Want to talk about racism?
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Is this supposed to be one of those "Democrats are the racists!" responses to Republicans being called racist?
If so, I 100% understand how tiring it is that Democrats call you racist simply because you're a Republican.
But the parties of the mid-1800s aren't the same as the parties today. No, I'm not saying the parties "switched". They simply no longer hold the same platforms as they did over 150 years ago.
For example, Lincoln (a Republican) instituted the first income tax and also (I think, need to double check) the first inheritance tax. And created more federal departments (like the Department of Agriculture). And let's not forget that whole pesky refusal to accept states' rights brouhaha. I'd like to see some Republicans today run for office being in favor of more taxes, big government, and denying states' rights.
Things have changed a lot over the past 150+ years. For instance, the majority of Christians in the South back then were pro-slavery. Should we start calling today's Christians racists because of that? Of course not. Because people today aren't responsible for what people 150+ years ago did, whatever group they are in is called.
Apologies for the length of this post, but this topic really bothers me and I see it way too often.
Lincolns income tax was temporary, it was how funds were raised for the Civil War. After the Civil War, the income tax expired. It wasn't until 1913 when the 16th Amendment was ratified that Federal income taxes were permanently installed. This was after several attenpts at instituting income taxes were rebuffed, because they were deemed unconstitutional.
Ok. I'm not sure what point you're trying to make, exactly.
Are you trying to negate his actions because they were temporary?
Or did you just want to contribute some trivia to the conversation? Looking to start a conversation on the topic?
Or was there some other point I'm not getting?
I'm not trying to start an argument. I would just like to understand the reason for your response. Thanks.
Just stating the facts that income taxes were instituted to pay for the Civil War and that they weren't actually enacted until after 1913. Just being precise. Some folks may not know history very well and your statement may have made people believe that income taxes are only around because Lincoln instituted them. Between when the Civil War tax expired and the 1913 Constitutional Congress, I think the government began to like the money to spend and tried several times to bring them back, the Supreme Court struck it down every time until they had it ratified in the 16th Amendment.
Understood. Thanks for the clarification.
you started the argument with the lengthy comment. are you unhappy that the south had so many racists from the democrat party and continues to have them today? because the comment does not address todays democrats accusing anyone that opposes them of being racist which is what this post is being critical of by pointing out their history that they love to ignore. and looking at your comment, the dems are calling todays christians racists regardless of the history of being pro slavery.
I didn't realize this was supposed to be an argument. I was viewing it as conversation and the sharing of ideas. Even those ideas that don't agree with others.
I apologize for the length of my post. I grew up pre-twitter, and forget that a huge chunk of the population are accustomed to only reading tweets and memes and dislike reading long posts.
I did address how today's Democrats automatically label Republicans as racists and how I sympathized with how tiring that is. You seem to have missed that in my long post.
I'm unhappy that people play identity politics with people who lived 160 years ago. I'm also unhappy that you seem to have missed my entire point.
As much as people like to deny it, there ARE Christians who are Democrats, so they are apparently calling themselves racists?
There is a definite problem today of people thinking in absolutes. Such as the idea that ALL Democrats are exactly like. And ALL Christians are Conservative. Or that because someone disagrees with you over ONE issue, they MUST disagree with you on ALL issues.
Did you really miss the entire point of my post, or are you simply ignoring it in favor of getting angry over things you take issue with? Because you really seem angry that I don't agree with the idea that Democrats of 160 years ago and the Democrats of today have the same ideals.