ghetto.
Thus the entire debate is somewhat pointless. Neither party is entitled to our entire support. Though I wish there were more black Republicans, to balance things out. Because we have been burned and spurned by both.
To quote our President…Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice…The point is that we’re not going to be fooled again.
‘I guess we’ll be seeing Actus working for the NAACP to help keep ‘em down on the plantation in exchange for the limo and big bucks.’
Really I just want people to not have to wait more than an hour to vote.
“Really I just want people to not have to wait more than an hour to vote.”
Funny… I’d rather everyone had to wait an hour to vote, since it would indicate a wonderful turnout and a lack of people simply walking into the booth and marking “straight ticket.”
Of course, there would then be those who say, “Nobody votes anymore… the lines are too long.” To those people, I simply reply that if their rights are worth that little, then maybe they should move to Iran, where they’d never have to wait to vote.
Actus,
Could you please expand your comments on your desire to not have to wait more than an hour in line to vote? In your opinion, do long lines on election day interfere with the voting process?
I personally voted early and only had to wait in line for 5 minutes. I assure you, I am no more special than anyone else. I simply chose to go early to avoid the long lines. To insist that all polling places be prepared to keep the waiting time for legal voting to less than 1 hour no matter how many people show up is logistically unreasonable.
Hello Stephen!!
You said, “My point is while many Dems have a vested and annoying interest in labeling all black disadvantaged victims of the ghetto…Many Reublicans have just as strong an interest in labeling blacks the victimizers from the ghetto.”
Well Said! I agree with you. I think Both the Democrat and Republican party are failing the black voters. Unfortunately, as a traditional base of the Democratic Party, many concerns of the black community in general are ignored. The Democrats already know they have the majority of the black vote, and the Republicans know they do not have to address issues because African Americans are not a traditional base. So, I would have to agree with you, neither party is entitled to your entire support. Therefore, perhaps the entire debate of which party is better for the black voter is some what pointless.
‘To insist that all polling places be prepared to keep the waiting time for legal voting to less than 1 hour no matter how many people show up is logistically unreasonable.’
Really? I don’t think so. Its really just a matter of having more voting machines — or, in the case of my district, more poll workers checking names against the books.
And yes, long lines to vote is vote suppression. Some people can’t afford to spend all that time in line, possibly outside in the rain. For health and economic reasons. We can afford a few cruise missles to safeguard our system of govt, I think we can afford more voting too.
“Geezz Rush made a comment that was in my view very true and he’s off the football cuicit.”
Rush’s comments about MacNabb weren’t racist in my view, and they certainly didn’t warrant the attention they received (especially when his Gone with the Wind parody with Carol Moseley Braun received *no* attention), but has anyone out there noticed that he resigned from that ESPN show literally the night before the news of his drug problems broke?
He would have been off that show anyway. What were they supposed to do, leave an empty chair in the studio for a few weeks? Find a fill-in, maybe, but you’re talking about a guy who had just started the job and who isn’t known for being a football expert. Why should they have bent over backwards to accomodate him? Can you get hired somewhere and then take a four-week leave after only working there two or three weeks? I don’t think so.
I have no doubt that ESPN knew the story was coming (the NY Daily News had a column on their site about it the night before the Enquirer story came out) and went to Rush and his agent and said “Look, this isn’t going to work out.” And Rush, of course, had a wonderful opportunity to whine about the liberal media trashing him and how freedom of speech is gone in this country, etc. and ignore the obvious timing of the two events.
Don’t forget that this is a man who announced his latest divorce on the day of Ronald Reagan’s funeral. He knows how to either bury news or disconnect two events.
‘Rush’s comments about MacNabb weren’t racist in my view, and they certainly didn’t warrant the attention they received’
They simply showed that what passes uncrittically among the nodding dittoheads of his echo chamber doesn’t pass so easily in the mainstream.
“Trent Lott praises Thurmond and he is sacked!”
Who sacked him? Fellow Republicans. Without a peep from Bush when the axe finally fell.
What I didn’t get about Lott’s comments was that he went out there apologizing six or seven times and somewhere around apology number five or six, which was on BET, he finally said that he was talking about Thurmond’s foreign policy versus Truman’s. Well, if that was the case, why all the apologies? Why didn’t he just come out and say that in the first place?
If you said something that vague, wouldn’t you know what you meant? Only an incredibly poor public speaker says something that vague and then has no idea what it really meant. And I doubt Lott got into his position because he was a poor public speaker.
BTW, I read that foreign policy thing on a conservative web site a week or two before Lott said it. Think maybe someone on his staff came across it and said “Hey, use this”? Of course, I have no idea how that columnist could claim to know exactly what Lott was talking about, but I guess he was floating the idea with the hope that his staff would pick up on it.
Thank you for the information. I can’t begin to tell you how much I appreciate it. I am a US citizen born to Nigerian parents. I lived in Nigeria most of my life and returned to the US as an adult. I have to confess that I also bought into the Democratic Party is the salvation of minorities at the beginning. After a while I began to question the blind loyalty black have to this party. It is sad that so many in the Nigerian community here in the US and even Nigerians back home have bought into this lie. It is just sickening.
