Cliven Bundy? He’s Just the symptom

I promise I won't do this too often because you can easily obtain national news from a variety of sources. But if I happen to have an insight that everyone else has missed, then, rest assured, I will be more than happy to venture into that vast arena.

To wit, in Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker's most recent syndicated effort (in today's Trib), she tackles the whole Cliven Bundy kerfuffle, but her main point turned out to be a bit baffling. She claims the GOP's affirmation of this rouge Nevada rancher does not make them racist, but that:

"Republicans should repent of associating with anyone espousing or endorsing such incendiary nastiness. And championing lawlessness does nothing to elevate discourse, civility or any of the other higher roads to which we might more enthusiastically aspire."

Now, normally I'm quite fond of Ms. Parker because she's a conservative with a conscience and I can certainly find no fault in her premise. While many conservatives really are bigots, not nearly all Republicans are racist, and it would behoove us all to remember that out associations always have a bearing on how people perceive us.

Just ask Rob Ford.

You can read the rest at TheFirstWard.net: http://thefirstward.net/2014/04/28/cliven-bundy-hes-just-the-symptom/