The Republican Party in Wise County loves white folks, but not just any white folks. They are very specific in which white folks are acceptable especially when considering those who are running for political office. On their website, they listed the candidates and included the race of each which, without exception, were "American European." They have now removed the references to ethnicity from their website but I have the pages saved as a pdf file and the first page is shown as a graphic in my diary, "Is this white supremacy?
I reported about this too late last Thursday for the diary to get much notice here. At that time, I was not committed to calling this a blatant racist act so I deflected and focused instead on a definition. What I really wanted was someone to do the dirty work for me. Thanks to stevegilliard, who threw a little cold water in my face, I realize now that I have been slightly beaten down and suppressed by the local racists who accuse me of "race baiting" when I call them out.
Shortly after moving here ten years ago, I learned that the LBJ National Grasslands in Wise County, is or was a meeting place for the Ku Klux Klan. Less than a year later KKK members tried to blow up a local natural gas processing plant.
Four people with ties to the Ku Klux Klan were charged in April 1997 with conspiring to blow up a gas plant in northern Texas. Federal law enforcement officials said they believed the arrests had thwarted a significant terrorist threat in the area, near Fort Worth. An FBI agent said the four were preparing to 'wipe out half of Wise County' and that the group had planned to blow up the Mitchell Energy and Development Corporation's natural gas processing plant in Bridgeport, and then commit robbery to finance other terrorist acts. Those arrested were Catherine Dee Adams, her husband Shawn Dee Adams, Edward Taylor, Jr. and Carl Jay Waskom, Jr.
Source
Let me be clear that it is not exactly safe to speak out about these issues here. Previously when I have advocated against the good-old-boy system, I was faced with local 18-wheeler cattle trucks trying to run me off the road, threatening phone calls and other attempts at intimidation. I didn't acquire the nickname Antigone by keeping my mouth shut. My friend and I decided to report the Wise County Republicans to news media, advocacy groups and both of the major political parties. The local racist are angry and we are now targets.
Thankfully, Bud Kennedy, Staff-Writer for the Fort Worth Star Telegram decided to report. What I discovered was that this is not the first time Mr. Kennedy has reported about racism in Wise County.
In March of this year the Wise County Commissioner Court decided to display the Confederate Flag in the courthouse. From the Star Telegram archives:
March 1, 2006
Section: Metro
Edition: Tarrant
Page: B1
WISE COUNTY CONFEDERATE FLAG OK'D
Wise County commissioners agree to display the Confederate flag inside the County Courthouse during the first week of April as part of an educational display marking Confederate History and Heritage Month, County Judge Dick Chase said. Commissioners had originally considered flying the flag over the courthouse.
Archives, Star Telegram
On May 19th of this year Bud Kennedy reported on his blog, Bud's Big Plate, that the Wise County Minute men were "socializing" with the Republican women's club:
Racism at a Wise County Republican Club
I see where the Wise County Minutemen have been socializing with the Republican women's clubs.
How nice that everybody involved says they're not racist -- but then somebody says:
"If they pass the guest workers' program, your grandchildren will be speaking Spanish. I guarantee it."
News flash: About one-fourth of native Texas children speak primarily Spanish. That's a result of the birth rate among native Tejanos, not illegal immigrants.
Stopping immigration would not stop Texas from changing. It would only stop Texas from growing and choke our economy.
Fifty years from now, the Wise County Minutemen will be regarded as the Klan of the 21st century.
The Minutemen visit to the Republican women's club was covered more extensively by the Wise County Messenger.
Minutemen leader speaks his mind on immigration
Published Thursday, May 11, 2006
By Jeremy Martin
If there's one thing Texas Minutemen President Shannon McGauley knows, it's that his organization isn't universally popular.
After introducing himself at the Wise Republican Women's meeting Monday night in Boyd, he said people may be familiar with his other name - "Redneck Armed Vigilante." more...
As a teaser to his article today, Mr. Kennedy put the following on his Friday blog entry:
They're all white up in Wise County
Why does the Wise Republicans ballot list include each candidate's "ethnicity" in big letters?
