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A 50-year Downward Spiral
Republicans went from Supporting Civil Rights to Donald Trump.
In August of 2013, the nation commemorated the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington. This milestone in Civil Rights history was an occasion for a number of politicos to show up and be seen at this remembrance. But there was someone missing. Actually, it was a group of someones. Republicans.
Former President George W. Bush had a legitimate excuse; he was recovering from a coronary procedure. His father wasn’t able to make it due to age and declining health. But other politicians such as then-House Speaker John Boehner and then majority leader Eric Cantor didn’t have a health excuse. They just didn’t bother attending.
This was one of the most important events in American history. It became an event that helped change America for the better. Why did the Republican Party think they could just skip something this important?
Fifty years earlier in June of 1963, fire hoses and dogs were traumatizing protesters in Birmingham. With an eye on events in Alabama, GOP Senators issued the following statement:
“The Republican Members of the U.S. Senate … reassert the basic principles of the party with respect to civil rights, and further affirm that the president, with the support of Congress…
