THREAD: In a 1955, Dixiecrat Sen. James Eastland of Mississippi warned that the civil rights movement threatened "the death of southern culture and our aspirations as an Anglo-Saxon people."
Integration, he said, would threaten "their untainted racial heritage." 1/
To fight the destruction of alleged Anglo-Saxon racial purity, Sen. Eastland declared "a crusade to restore Americanism" by fighting to preserve segregation.
The Mississippi Dixiecrat tied that fight to the fight against efforts to "socialize industry"—especially health care. 2/
In 1938, Sen. Theodore Bilbo filibustered a federal anti-lynching law. Before he did so, he gave a speech explaining his opposition to the bill:
"It is absolutely essential to the perpetuation of our Anglo-Saxon civilization that white supremacy in America be maintained." 3/
In 1890, lawmaker J.H. McGehee told fellow delegates who were designing Mississippi's new Jim Crow constitution that the "government of the people" was made "for the Anglo-Saxon people."
"That is what we are here for today—to secure the supremacy of the white race," he said. 4/
McGehee argued for Jim Crow provisions to disenfranchise Black voters, noting that he and others were for "anything...that will ensure white supremacy and the rule of intelligence in Mississippi."
He backed doing so "even if it does sacrifice some of my white children..." 5/
Likewise, 1950s editorials in Mississippi newspapers argued that segregation was necessary to prevent the "amalgamation" of "Anglo Saxon ... racial stock with that of other peoples..."
The Star-Herald editorial, 1954: "Segregation Not UnChristian" 6/
In 1954, the Jackson Clarion-Ledger wrote about "the Anglo-Saxon ideal of racial integrity maintained by a consistent application of the principle of segregation" (an "Anglo-Saxon political tradition"...?).
They contrasted it with the alleged "Communist goal of amalgamation." 7/
So start an "America First Caucus" to preserve the "Anglo-Saxon political traditions if you like."
But don't forget that white supremacists like Sen. Theodore Bilbo (who was so racist he drew Black and white picketers demanding he not be seated in 1945) got there first. 8/
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Yes, they're both women on the further ideological ends of their party's spectrums—but only MTG is ideologically extreme.
They both get the other side really upset, but MTG does so on purpose; AOC by existing.
AOC, despite her lack of major legislative accomplishments, relentlessly focuses on policy and details and uses her speaking time on the floor and in committee to discuss issues or effectively interrogate.
MTG uses every minute of speaking time she gets for the grievance grift.
One of these women is a woman of color who talks about solutions and issues of discrimination against POC and LGBT people.
The other is a white daughter of white flight who denies the realities of systemic racism, spreads anti-LGBT hate, and traffics in conspiracy theories.
NEW: Mississippi elections chief Michael Watson is defending his warnings against registering "woke college students" to vote, claiming "far-left, liberal professors" are teaching them "to hate our country."
His words he claims were misrepresented: “Think about all those woke college and university students now who will automatically be registered to vote … You’ve got an uninformed citizen who may not be prepared and ready to vote." mississippifreepress.org/11398/mississi…
“I think that those comments were probably taken out of context in a hatchet job in the sense that our job is to make sure that every Mississippian who is a United States citizens, who is a legal resident of our state, has the ability to vote,” Watson said.mississippifreepress.org/11398/mississi…
Former Mississippi Gov. Ray Mabus: "Mr. Watson tips his hand when he uses the term 'woke.' ... Interesting, telling and exceedingly strange that he would not want those who are against racism to vote." mississippifreepress.org/11352/former-g…
Gov. Ray Mabus' 1988 inaugural: "A new day depends fundamentally on our resolve to banish racism forever from the State of Mississippi. We know in our hearts that the chains of prejudice have bound more than one group; they have held all of us back." mississippifreepress.org/11352/former-g…
But instead of shame, there is pride in these hateful, cruel laws that don't solve any actual problems. They exist solely to remind innocent kids how much powerful people hate them and are willing to crush them to score political points with bigots.
It's disgusting. You cretins.
This is addressed as well to the handful of Democrats in state government who support these hateful laws. Be damn ashamed.