2013 'Racist of the Year': The Teapublican Party (graphic by DonkeyHotey)
The votes for "
Racist of the Year" for 2013 are in and the winners—who are really losers—are now enshrined in our Hall of Shame.
The Hoodie Award
Bestowed by online voters in a poll taken at Daily Kos, to the group or individual whose words and/or deeds best exemplified bigotry and the active effort to suppress and oppress people of color in the United States, in the manner exemplified by the Ku Klux Klan.
Their hoods may not be visible, but their vileness can be seen clearly by everyone who is fighting to build a country free of racism.
9147 people voted in the poll online, with more delivered via email. The Teapublican Party topped the list with 2144 votes (23%). Second place went to Rush Limbaugh (19%, 1798 votes) and a close third to Fox News with 1596 of the votes (17%).
No real surprise here.
Teapublicans are equal opportunity haters. They, and those who fund them—like the Koch Brothers—are truly an American Taliban, and just like the KKK unleashed a reign of terror in the U.S. during reconstruction and into the civil rights era, the teahadists among us and those they elect to office are as much or more of a terrorist threat to our nation than any outside forces.
Follow me below the fold to fight back.
We all know what needs to be done. Vote them out!
Donate to candidates challenging Teapublicans at ActBlue.
Who We Are
ActBlue is an online toolset that makes it easy for donors to connect with the candidates and causes they support.
Our Mission
At ActBlue, our mission is to democratize power by putting powerful fundraising tools in the hands of grassroots donors across the United States.
For 2014 make a new year's resolution to step up your activism. See the poll below.
You can also join groups to boycott advertisers who support racist bloviators who propagate Teapublican hate like Rush Limbaugh: The Flush Rush and Stop Rush campaigns on Twitter, whose motto is "Hate shouldn't be celebrated or profitable," have had growing success.
We need to organize.
Groups that promote progressive organizing and training need your support.
The New Organizing Institute (NOI):
We're a community of organizers, and we're committed to solving the biggest challenges that stand in the way of change. Our basic belief is simple: if people have the skills to engage others, the tools to build powerful campaigns, and a community of practice to help them learn and grow, they can win real change, make measurable improvements in people's lives, and restore faith in our government and our democracy.
We train organizers to build and manage effective movements by integrating tried-and-true community organizing, cutting-edge digital strategy, and data-driven decision making. We provide free access to revolutionary tools, technologies, and research to help campaigns reach the next level. And we build a community of practice that connects organizers across issues, creating a more integrated, more diverse, and more dynamic movement for change.
MoveOn:
MoveOn is a community of more than 8 million Americans from all walks of life who use innovative technology to lead, participate in, and win campaigns for progressive change.
For over 14 years, the MoveOn family of organizations have used online tools to lower the barriers to participation in our democracy, so real Americans have a voice in a political process where big money and corporate lobbyists wield too much influence. Increasingly, MoveOn members and progressives are stepping up as the leaders of their own campaigns for social change, using MoveOn’s cutting-edge technology, such as MoveOn Petitions, to tap into our collective people power by enlisting other MoveOn members’ support.
You can expand our media power and voices by
donating to Daily Kos:
Sign the NAACP Pledge to Stop Hate:
I believe all Americans have equal rights and equal value.
I cherish the diverse cultures, beliefs, and values of America.
I believe we can disagree without being disagreeable.
I repudiate all acts of racism and hate, both in words and action.
I have faith in the promise of America – a promise built on mutual respect, common civility, and hope for a better tomorrow.
I commit to building that better America by participating actively and peacefully in the democratic process.
We are one people. We are one nation. I’m an NAACP American.
To combat racism and xenophobia against immigrants, join the electoral campaigns at
America's Voice:
The mission of America’s Voice (AV) and America’s Voice Education Fund (AVEF) is to harness the power of American voices and American values to enact policy change that guarantees full labor, civil and political rights for immigrants and their families. We work in partnership with progressive, faith-based, labor, civil rights, and grassroots groups, networks and leaders to enact federal legislation that puts 11 million Americans-in-waiting on the road to full citizenship.
Join the ACLU's
Racial Justice and
Voting Rights Campaigns:
The Racial Justice Program is a division of the American Civil Liberties Union, the nation’s leading advocate of constitutional and civil rights. Staff members of the program are experts in constitutional law and civil rights, specializing in education, health care, racial profiling, juvenile justice, criminal justice, indigent defense, and other racial justice issues. Experts in policy, advocacy, and community organizing round out the core staff of the RJP.
The addition to the team based in our National office, racial justice litigators, organizers and advocates are at work in ACLU affiliates throughout the United States. In addition to our own work, the Racial Justice Program supports and coordinates racial justice efforts in every state, advocating for justice and equality on the national scale and in communities across the country.
The
Not in Our Town movement fights hate:
Not In Our Town’s mission is to guide, support and inspire people and communities to work together to stop hate and build safe, inclusive environments for all.
On NIOT.org, you will find over 100+ short films to view and discuss with your community, more than 50 school films with accompanying lesson plans and activity guides, and sample materials from towns who have stood up—and worked to prevent hate and intolerance from taking a hold in their communities. Special collections include what to do when a hate group comes to town, how to address hate on your campus, and how to start an anti-bullying campaign.
Remember that racism walks hand-in-hand with sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, and a host of other bigotries.
It's our job to confront it, and boot it out of elected office, our homes, schools, workplaces, and our economy.
So let's promise in 2014 to move forward together and put bigots out of business.