Actus, after all of the sacrifice that folks before me made, I’d stand in line for 9 hours if I had to. You have such a wonderful, spoiled life in America, I think that you are getting soft.
Also, if you live in a precinct with a lot of black folks like I do, the dems are in charge of the machinery. Are they getting in your way of voting again?
While Stephen Johnson overstates the case a little, Republicans did not push some of these issues hard enough in the early 1900’s.
Actus, if you can’t see how white liberals need to feel loved by black people for their own self-esteem, that’s your fault, not Rush’s.
‘Actus, after all of the sacrifice that folks before me made, I’d stand in line for 9 hours if I had to.’
Wonderfull. Maybe you could even volunteer for that time and take the load off of people. Its not a question of softness to ask a senior citizen to wait in line for 9 hours to vote. Its a question of having a right and excercising it. Of course there are reasonable logistics that need to be taken care of, but I see no reason why it should take hours and hours to vote.
But its strange that you turn around all the work that has been done to win the right to vote and use that in defense of voting being difficult. Why not use it in defense of doing more work to make voting more accessible?
‘Also, if you live in a precinct with a lot of black folks like I do, the dems are in charge of the machinery. Are they getting in your way of voting again?’
Like I said, there’s plenty left to do.
Not to mention the fact that I never hear mention of Robert Byrd’s past association as a Grand Kleagle in the KKK. This is a man who condoned lynchings and yet HE’S allowed a pass and Trent Lott had to go??
Ok, I’m a little upset.
The Rush-McNabb thing was Rush telling other espn analyists that they as part of some grand conspiracy have a vested interest in seeing a black quarterback do well because he is black.
his quote was “I think what we’ve had here is a little social concern in the NFL. The media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well…(McNabb) got a lot of credit for the performance of this team that he didn’t deserve.”
Now, while it is debateable whether or not Donovan was overrated (I think history has shown the fallacy of that fact), the annoying thing here AND with his comments is that race had nothing to do with his performance, or his popularity.
For instance, Jim McMahon was the QB of the 85 bears, and Mark Ripyen the QB of the 91 Redskins. Both won superbowls, both were the toast of the town, and history has shown both to be the benificiaries of strong teams around them to supplement their adequate, not great, ability.
Both were overrated.
The point Rush missed, and many here miss is that right or wrong, the only player (with notable exceptions) who gets credit for a FOOTBALL (that is the sport we are dealing with) team’s success has always been, and will continue to be the QB.
So if he was overrated (although in the last 3 years the only constant in the NFC has been the Eagles), it wasn’t some grand conspiracy because he’s black. After all, that’s why the media loves Culpepper (joking).
Mr Johnson,
I agree with your point that niether party is without sin when it comes to having a racist past. The point is that Republicans are labled as racist now. History does not show this to be accurate, and shows the hypocracy of Democrats.
It would be nice if a black person could be Republican without being subjected to racist attacks from Democrats. Why aren’t more people as outraged as I am with the treatment of Condoleezza Rice?
Well said, Stephen Johnson. I agree with you 100%, and not just because I’m an Eagles fan. No head coach would last long in the NFL if they put players into games simply because of race. Either a guy can do the job or he can’t. Race has nothing to do with it. And while three consecutive losses in the NFC Championship Game has been tough, no other team in the NFL has equaled the Eagles’ success these past three years. This year, they’re on the way again, with an 8-1 record that will likely be 9-1 on Monday, barring a collapse against the hapless Redskins.
BTW, has anyone heard that Rush thought the Terrell Owens Monday Night Football bit was racist because it implied that a black man will easily endanger his job for a white woman? What the heck does that mean? It’s hysterical that he has complained in the past about being accused of being racist and now he’s throwing that label around as much as he can. Did Karl Rove send out a memo directing conservative talkshow hosts to play the race card in an attempt to get more black voters on the Republican side before 2006? Nothing would surprise me.
Eric-”The point is that Republicans are labled as racist now. History does not show this to be accurate…”
the GOP is responsible for its relationship with black folk NOW. The question should not be who freed the slaves/ who beat the marchers, as both are irrelevant TODAY.
The question, as Janet Jackson put it is only, “what have you done for me lately.”
That the GOP is unhappy that the Dems claim a moral superiority visa/vis race relations, is irrelevant because the GOP has its own culpability in that mess.
My point is that who was nicer to black folk when is totally pointless. What do you see for our future as Americans is the only question that matters.
Whether Sen. Byrd remained a Dem while Strom (just a little hypocritical of me to oppose civil rights for my daughter) Thurmond became a Republican is wholly immaterial to the question at hand, but illustrative of the end point, there are racists on both sides. There are politicians who use race on both sides. The GOP plays into negetive reinforcement a little more easily than the Dems, that’s all.
I asked liberals on the Board to explain why Lott was treated differently than Chris Dodd. Please see Update II of this post.
The Republican party in the 1800’s was still as racist as any other. It wanted slavery gone for economic reasons, and for Northern sectionalist reasons. The Republicans got NO votes in the South. Oh how times have changed.
