The issue of race in politics is nothing new, it's a topic that is often controversial and always debated. In recent history, the Republican party hasn't exactly been champions for civil rights for minorities, in particular African-Americans. Whether it's the more establishment Republicans of the North East or the Evangelical southern Christians, minorities haven't been on the top of their "to-do" list when it comes to helping people.
Recently, Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum made a statement that dropped jaws across the country. Santorum said that he didn't want to make black people's lives better by taking from other people. Santorum has since walked back that statement with the curios excuse that he didn't say "black people," but instead said "blah people." What "blah people" even means we might never know, but Rick Santorum fits the profile of the stereotypical conservative that doesn't care to help anyone outside a select few.
According to a recent report from Think Progress, after a recent town hall event in New Hampshire, a woman confronted Santorum about his controversial and borderline prejudice statements.
Unnamed female: “Mr. Santorum, why do you have a problem against black people?...We are the only ones who need aid?”
Santorum denied that he made the statement, but when the woman kept questioning him he continued to deny his comments and left the scene. Why do Republicans have a blind spot when it comes to race in America? The line isn't even drawn between black and white because the obvious prejudice of many in the Republican party towards minorities, gay and lesbians and people with religious beliefs outside of Christianity feel the constant bigotry each day. Not everyone who is in the Republican party feels the way Santorum does and neither does everyone who considers themselves "conservative," but if you are going to continue to support a party with blatant prejudice views you must take with it all the baggage the party bring with it.
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