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Location: Austin, TX/Chicago, IL/Houston, TX/Washington, DC
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jamerschris
Responsible for our Highways today. a great man who served our country... how did you like him overall? as presdient... I was not born in the 1950's but for some reason I admire him.
I do too, the man that brought Interstate Commerce to us. You know he influenced more than that, in order for states to receive federal budget for roads which states desperately needed, the law stated that their drinking age be set to 21 and not 18. That's done wonders, Eisenhower's legacy lives on!
Considering that Eisenhowers sent the 1,000 members of the 101st Airborne to force compliance with court ordered integration of Central High School in Little Rock Arkansas, I find your argument a bit suspect.
As other posters have noted he did so only because he thought it hurt our image abroad and it was his sole signficant contribution to the civil rights movement. Compare him to Truman and Kennedy (who came before and after him) in this regard.
As other posters have noted he did so only because he thought it hurt our image abroad and it was his sole signficant contribution to the civil rights movement. Compare him to Truman and Kennedy (who came before and after him) in this regard.
Truman did relatively little about civil rights, though he was a supporter. The times just weren't right when he was in office.
Kennedy was tepid on civil rights until late in his term. When he was told that diplomats from newly independent African nations who were traveling between Washington and New York were being denied use of restrooms and denied restaurant service along the way (mainly in Maryland), and that this was embarrassing to the United States, his response was "tell them to fly." He also tried to discourage the freedom riders in 1961 because that was taking place in the midst of the Berlin crisis.
Kennedy didn't wish to confront the civil rights early in his term because of his narrow victory and his need to hold on to some support from white southerners. LBJ ended up doing a lot more for civil rights than Kennedy did.
Truman ordered the desegregation of the military, one of the seminal events of the civil rights movement. He attempted a series of other civil rights actions but failed to achieve them. Among other things Kennedy supported the Freedom Riders, sent federal troops to MS to support blacks entering schools there. The 1964 CRA grew out of his administration, although he was assasinated before it was created.
Truman ordered the desegregation of the military, one of the seminal events of the civil rights movement. He attempted a series of other civil rights actions but failed to achieve them. Among other things Kennedy supported the Freedom Riders, sent federal troops to MS to support blacks entering schools there. The 1964 CRA grew out of his administration, although he was assasinated before it was created.
JFK is thought of as a great President by average Americans whenever a presidential poll or survey is taken.
The reality is that he got very little concrete done when it came to the civil rights issue. It was not for want of desire to do it. JFK did force take actions such as "federalizing" the national guard to force the admission of black students to colleges in the south. The problem was that legislatively, he had very limited clout. The democrats had a nominal majority in both the House and Senate. However, many of the democrats were "southern democrats" who were openly hostile to civil rights. Men like Strom Thurmond of South Carolina and James Eastland of Mississippi not only opposed this legislation, but were determined to do everything in their power to prevent its passage. The senate had not yet adopted the 'cloture" rule which allowed filibusters to be ended by a vote of 60. At the time, if one senator was determined enough, he could prevent a vote from being taken on a bill by talking non-stop. Some filibusters literally consisted of a single senator reading name after name out of phone books.
JFK was considered a liberal and was elected President by the barest electoral majority. He was not well regarded by many democrats in Congress who saw him as an "upstart". New Englanders (particularly ones that were wealthy playboys) were not well received generally by southerners as well.
Lyndon Johnson, on the other hand, had been senate majority leader prior to his selection to be vice president on the ticket with JFK. He knew how Congress worked and actually had secured passage of a very weak civil rights bill in 1958. The reality is that Johnson truly felt in his heart that comprehensive civil rights legislation was needed.
When Kennedy was assassinated, Johnson chose to seize the moment. He called for passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act out of "respect for our dead President". What hadn't worked while Kennedy was alive, worked now with a skilled politician like Lyndon Johnson applying pressure and using Kennedy's death as a reason.
Under Johnson we got the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968. It was an incredible legislative record. What a pity Johnson's Presidency ended up being defined by the Vietnam War. What he did for this country in the arena of Civil Rights and otherwise was monumental.
At the time, if one senator was determined enough, he could prevent a vote from being taken on a bill by talking non-stop. Some filibusters literally consisted of a single senator reading name after name out of phone books.
Kennedy lacked the expertise in manipulating the public or Congress that Johnson had. In some respects he resembles Obama. A charismatic figure, but one lost in the administrative details that dominates actual decisions.
Two things helped transform the civil rights movement into a major success. First was the changing values on civil rights of Americans particuarly the young. Second, was TV showing Americans the horror of Jim Crow which few were aware of until then. The 64 election also led to the defeat of many conservative senators.
Kennedy lacked the expertise in manipulating the public or Congress that Johnson had. In some respects he resembles Obama. A charismatic figure, but one lost in the administrative details that dominates actual decisions.
Two things helped transform the civil rights movement into a major success. First was the changing values on civil rights of Americans particuarly the young. Second, was TV showing Americans the horror of Jim Crow which few were aware of until then. The 64 election also led to the defeat of many conservative senators.
How many Senators outside the South (or states that could be considered either Lower Midwest or Upper South) were against the civil rights legislation in the early '60s? I know about Goldwater voting against the Civil Rights Act of 1964 on a technicality (which got him followers and a reputation that he didn't deserve and made it easier for him to be viewed as a nutcase), but were there any others? I don't know of any others of either party.
As other posters have noted he did so only because he thought it hurt our image abroad and it was his sole signficant contribution to the civil rights movement. Compare him to Truman and Kennedy (who came before and after him) in this regard.
Roosevelt was threatened by A. Phillip Randolph, Kennedy by King. I don't give a damn about the motivation. The fact remains Eisenhower forced the integration of Central High School. That doesn't make him a civil rights saint, but props must go where they are deserved.
The fact remains that Eisenhower had virtually no interest in civil rights and attempted far less than those before or after him. He would have done nothing in AR except that he thought it was embarassing to the US abroad. He could have cared less about the racism in the situation, which he showed by turning a blond eye to Jim Crow throughout his administration.
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