Brad-
E-A-G-L-E-S, EAGLES!!!!
And Eric, regarding the perception of Black Republicans-
It’s a PR problem…There are few relateable Black republicans aside from Sec. Powell.
Harold Ford is a Republican at heart, and he understands how things should be done. Bill Cosby is too.
All too often, Black Republicans disaccociate their blackness from themselves.
Sec. Rice is a victim of the same situation, although it may be unfair.
She’s going to have to manage her PR properly.
Else she cannot complain.
Great response Eric! Actus,how is it that an accomplished black woman of Dr Rice’s qualifications is treated in the manner in which is being treated? Just this morning, a report came out that a disc jockey in Wisconsin called here an “Anja Mama”. No is that not the worst? Where are the Dems that heil her as a role model for blacks and women?
I finally realize, if you are a black and you support the President, you are a Uncle Tom because the MSM says that all blacks are SUPPOSE to think in one way!
Ms. Barber,
Trent Lott was uncerimoniously drummed out of his post by the GOP when he got on BET and stated that he definitely supported affirmative action.
The only people who got the short end of the stick were black folk who finally had a Republican Senator who owed us one. We were ready to drop it. The GOP got him out of there.
That nobody took Mr. Dodd to task for the same comment about the same sort of man is a Republican failing.
OReily, Rush, Scarboro (love that guy) Hannity all have platforms on which to do it.
Is it fair? No.
But, nobody ever said it would be.
I hate to seem to be talking about sports, but I cannot let the above statements stand without comment.
Stephen, Rush’s comment was about liberal sports journalists, it was only secondarly about McNabb. I don’t know if Rush was right or not, but since most sports journalists are white, the racism charges seem kinda silly. As an aside, since McNabb is doing so well this year, will his mamma send Rush a Christmas card? Thank you for having a sense of humor!!!!!
Brad, the Cub’s coach, a black man, said that he thinks that his black players play better in the heat than white guys. He’s still around.
I heard Rush on that T.O. thing yesterday, I thought that he was just reporting what others said. Did I miss something?
‘ Just this morning, a report came out that a disc jockey in Wisconsin called here an “Anja Mama”. ‘
Thats horrible. I think her problem is that she is too much of bush loyalist and doesn’t have the background in nation-building and non-state actors (she’s a sovietologist), rather than her race.
Condi was called an “Aunt Jemima.”
LB,
The document is great reading and like you said, some of us were aware of this. It’s good “ammo” for my next family gathering (where my mother and I have been the lone non Democrats for years, although this past election I was pleasantly surprised to fine out that my uncle, his wife and their two daughters broke ranks and voted for President Bush… yes I gloated big time). My family is full of educators (principles, deans, teachers, counselors and a few pastors) who never fail to tell me how they read the statistics and are in the know. Whenever I talk to them, I have to have documentation…
This make them go back to school
Actus,
I don’t know how the wait plays into racism, if it does, but in my majority white neighborhood (78%), depending on the time of day you vote, the line was 5 minutes to 4 hours.
I know in some areas, based on former turnout, they were swamped this year when a higher percentage of the population came out (and for us, a busted machine to boot).
One of the disctricts I helped monitor in Camden had excessive lines, but they also had dozens of people who came to the wrong polling place, since some activist groups were giving them inccorrect information about how things work. Add in a 12% increase in actual voters in that precint as well, and you have a log jam.
Anyway, to the Rush, Lott, Greaseman comments: Rush was attacked for being Rush more than for what he said. Had another member of the press said it, it would have gotten play, an apology, and not much more. But since he is already painted as a racist and worse, no shock that Disney left him for the wolves. And to be honest, Rush should have known they would, and either said it differently, or not at all.
Lott: I think it was the last straw, and the republicans on the hill no longer saw a return on their investment to protect him. I don’t agree with the decision. But they should have landed on Dodd like a ton of bricks for praising Byrd. And they should in general put heat on Byrd to come clean.
Greaseman. Deserved to be fired. After playing a song by a black songstress, he quiped “No wonder they drag them behind trucks”. While he was payed to be offensive, there is still a line.
LB
Thanks for the correction. As much as I eat that brand of pancake mix, you’d think I’d remember.
“I think her problem is that she is too much of bush loyalist and doesn’t have the background in nation-building and non-state actors (she’s a sovietologist), rather than her race.”
I agree race is not the issue actus, however, COndi not having the background? I think we can see what not having the background did for us in 2001. “Madame” Albright, in her testimony before the 9-11 commision said she did not consider Khobar Towers, The Kenyan Embassy and the USS Cole as “attacking the US”. Hello, even in the military they teach us this fact. That a SoS did not know this is utterly shameful and goes to show how the previous administration didn’t care as long as the terrorist didn’t bring it to the continental US.
She knows more about the world stage than most. People all to often mistake “compromise” and “liking us” to success. We see where that has already gotten us… no where. Nation building does not happen over night and is not easy (but then we are the feel good, give me results yesterday society).
