A Black Republican Opines on Confederate History Month

Black Republican Deana Bass gives her perspective on Confederate History Month in Virginia:

On most days, I’m proud to be associated with the conservative movement and have no problem with the Republican label. I’m proud to champion issues like school choice, tax relief, defense of the unborn and defense of marriage.

But on days like this — when my Republican governor issues a proclamation that in essence celebrates the Confederacy — I not only find myself out of place at the party, I also find myself violating Ronald Reagan’s 11th Commandment against speaking ill of the party.

As the kerfuffle around the proclamation mounts, Republicans are coming to the governor’s defense. Their argument: Democrats fear celebrating the Confederacy because of their checkered past during the Civil War. Lincoln, after all, was a Republican. If I had a dollar for every time any Republican talked about the GOP being the party of Lincoln and the party that freed the slaves, I could retire on a beach in the Pacific. Really? Unless Mr. Lincoln can create jobs that will help black America pay the mortgage today, we’re not so interested in what Republicans did 150 years ago!

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