The GOP and the Tea Party Continue Attacks on Latinos

On February 11, 2010, I blogged here on the Tea Party hostility to Latinos. As you can see from the photo at right things have gone from bad to worse since that blog entry, as the Tea Party is now actively campaigning against Latinos and organizing rallies against any kind of immigration reform. In fact: "The rallies will include some well-known Tea Party and anti-immigration speakers, including former Rep. Tom Tancredo, the outspoken founder and co-chairman of border security, anti-immigration PAC Team America; J.D. Hayworth, John McCain’s Republican opponent for U.S. senate; Arizona’s controversial sheriff, Joe Arpaio; and ALIPAC President William Gheen."

Further, the GOP is coddling this group of hateful extremists now more than ever. I am calling again on GOP leaders to denounce the extremist parts of this "movement," to issue statements against signs like the one at right, and to state in no uncertain terms that this kind of hate-mongering is not acceptable and is inconsistent with GOP values. After all since my initial post, members of the Tea Party have spat upon congressmen (including John Lewis), posted threats of violence against Latinos on Tea Party web sites, and now are following thru on Tancredo's anti-Latino rant that triggered my initial post.

Instead of denouncing violence and hatred GOP leaders are fomenting an environment conducive to violence and hatred. If we do not stand up to the GOP's embrace of thuggery we should expect that sooner or later these hateful elements will become dangerously violent. When that happens innocent people of color--including Latinos--will get hurt. Statements like "reload" from presumptive GOP Presidential nominee Sarah Palin are tantamount to encouraging violence against people of color. The GOP must renounce this kind of hate, not pour fuel on the fire.

Latinos are fighting back. There is a new web site up that specifically calls on so-called GOP leaders to forsake the extremists that they are now coddling. If they fail to heed calls like this the GOP cannot hope to regain the majority. Frankly, when I see a sign like the one above and I hear what Palin says in response to this kind of nonsense it motivates me to give more money to the Democrats--who I often have spoken against.

We need to stand up to hatred before these people turn more violent. Tell the GOP to get some spine, here: http://www.facebook.com/cuentame?v=app_10531514314



Let me be clear. I do not object to the fact that the Tea Party is 99% white and is relatively conservative on the political spectrum, as shown in a recent NY Times Poll. My objection is that it condones hate and violence. Just look at the video above.