We should all do some current event checking on “the former” Yugoslavia. 10 years later and we stgill have troops there (in a small number) with the UN and the natives are getting restless again (of course the UN won’t pay attention until they start killing each other again).
Cracker Culture????
Cute
Outstanding work, La Shawn! A pleasure as always. Thank you.
‘think we can see what not having the background did for us in 2001. “Madame” Albright, in her testimony before the 9-11 commision said she did not consider Khobar Towers, The Kenyan Embassy and the USS Cole as “attacking the US”.’
Off the top of my head, I don’t think albright was much of a nation builder either.
A few years back I watched Senator Byrd being interviewed on Meet the Press [I think that was the show] and he used the “n” word with the word white in front of it. What troubled me is that Byrd is one of the Democratic pillars of the Senate and the way he used the word indicated to me that he was still quite comfortable using it another way. The next week his office sent the show a non-apologetic apology or a non-clarifying clarification–it was hard to tell which. There was next to no outcry over this, which, I must admit, didn’t surprise me. Democrats are allowed to get by with a lot.
Excellent piece LB! I’ve been wanting to look into the parties past stances on slavery, you just saved me alot of work.
As a liberal, I tend to play “Association” to decide which party tends to harbor more racists.
My problem with Lott’s comment was that it was terribly ambiguous. I believe Thurmond definitely resented the racist feelings he held from decades ago. I simply feel Lott wasn’t direct enough in what he said, therefore, I didn’t feel appropriate in overly criticizing him. What were the “problems” he hinted at?
Robert Byrd is another story. Again, I’m a liberal…and even he disgusts me. Anyone who was once associated with the KKK gets no respect from me. There are certain things for which you can make amends, but inclusion in an overtly racist organization is one of them. If I was on the Senate floor, I simply wouldn’t have commented on Byrd. Sure, he may have several good political ideologies that are in step with my own, but I don’t respect him.
But…back to my game of “Association.” All I say is this. I know darn well no one in the KKK would EVER vote for a democrat or a liberal. This is simple fact. However, to be fair to conservatives, I feel the KKK is fairly apathetic when it comes to voting, although I seriously believe, if forced to make a choice, they’d come out swinging for Bush.
My problem with the current conservative movement is its blatent exclusion of the majority of minorities (LOL…am I making sense?) The African American (I think his name was James Byrd) murdered by white thugs in Texas four years ago was a stunning display of Bush’s callousness. He only signed into law the hate crimes bill when his state Congress overrode his veto. This is only one example.
I’m going off on a tangent. La Shawn, I’m a hardcord liberal…but I love your blog. I always like reading opposing viewpoints.
Again, why do you not mention the Southern Strategy?
Again, if it’s just me, then why does Michael Steele, who went all over the country, also mention that the GOP was wrong to follow the Southern Strategy?
Why would a party with the history presented, implement the Southern Strategy?
Why would a segregationist Democrat like Jesse Helms, leave the Democrat party to join the Republican party?
Mike M.: I guess you didn’t hear what happened around that same time. Two homosexuals brutally sodomized (and I think killed) a child. You know why you didn’t hear about it? BECAUSE IT DIDN’T PAY WELL IN MAINSTREAM MEDIA. THE LIBERAL EDITORS AND REPORTERS DON’T CONSIDER THOSE STORIES NEWSWORTHY.
And PLEASE check my archives for what I think about idiotic, inane and moronic hate crime laws.
I think I’ll turn comment moderation back on.
DarkStar, you need to get over the “southern strategy,” LIBERAL Richard Nixon was a jerk, he played both sides of the racial divide. He also oversaw the entry of quotas.
Goldwater is also sometimes associated with the “southern strategy,” but I think unfairly. He was a founding and life-long member of the NAACP back home in Arizona. He was a libertarian, he voted against the 64 & 65 act on those principles. While I disagree with he vote, I understand his reasoning.
As for Jesse Helms, he has never been my favorite Senator, but if wasn’t for him speaking out against slavery in the Sudan, I would have never known about it.
I am sorry for being obtuse, but I still don’t get the “long lines = vote suppression” logic. Please show me some objective study that supports that claim.
I would agrue (from personal experience) that waiting in long lines such as this actually emboldens people to vote their conscience. I have heard people say “well if you are going to stand here, then so am I”. Just an anecdote, I know, but it defies the logic stated above. In Philadelphia this year, the lines at the end of the day snaked around saw a record number of voters, so I would argue that instead of vote “suppression”, we actually saw a whole lotta “enabling”.
In the business world, jobs are filled when qualified applicants successfully apply for the appropriate positions within the specified time alloted to apply for the job. To be fair to ALL applicants, the human resource department must open the job posting for some standardized, pre-determined time. Jobs, however, are not left open indefinately. During the time the job posting is open, applicants have the free choice to apply whenever it is most convenient for them. If the best qualified applicant, however, does not apply until after the posting is closed, the applicant’s application is not “suppressed” from be considered – even if that best applicant is a minority.
While not being an english major or technical writer, the word “suppressed” to me has an active, negative connotation suggesting a conscious decision to restrict otherwise valid activity or options.
