KCFlyer said:
I'm sorry....I had to clean off my monitor after reading this....I spit my drink all over the screen. I was in junior high/high school in the early 70'/s. We had "forced bussing", which is the word that was used to describe desegregation. People who opposed "Forced bussing" were overwhelmingly republican. So why would they switch parties because they were disillusioned with democrats over civil rights, then turn around as republicans and oppose civil rights issues?
Took you long enough.
Civil rights issues were opposed by both parties for different reasons, don't you think?
Your Dixiecrats splintered off the main party due to desegregation in the military. They were the supporters of a segregated south. All but Strom Thurmond went back to the party, several became pol's or just got old and fizzled out of the political arena, with Thurmond and maybe one other joining the Republicans.
So that was a splinter group of the Democrats, supported no doubt, by an equal number of splinter group constituents.....these appear to be what was left of the old South tradition slave think. I'm sure others in the Dem party still held and to this day still hold on to many of those 'traditions'. So as the Southern Democrats started embracing civil rights more and more, moving away from a party supporting states rights and moving toward a party that favored more government intervention, a party that supported states rights and less government becomes an attractive choice.
But this progressive mantra that they all became Republicans is absolute BS. Sure, some joined the Republican party but at the same time as the South was growing Northerners began relocating for new jobs in the new South.....many were Republicans.
The busing issue which began in the South only and then was mandated for the entire country was another 'feel good' measure with disastrous results.
The education system in both the North and South was in terrible disarray with a huge disparity in quality between Black and White schools in areas that were known for inferior scholastics. That was a large reason for resistance against forced busing. Of course it was,at the same time,resistance to change in the form of integration.
But this idea it was primarily Republicans is BS too. In the non southern states, many areas with the most visible reaction to busing were Democrat controlled states and cities. Many involved in the creation of the laws which created desegregation ended up sending their children to private schools. Both sides.
Forced busing created a lot of anxiety across the country but in the end, the disparity betweens Black and White schools was exposed and on the road to improvement.
