Whatever happened to... (Part 2)

More painful observations

Michael D. Shaw Mar 28, 2024 @ Mike's Point Of View

Whatever happened to…Civil Rights—The notion of “Civil Rights” must be contrasted with basic human rights, that are presumed to exist as part of the Natural Law. In essence, Civil Rights must be guaranteed by the government, while human rights are part of the inherent dignity of mankind. Indeed, our Bill of Rights is mostly about preventing the government from limiting our human rights.

The landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 was concerned with ending discrimination based on race, color, religion, or national origin. The Act enabled the Feds to prevent racial discrimination in employment, voting, and the use of public facilities. Never mind that virtually all this discrimination was originally imposed by the Government at some level.

Barry Goldwater is remembered for opposing the Act, even though he was quite a leader in the Civil Rights movement in his home state of Arizona. Goldwater’s opposition was based on his correct perception that this was an immense power grab by the Feds, since there was almost no limit to what could be deemed a “civil right.” Goldwater was to soften up as he got older, and said that he regretted his decision.

Section 1 of the Fourteenth Amendment states that:

No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

It would seem that this provision was routinely violated for 96 years, and I guess no one ever noticed, until it became politically expedient. Mostly because of the liberal bent of the mainstream media, the Democrats—well-known at least in the South as the party of segregation—became identified with the Act. Still, it never would have passed without significant Republican support.

Affirmative Action, whereby government contractors are to "take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin" dates back to a 1961 Executive Order. It gained momentum following the passage of the Act, and would soon turn into full-blown quota systems.

Alas, the quota systems would morph into outright in-your-face discrimination with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives. Thus, we come full circle with both the 14th Amendment and the Civil Rights Act being violated—all with the full faith and credit of the Feds. Do you think the younger Barry Goldwater was onto something?

Given the ingenuity of plaintiff’s lawyers, pressure groups, and the insatiable appetite of the Feds for more power, within a few short years after the passage of the Act, countless victim groups would come forward, in the name of “civil rights.” To be sure, many of these were worthy causes, but what have we wrought?

Do I really need to count up the ways in which society has been fragmented, secularized, and polarized, or how human rights have taken a distant second place to civil rights?

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