If a voter chooses to ignore early voting opportunities and only shows up in the last 1/2 hour before the polling places close, gets discouraged from voting and walks away because 300 people chose to vote at the same time, that does not equal suppression.
Assuming that “voting lines >1 hr long = vote suppression” then how does one resolve the issue in the real world of limited resources and finite deadlines when polling places do not control when potential voters arrive.
Lashawn,
I sincerely apologize for obviously offending you. I offered you a compliment in my post. I don’t understand your animosity towards me and deciding to turn back on the moderation.
OK…first things first. I DID hear about the case you’re referencing. I believe the 13 year old boy’s name was Jesse? You are correct in that the NATIONAL media virtually ignored the story.
What exactly does this case have to do with my comment on hate crimes? These two thugs killed this boy because they were such…two thugs. Cases of grown STRAIGHT men molesting and murdering young girls are JUST as numerous. I suppose I’m simply failing to understand your connection between hate crimes legislation and the boy who was killed by the gay couple. To say that homosexuals are inherently inclined towards pedophilia is slightly ludicrous. Straight men lust for young girls, as well.
I think hate crimes laws are very much needed in our society. To say the white thugs didn’t kill James Byrd because he was black is crazy. Those men knew what they were doing. Attacking someone in an act of violence based on their race or sexual orientation (as well as a host of other qualifiers) is indeed a hate crime.
I will certainly read some of your posts on hate crimes. Can you give me a date about when you posted such entries?
Actus,
You conveniently forget about the ability to do voting by absentee ballot. NOBODY has to wait an hour. My friends home bound mother was able to vote. She simply picked up the phone and requested an absentee ballot be mailed to her.
Actus Actus Actus. Your reasoning is not well thought out. We aren’t perfect but you are farther from it. Who are you trying to convinve of what and for what reason? We are for no discrimination or preferential treatment and the people on your side is for treatment based on race. So again, who are you trying to convince of what. You need to go back to the drawing board.
We’ll make sure to take care of our own and make sure they aren’t welcome if they are racist.
When will you take care of your own (Robert Byrd and Cruz Bustamante)? (I live in CA where Cruz the racist Democrat is.
KLand,
It isn’t an argument when anyone can pick up the phone and request an absentee ballot. I have two kids, live in CA and saw greater turnout where I was.
Even still I brought my two daughters (5 and
with me and voted (for Bush).
I supposed if I was inclined to vote for Kerry that would’ve been too much for me to do. I would’ve felt suppressed.
Mike – See “Update IV.” Pardon my shouting. I saw your compliment and REALLY appreciate that you like my blog, but I can still strongly disagree with your points. And you make some pretty strong, yet politically correct assertions about the need for hate crimes. I totally disagree with you. If I offended, please accept my apology.
I’m just soooo tired of hearing the same old Orwellian stuff about “hate” crimes. What in the world does it matter if someone is attacked because they’re black, for crying out loud? Crime is crime. What a stupid country we’ve become to allow legislators to write laws that PUNISH THOUGHTS. It’s idiotic. Understand this: That James Byrd was killed because he was black is AWFUL, and his family has my prayers and sympathy. But to punish someone for the crime AND the fact that they don’t like black people? Intentionally harming someone FOR ANY REASON is a HATE crime. Good grief. This “protected class” tripe has got to stop!
By the way, in the previous comment about the homosexuals who sodomized and killed that child, it came to mind when you mentioned Byrd, and I thought about Matthew Shepard, the homosexual whose death made national and international news and was turned into a movie. The 13 year-old CHILD’S murder took place around the same time.
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From FrontPage Magazine:
ONE POLITICALLY INCORRECT crime that has received virtually no coverage in the mainstream press is the rape and murder of Jesse Dirkhising. A thirteen-year-old boy in Arkansas, Jesse had befriended Joshua Macave Brown and Davis Don Carpenter, a homosexual couple living nearby. Police now allege that Brown and Carpenter sexually brutalized and killed young Jesse in a manner so gruesome that it defies the imagination.
Given the vast media attention paid to the Matthew Shepard killing in Wyoming, it odd that this “hate crime” has received so little attention. For the full story, see the affidavits filed in the case.
Warning – this material is not for the faint of heart
http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=3672
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Look, I don’t usually shout but you really touched a nerve with this stuff. I hear liberal double-talk like this all day every day, and when I have to read it on my blog, I lose my temper. Please read my post. You’ll get a better idea why I think such laws are dangerous, stupid and un-American.
By the way, I’ve had comment moderation on for a few days now, but I turned it off for a few hours because I was away from my computer. I’d planned to turn it on again tonight anyway. I like the control. But I HATE thought control.
My 8 + ) turned into
when they were together. I meant to say I have a 5 and 8 year old daughter that I brought with me in the super long hour long wait of a line (actually was only 2 minutes even with the higher turnout here in CA).
La Shawn, if you get rich and famous, you can hire somebody to moderate. When does your radio or TV show begin?
(I’d put one of those cute smiley faces here, but I don’t know how!!!!!)
