Currently Reading A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr. By Martin Luther King see related

Yesterday, President Bush spoke to the NAACP for the first time of his Presidency, after declaring in 2004 that his relationship with the group was "non-existent." Bush lamented that so many African-Americans distrusted his political party after they abandoned the legacy of President Lincoln. He pledged to sign a renewal of the Voting Rights Act, which passed in the Senate overwhelmingly yesterday.

If the President truly regrets the Republican Party's hidden prejudice, he would understand that caring is more than just rhetoric. The Democrats have consistently favored programs to help African-Americans. Republicans don't understand that equality is more than a token here and there. For example, only Clarence Thomas believed that he was qualified for the Supreme Court. Even J.C. Watts, a former Republican Congressman resigned from Congress after being treated like a token by Conresssional Republicans.

One thing that Republicans don't realize, is that African-Americans are not stupid. Looking back at the racial records of Trent Lott, Jesse Helms, Ronald Reagan, Rush Limbaugh, Pat Buchanan, and Richard Nixon, can it be considered a mystery why African-Americans don't vote for Republicans?