And the same info showed up on the primary ballot list.
I find it interesting that all Republicans are "American European." But I wonder why the Republicans are interested.
It's obvious that the locals who accuse me of "race baiting" are delusional and are just trying to deflect attention from their hatred. Now, after Mr. Kennedy's excellent article today, they're fighting mad.
From Sierra's Mom:
Well, if you are NOT happy with where you live or the demographics (facts are facts) then move! In fact, maybe you and TX can plan to move to the same area......
This is RACE BAITING of the most vile kind....and I am sure that your fellow county residents will LOVE hearing how you feel about them!!!
Her husband is a member of the local Minutemen.
IN MY OPINION
Wise County GOP likes letter-perfect candidates
By BUD KENNEDY
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER
Wise County is mighty white.
And Republicans want to make sure you know it.
The local party Web site lists not only the candidates on the Nov. 7 ballot but also their race.
Surprise.
Every Republican candidate in Wise County is listed carefully as "Ethnicity: AE."
A code at the bottom explains that "AE" stands for "American European." more...
The Republican county chair, well known for his hobby and fascination with genealogy, claimed, when asked by Mr. Kennedy, that he just copied and pasted a "state candidates' questionnaire."
The problem with that response is that, when Mr. Kennedy called the Texas Republican Party, "a state party administrator said Texas Republicans never ask anyone's race."
County party Chairman D.A. Sharpe, 67, a former Dallas church administrator who retired to Aurora, said he typed up the list himself and made up his own abbreviations.
"I just took that off the report to the state," he said. A Jan. 2 form asked for the "ethnicity" of primary candidates, he said.
Both the primary and general-election lists were still on the Web site Friday at www.wiserepublican.org .
But the lists had been edited to remove the unneeded codes for cultures besides "AE."
Sharpe apparently changed his codes between elections.
For 15 candidates in the March Republican primary, "AE" meant "Anglo European."
Now, it means "American European."
" he said. "So that's what I used." "The majority of us recognize ourselves as `American European,'" he said. "So that's what I used."
As Mr. Kennedy point out, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales or U.S. Rep. Henry Bonilla would be labeled with an "H" on the Wise County Republican website and Asian Americans would simply be an "O."
Sarah Floerke, Texas Republican Party election administrator, compiled the candidate forms.
"I don't think we asked any questions like that," she said after looking over the Wise County Web site.
"We never would ask anything like that."
I checked several other county party Web sites.
None lists candidates by race.
I called Texas party Vice Chairman Robin Armstrong for comment.
He's a doctor from Galveston County.
He's an "AA."
"I don't think race or ethnicity should be an issue to Republicans," Armstrong said.
"It's the Democrats who always make it an issue."
He grew up in a Democratic family as the son of a La Marque school trustee. He joined the Republican Party in 1989 as a student at Texas A&M.
"We are all Americans first," Armstrong said. "Ethnicity, culture and heritage are important. But not most important.
"Obviously, the delegates at the state Republican convention" -- who voted for Armstrong -- "didn't consider race an issue. Most Republicans don't make it an issue."
Just a few Wise County AEs.
______________
Bud Kennedy's column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. 817-390-7538 bud@budkennedy.com
I could describe some of the hundreds of anecdotal experiences I have witnessed where locals have displayed their fear and hatred of races other then "American European" but I would rather let numbers speak. Numbers do not lie. Here are the demographics of Wise County as of the 2000 census as reported by Sierra's Mom a frequent poster at the
Wise County Messenger forum board:
2000 census for Wise County showed: As of the census² of 2000, there were 48,793 people, 17,178 households, and 13,467 families residing in the county. ....racial makeup of the county was 91.01% White, 1.23% Black or African American, 0.75% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 5.03% from other races, and 1.71% from two or more races. 10.76% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
The Wise County racists have been quite successful.  
Link to Wise Republican Candidate Directory scroll down to see the different codes.
Update: This morning the ethnic references had been removed but they're back now.
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