LaShawn,
I think we’re coming to some middle ground here.
Your rationalization for not having a hate crimes law is strikingly refreshing. And, I think, although I’m still racking my brains, that you may have converted me. A crime is a crime. I agree with you. People can think the hate as much as they want (Hell, I’m a liberal, but I’ll defend the idiots of the KKK to the death if they want to hold a peaceful rally).
I agree about the 13-year old Jesse case. More should have been made of it.
However, I’d like to get your opinion on this.
I live in Delaware. We have an employment code that outlines people can not be fired because of race, gender, ethnicity yada…yada…yada. Now, a House Bill was introduced to include sexual orientation. It has been defeated. So, in Delaware it is still legal for people to be fired because of their sexual preference. I know I’m now straying off topic, but I’d like to get your opinion about such employment regulations that dictate whether or not a person can be protected under the law from discrimination.
PS…Your link for Update IV is broken. I manually found it by removing some characters from the address. Thought I’d let you know.
Just a colon and a parenthesis like so
Mike M.
Refreshingly good discussion for a liberal.
See if this helps.
The killers of James Byrd got the death penalty because of their crime. There wasn’t hate crimes legislation in Texas. But if there was….. what more punishment could the killers get? Executed twice? Or…. Conversely… if they actually loved James Byrd and wrote poems about James Byrd and sang to James but killed him should they have just gotten community service for dragging him to death?
The thought of a thought crime or hate crime or people even saying that they know what you thought and then prosecuting you because they know what you thought is ridiculous.
It’s what gets me angry about liberals who try to tell everyone else that they know (yes there are liberals here that work with me and say this) that Bush wanted to invade Iraq for the oil or for a couple other different reasons that Bush has never said. As if they knew Bush’s intentiions.
Hello LA Shawn!
I heard about that story you are referring to about the child being molested by two homosexual men. You were right, the child was murdered. Pedophiles that seduce, rape and then murder children are sick and evil. I have no use for them. They make me sick to my stomach. Some people feel that Pedophilia is a disease to be treated, while others feel it is a crime to be punished. I just know they need to be locked away from society and kept away from children. One thing we do know is that pedophiles are found in both the straight and gay community. So, we shouldn’t make sexual orientation a factor.
Mike,
Your Delaware example is not about hate crimes.
It’s about Delaware’s ATTEMPT at trying to make sure everyone’s civil rights are protected and their ATTEMPT to make sure there is no discrimination going on. I capitalize attempt because it is extremely difficult to try to make sure that there is no discrimination going on by looking at the numbers. If you look at one college and there is 15% blacks and another and there is 10% blacks does that mean that the second college denied 50% more blacks? No. It could mean that 50% of the applicants were black at the first college and there was a 70% deny rate and the second college there was a 10% applicant rate and 0 blacks were denied.
Anyways. Back to the hate crimes laws…. Read my above post please.
Steven,
Tell that to Michael Steele. Ask him why he mentions it.
Steven, one more time. If people bring up the history of the parties, which is valid, please don’t get me wrong.
Then tell the ENTIRE story.
The link is fixed. Thanks.
Pedophilia is not a disease. It’s a sick compulsion that perverts CHOOSE not to control. If I were queen of the world, pedophiles would get the death penalty.
Mike, I need more info. Why was the bill defeated? Was there an unacceptable “rider” attached, for example? Was the language too broad?
Baklava,
Agreed re: my Delaware comment. I mentioned it as off-topic, by the way.
Points taken on the college admissions example and James Byrd’s killers. I knew the hate crimes law wasn’t retroactive to the thugs’ murder convictions.
La Shawn,
Hate to burst your bubble, but the American Medical Association would disagree with your saying pedophilia isn’t a disease. It’s a diagnostically classified mental illness (code 302.3). I know mental illnesses are often criticized in some conservative circles, but their effects can be devastating on those whom they infect and on those whom they affect.
I had a Health Policy course last semester and wrote a term paper on the effects of mental illness on patients and society as a whole. I included several case studies that turned out to form a pretty interesting paper. I wish I would’ve saved that paper!
DarkStar, you are right, all of the history should be known.
While FAR from perfect, I’ll take the Repub’s record any day.
As for Michael Steele, I’ll ask him when I volunteer for his Presidental campaign.
I wholeheartedly disagree with their assessment. And your paper wouldn’t convince me, either. I’d still give child molesters the death penalty. If I were queen, that is.
While FAR from perfect, I’ll take the Repub’s record any day.
Ditto Steven!
You have no idea what a relief it is when you’ve been labeled a racist for being a Republican and then finally the truth about the party is being heard. Thank you, La Shawn and God bless.
Oh, and I was an election judge on Nov 2. The line in my precincts were very short and many of the voters were black, hispanic and… white. As a matter of fact, the only two people turned away were white people who hadn’t registered in time. ::shaking head sadly at Actus::
DarkStar, you are right, all of the history should be known.
Progress!
Anyone ever read the book, YOU DON’T SAY:Sometimes Liberals Show Their True Colors ( published in 1999 ) Fred Gielow?
