A little background: I'm in a Facebook argument with a conservative friend (who happens to be a history teacher) and his namecalling, liberal-hating uncle over the Democratic Party and its commitment to civil rights, among other things.
From the democrats.org page:
For more than 200 years, our party has led the fight for civil rights, health care, Social Security, workers' rights, and women's rights. We are the party of Barack Obama, John F. Kennedy, FDR, and the countless everyday Americans who work each day to build a more perfect union. Take a look at some of our accomplishments, and you'll see why we're proud to be Democrats.
I'm at a loss on how to defend a statement like this when I am not sure it is entirely true. And so I turn to the Great Orange Satan for help!
Join me on the other side!
Basically, I'm getting beat up pretty good about LBJ and how he was a racist (even though he signed the Civil Rights Act) and FDR's internment camps (for the Japanese-Americans in World War II).
It's the usual "all Democrats are liars" stuff from the uncle.
But in a way, it's a good question.
How can the Democrats lay claim to being the party of civil rights, women's rights and all that good stuff for over 200 years? Did they really do that? Or is it just hyperbole?
I have a Facebook argument awaiting me. I await your answers and assistance!
ADDENDUM:
My friend also used this article as proof that Democrats were anti-civil rights until 1996:
http://www.black-and-right.com/...
The article is called "The Democrat Race Lie" from a website called Black & Right.