I’ve spent a lot of time recently thinking about how I could write something that reflects why I seem to be so “against” the republican party.  Right now I’m reading a book by Seymour Hersch about Henry Kissinger and his role in the Nixon administration – which simply confirms again that I believe republicans have continually been WORSE than democrats for our nation.  I’m also in a Bible study on the book of Romans which has helped me to understand that my biggest concern about the republican party is that the so-called “Christian right” is the “base” of the party.  Paul’s words in Romans confirms (at least to me) that the actions of the “Christian right” is turning more and more people off to the message of Jesus, which, Christians we’re supposed to support.  That all being said, the words of the Los Angeles Clipper’s owner Donald Sterling this past week – allegedly racist comments to his girlfriend suggesting that she not “bring blacks to my games” – and, the overwhelming reaction to them has really given me “pause.”

While I TOTALLY agree that Sterling’s words were “abhorrent” as many in the National Basketball Association characterized them – I just have to wonder where everyone’s been as we’ve watched the emergence of the “Tea Party” during the years of Barack Obama’s Presidency.  Where was all the “media attention” when people like Jim DeMint (then a sitting U.S. Senator) were speaking to a “Tea Party” crowd in Washington D.C. where there was a seemingly plethora of signs depicting Barack Obama in a wide range of racially derogatory manners?  Why didn’t anyone notice, in the Presidential debates of 2008, John McCain refer to then Senator Obama as “That one.”  I could go on and on, I’ve heard anywhere from outright racist comments to an unending flow of “code words” as I’ve listened to people like Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, Glen Beck, not to mention the many REPUBLICAN politicians who have been unable to hide their HATE of this president.

The now infamous “Koch brothers” – who were busily hiding “under the radar” until President Obama was elected – have been totally UNABLE to hide how they “really feel” about a Black president in the “White House.”  Despite the FACT that their net worth has essentially DOUBLED during Obama’s presidency (from $50 BILLION to over $100 BILLION!) they continue to push the message that Obama is a “socialist” or a “fascist” or a “communist” or he’s “bad for business” or etc. etc.  From my perspective, I’ve got some complaints myself about President Obama, but you would think that virtually EVERY where I’ve been disappointed, people like the Koch’s would be cheering our president.

However, the sad REALITY is that the Koch brothers and (presumably) many of their “brethren” who are helping to supply the endless supply of “Super Pac” money (enabled by our right wing Supreme Court via the “Citizens United” debacle of a decision) to right wing republicans are directly “out of” the remnants of the John Birch society.  Charles and David Koch’s Dad was a founding member of the John Birch Society which called President Eisenhower a “communist.”  I hope you can see how far we’ve come as a nation – today’s republican agenda is pretty much answerable to these two brothers.  When one of the Kochs was on a Libertarian ticket for the presidency back many years ago (I believe it was David Koch) their “philosophy” rang “true” with maybe 1 or 2 percent of Americans.  They’ve been “pressing” their agenda ever since.

And, anyone who doesn’t understand that the Kochs are dangerously smart, in my opinion, are fooling themselves.  They’ve managed to “fund” several “think tanks” that spend their time promoting the Koch’s right wing libertarian philosophy, they’re busy doling out HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS of dollars to right wing “Tea Party” candidates as  they continue to push the republican party farther to the “right,” and – probably worse – they’ve funded a group which goes by the moniker ALEC which has infiltrated state and local legislative bodies across America to “provide” pre-written legislation to legislators who (presumably) are unable to write their own stuff.  For example, ALEC is the “force” behind the “Stand your ground” laws passed in something like half of America’s states which allowed George Zimmerman to get away with murdering Trayvon Martin.  They are firmly behind the ANTI- WORKER initiatives which are taking away worker’s rights in one state after another (see, Scott Walker in Wisconsin).  They are funding politicians from the local levels all the way to the national level.  In my mind, they are without peer in the area of political power grabbers.

The other thing I have to mention about the Kochs and their affiliation with the John Birch Society is that “Birchers” are famously part of the white supremacy movement in America.  I subscribe to a group called the Southern Poverty Law Center which is the most significant force against the “white supremacist” movement I’m aware of in America and they point out some glaringly scary statistics since the election of our first Black President.  The “white supremacist” groups have grown at an alarming rate.  (I would suggest you check them out, and if you feel the same way I do, give them your financial support)  So, getting back to my main point – the Koch brothers are much more significant to the future of this nation than Donald Sterling and, yet, you rarely hear anyone in the so-called “liberal media” pointing out the racist nature of their actions against Obama.

In reality, most people knew what kind of person Sterling was long before his jilted girl friend (who must be 40 – 50 years younger than him) decided to make public his ranting during a “lover’s quarrel.”  I can only imagine that he chose not to respond to some kind of blackmail threat on her part and now he’s a piranha in the world of professional basketball.  I “get that” and I’m in no way attempting to defend Sterling (I thought he should have been “gone” long ago) – but where’s the uproar over the racist remarks of Rush Limbaugh, for example?  In my mind, he’s much more OVERT and dangerous than Sterling.  Limbaugh has an audience of millions and Sterling is an owner of a basketball team.  I agree that the NBA has done the “right thing” in banning Sterling, I just don’t understand why the silence against all the other “personalities” who are making racist comments?

Until “we the people” understand that that assault on our fundamental values goes much deeper than one ignorant sports BILLIONAIRE this kind of stuff will continue.  Again, Sterling is “small potatoes” compared to the Kochs!  Why is their racism tolerated?  Why is Rush Limbaugh tolerated?  Why is Sean Hannity tolerated?  Why is Bill O’Reilly tolerated?  Why is Mitch McConnell (republican senate minority leader) tolerated?  and John Boehner and John McCain and Lindsey Graham, and on and on?  Why is the assault on average American workers tolerated?  I think I know the answer – because “we the people” are so fragmented by irrelevant issues that we continue to tolerate a political process that is TOTALLY corrupted by money to the point where our “liberal media” is participating in our own demise.  Isn’t it time for “we the people” to STAND UP and return to the general attitude that America is a “we” nation?  I believe there will soon be a time, either voluntarily or through necessity, that “we the people” will be demanding a return to the principles of the “New Deal.”  (That’s exactly what the Kochs and their compatriots HATE)  A big part of that process will be the result of America deciding that for us to grow as a nation we MUST acknowledge that the battle against racism is not OVER and it goes way DEEPER than the words of Donald Sterling!

Since the days of Richard Nixon republicans have been busily cramming a “secret” agenda down the throats of the American people.  (I believe both Ronald Reagan and George W Bush were much more damaging to America than Nixon, but that’s a story for another time)  And, the Christian movement was commandeered by the false promises regarding the abortion issue.  So, many Christians are supporting a political party in which they have no idea what’s going on behind the scenes.  (to my republican friends, I’m not lobbying for democrats)  This racism in the republican party is NO SECRET to anyone paying attention.  I’ll end my rant tonight by asking again – why such a “stir” for the words of Donald Sterling when the words of Limbaugh, Hannity, O’Reilly, and the rest of the republican “front,” (which includes the actions of the Kochs and their brethren) which are much more racially damaging, continue to go unchallenged?