This little gem was attributed to President Lyndon Johnson, a comment he made aboard AF1 in front of staff:
” I’ll have them niggers voting Democratic for the next 200 years.”
I read about this in other reports. Of course, this is no different that the stunt the radio personality pulled in Wisconsin (calling Condi “Aunt Jemima” and Colin “Uncle Tom”).
Like I said… we have Mental Massa’s now.
Mike M,
I think I have a disease. I would like to slap Linda Ronstandt. It’s devastating to me and it is causing my family to suffer.
They have also labeled obesity a disease (all obesity)…
Ummm… their PHDs and a dollar might get me a cup of coffee… Nah, not enough to pay for it.
Renee,
I never said racism was exclusive of either party. Remember, Lyndon Johnson was a Southern Democrat.
Ummm Mike…
Who said you did? My comment to you was about pedophilia being a disease…
I said they labeled obesity one also but I don’t buy it.
Lighten Up
And yes I do know LBJ was a democrat (hence why I posted it).
Renee,
You had the quote of Lyndon Johnson in your post. I was saying that I never said either party has a hold on being “more” racist. I may be a liberal, but I’ve never said that one ideology is more racist then another, hence my comment. I think it was clear in your post that you were making a point about how Democrats assume they have some “divine right” to minority voters in this country. Sorry if I assumed incorrectly your intent.
My Southern Democrat comment was just that. Southern Democrats are conservatives, by and large. LBJ was a souther democrat, hence his racism is easily explained.
I don’t care what party anyone was in during the Civil Rights Era; I still say a sure majority of whites WERE racists in the South at the time. And, I’d venture to say that there are still more white racists in the South than in the North.
Perhaps I’m going too far into another area.
Well, it’s Friday night. I think I’m going to go out and have some fun!!
You all have a good night. La Shawn, I look forward to more great discussion!
Ummmm ok…
again no one said you did.
Have fun:-)
Hey Mike M.: your association argument cuts both ways. If you want to associate the KKK with Bush voters (I voted for Bush and HATE the KKK) then I’ll stick you with this (unfair in my opinion) association: Who would Saddam Hussein or Osama Bin Ladin have voted for?
“And, I’d venture to say that there are still more white racists in the South than in the North.”
The reason why you would believe this is the same as I stated from expereince…
In the south, if they are racist, they are in your face…
up north, they smile hide, and wait to you are out of earshot.
Just my personal experiences as a black women who was born and raised up north and has lived in the south.
Renee,
Agreed. I have travelled extensively, and lived in true blue Philly and Frisco, as well as Penssylbamma. The south and rural America tend to wear their racism on their sleeves. And when I saw/heard someone make a racist comment South of the Mason/Dixxon, more often than not another local would take the speaker to task for it. Or if it was a ‘drive by’ situation, come over and tell the recipient that what they saw was out of line and unacceptable.
As for KKK members never voting democrat… plenty still do. And plenty who think the dems are the party of black appeasement (toss in the jews, them yeller people, catholics and whomever else is on their list today) don’t vote at all. They aren’t fans of the republican party, from the history, and the party’s policies around free trade and unions. Insular protectionist isolationists, who want union hours and contracts protected, aren’t fans of the republican party as it has stood since… oh, at least as far back as Reagan.
‘You conveniently forget about the ability to do voting by absentee ballot. NOBODY has to wait an hour. My friends home bound mother was able to vote. She simply picked up the phone and requested an absentee ballot be mailed to her.’
Not everywhere, no. Some places don’t give absentee ballots to people who just say they won’t be going down to the voting place.
Take care of own? what are you talking about? I live across the country from Cruz, and many hours from byrd. I have nothing to do with those guys.
“Bush’s callousness. He only signed into law the hate crimes bill when his state Congress overrode his veto. This is only one example.”
Thats because in Texas they actually prosecute the current law on the books. The perp was KILLED for his crime.
I’m not against hate crime legislation, but I am against hate crime legislation stacked on top of other laws that aren’t enforced, in the name of appeasing a minority constituency.
I’m with you Josh. Murder is a crime. We don’t need special laws saying that because you kill someone because of their color or sexual orientation is MORE of a crime…
If you intentionally kill someone, I think it is safe to say… YOU HATE THEM.
La Shawn,
Just got in on this discussion this morning (Sunday Morning) as I’m on call this weekend and had to come into the office. As usual your aprkling wit and unequaled common sense has driven your liberal readers to distraction. I have a couple of comments.
First, I have to say that it is a shame to see someone pushing pedophilia as a mental illness. Having spent 6 years working nothing but sex crimes and domestic violence, I can say that Mike M. needs to spend time in the places I have been and see how he feels about whether it should be classified as a “mental illness” for the purposes of the criminal justice system or not. The problem with mental illness defenses is that they often let perpetrators of horrendous crimes get what amounts to a free ride and a walk.
