can somebody explain to me the bad baggage the john birch society has? they seem to believe in good things...do they have a racist path or something i’m not aware of?
Over the past five decades the JBS has engaged in undermining every aspect of political conservatism. They've engaged in character assassination of some real patriotic Americans. Calling President Eishenower a communist dupe. This dispicable behavior prompted conservative icons Bill Buckley and Russell Kirk to renounce the JBS founder Robert Welch. Even Barry Goldwater steered clear of the Birchers.
The fact that the JBS vehimently opposed Reagan's two campaigns for Governor and his three serious runs for President should be enough proof for any fair minded conservative to conclude that the JBS is a bunch of fringe malcontents. The JBS can't be taken seriously.
Chevydude, I was wondering the same thing! At face value, the JBS appears harmless, even a good organization.
I think despite whatever well-meaning intentions many of its members have, much of its history has been tainted by extreme racism, anti-semitism, and all sorts of random connections to weird cult-like fringe groups.
But it seems odd to me that an organization claiming to stand up for Constitutional principles would be so eager to sponsor CPAC, which I believe, (despite Ron Paul’s presence) is the ultimate “establishment” group. Not that I want JBS to sponsor the Tea Party Convention either...
Also, it appears, that if the “Republican Party” is attempting to put on a “united” front at CPAC by having such a bizarre array of sponsors like JBS and GOProud and then speakers like Romney, Huckabee, and Ron Paul-—it’s doing a really really BAD job. Just seems like a bunch of confusion and mixed signals to me. The Tea Party appears to be a far more cohesive bunch with a greater ability to present a strong vision and coherent message.
...Yes I recognize Glenn Beck was one of the upstarters of the “Tea Party” movement in its initials stages, but I am pleased leaders like Sarah Palin and Michelle Bachmann are the ones taking the reins, motivating its direction, and becoming the movement’s official faces.
The JBS is anti communist. The press isn't. The press has a bigger voice.
Visit http://www.jbs.org and do some research on them.
Many of their black members are upset about the completely unfounded racist charges as well.
I am of the opinion they cannot.
What I see in this thread is what I normally see and have come to expect from liberals and other socialist, which is primarily, accusations without substantiation.
When I was younger, much younger, I believed the John Birch Society was un-American in its scope and purpose. I cannot recall what influence caused that belief and I was at that age than many young Americans are at now…too busy to care.
A few years ago, I came across a short video that impressed me as an accurate view of America and its Constitution. I now have grown children and eight grandchildren. I feel one day the grandchildren would wonder why their grandfather left the country in the mess they now had to deal with. I am at the age now were I do care and sorry I didn’t begin to care much earlier in life.
The video was presented as a Ten Minute History Lesson and titled “The American Form of Government”. In those ten minutes, I saw a very concise and accurate description of the Constitution’s vision for America. I say concise because it was easy to understand in its brevity and accurate because it agreed with my knowledge of the Constitution.
View the video and let me know if you disagree with its assessment. Much later I was surprised to discover the video was provided by the John Birch Society, which motives were suspect to me.
can somebody explain to me the bad baggage the john birch society has?
... uh yes, the “baggage” is that they were so effective in fighting American Communists, that the leftist press planted a ton of lies that have been swallowed by the public, much like the smears of Joe McCarthy. They have no racist past, but when the left was recruiting MLK and most of the civil rights movement, JBS pointed it out and that to the state controlled media is “racis”...
ymmv