Second, La Shawn what you say about “hate crimes” is absolutely correct. Hate crimes legislation is nothing more than PC gone horribly wrong, and shoved down the public’s throat as a means of stamping out racism, sexism, homophobia, etc. when it accomplishes nothing of the sort. It has certainly complicated our crime reporting, as one of the criteria that must be evaluated when it comes to certain crimes was whether the crime envolved “hate crimes”. Does it make the original crime any less of a crime?…no. Adding the catagory of “hate crime” to any other crime is done mostly as a “sentence enhancer” to get a stiffer penalty.
What it can also do is give a defense attorney an opening to argue whether the defendant was being racist, sexist, or homophobic at the time of the commission of the crime. If it can be shown that the defendent was not acting or thinking in a manner that would constitute grounds for filing the charge as a “hate crime” then often the whole case is lost when the original case would have stood on its own without having to prove what the defendant was thinking, or motivated by, only that he did it.
Montie, excellent points. Simply put, sin is rebellion against God’s rules. Violence and/or murder is actualized hate.
“First, I have to say that it is a shame to see someone pushing pedophilia as a mental illness. Having spent 6 years working nothing but sex crimes and domestic violence, I can say that Mike M. needs to spend time in the places I have been and see how he feels about whether it should be classified as a “mental illness” for the purposes of the criminal justice system or not. The problem with mental illness defenses is that they often let perpetrators of horrendous crimes get what amounts to a free ride and a walk.”
I think disputing the classification of pedophilia as a ‘mental illness’ on the grounds of unfavorable consequences it can have as a criminal defense is irrelevant.
Let’s be frank here: If pedophilia ISN’T a mental illness, that what is it? The implication of Ms. Barber’s diagnosis, that pedophiles are people who choose not to control their sexual urges, is that sexual attraction to children is natural, and is only an issue of self control.
If someone is sexually attracted to children, or animals, or heaven knows what else, I don’t think it should be such a point of contention that these individuals are mentally ill.
Epitome, if we carry your statement to its logical & secular conclusion, then it’s obvious that Kinsey was mentally ill and here is Hollywood, once again glorifying a mentally ill ’scientist’ and further promulgating his sex studies as gospel for the human condition.
I believe and I think what La Shawn and others are saying is that as sinners, we’re all prone to do evil & therefore we are all mentally ill to a degree, in that we live in sin. However, time and time again, the Bible speaks of those who have been warned, but persist in doing wrong as having been given over to Satan and increased atrocities.
Clinically speaking, we may call these people ‘mentally ill’, the Bible would call it demon possession.
The implication here is that ALL humans are born with a conscience — sense of good & evil — however, how well we ‘listen’ to our conscience is shaped in part by our environment and in part to our free will. If we squelch our conscience long enough, we become totally depraved (Demon possessed) and do what we will simply because it suits us and all moral constraints be damned.
To wit, take cannibalism which is expressly forbidden and goes against basic human nature. We would say Lector Hannibal (Silence of the Lambs) is mentally ill, but we wouldn’t have said the same of a tribe that practices ritual cannibalism. Even in those tribes, they have restraints around the practice, ie, only eat the enemy etc. For example, Indians that eat only the heart of slain enemy warriors to take on their strenth & courage. In either case, the conscience has been ignored and the act justified by Satan for one reason or another.
pre-apologies for double-topicing:
WRT the two political parties and race:
The Democratic party
1: focuses on group-divisions (race / gender / wealth)
2: identifies a victim and an opressor in every situation
3: loudly declares its support for the victim-group.
The Democratic party is group-oriented and its solutions are group (socialist) -oriented. To the Democratic party, both problems and successes are the group’s, and not for any individual’s responsibility or laudation.
(for comfirmatory quotes, reference HRClinton, TKennedy, and ?Stalin? on the “cult of the individual” and related misc.)
The Republicans are not groupist, but are instead expressly individualist in outlook, believing both success and failure are solely belonging to the individual.
The KKK (et al) divide the population by race. Enough said.
Oh, and …… CONDI ‘08
(Or for VP in ‘06 if Cheney’s heart struggles with yet more stress, then for the top slot in ‘08
)
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WRT whether paedophilia is a mental illness or “faulty wiring”:
Certain conditions are “soft-wired” like situation-induced depression or my wife hypochondria (that she got out of). Anything soft-wired is reasonable to describe as a “mental-illness”
Certain neural conditions are hard-wired (my wife and I are both mild Asperger’s neuropaths)
Then there’s what I call “deep-wired” conditions like trauma-induced PTSD/psychosis/MPD/etc.
Hard-wired and deep-wired states aren’t “mental-illnesses” as much as a neurological-condition.
Paedophilia falls into either the hard-wired or deep-wired category and is untreatable given moden non-understanding of neural wiring, and no matter what you try, someone’s brain that is jumper-cabled to react sexually to kids needs to be locked away permanently, killed or cryogenically-suspended until we can do something to rewire them.
As a “different thinker” I believe strongly that you will NEVER fix paedophiles short of star-trek technology, and as many are dangerously intelligent, you cannot trust them. Worse, unlike burglary or Aspergers, paedophilia is partially “contagious” in that the traumatized victims historically have a % chance of becoming victimizers themselves, especially long-term victims.
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