Rise of The Dixiecrats

The Democratic National Convention of 1948 was characterized by division within the party over controversial new civil rights planks. The planks moved the country toward racial desegregation of schools and the workplace. The new planks proposed by Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota were unpopular with southern democrats who supported segregation and the right to associate with whomever one pleased. At the time President Harry S. Truman's own initiatives in the promotion of civil rights, which included the Committee on Civil Rights and the Fair Employment Practices Commission worked against the any compromise he was trying to strike to hold the together the New Deal Coalition that had been passed down to him from the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration. The adoption of the new planks caused thirty-five southern democrats to leave the convention and form the States Rights Party, that be later became know as the Dixiecrats.

The Dixiecrats met in Birmingham, Alabama where they developed the platform below and nominated then Governor Strom Thurman of South Carolina as their presidential candidate.

The State Rights Party platform consisted of the following planks:

1. We believe that the Constitution of the United States is the greatest charter of human liberty ever conceived by the mind of man.

2. We oppose all efforts to invade or destroy the rights guaranteed by it to every citizen of this republic.

3. We stand for social and economic justice, which, we believe can be guaranteed to all citizens only by a strict adherence to our Constitution and the avoidance of any invasion or destruction of the constitutional rights of the states and individuals. We oppose the totalitarian, centralized bureaucratic government and the police nation called for by the platforms adopted by the Democratic and Republican Conventions.

4. We stand for the segregation of the races and the racial integrity of each race; the constitutional right to choose one's associates; to accept private employment without governmental interference, and to learn one's living in any lawful way. We oppose the elimination of segregation, the repeal of miscegenation statutes, and the control of private employment by Federal bureaucrats called for by the misnamed civil rights program. We favor home-rule, local self-government and a minimum interference with individual rights.

5. We oppose and condemn the action of the Democratic Convention in sponsoring a civil rights program calling for the elimination of segregation, social equality by Federal fiat, regulations of private employment practices, voting, and local law enforcement.

6. We affirm that the effective enforcement of such a program would be utterly destructive of the social, economic and political life of the Southern people, and of other localities in which there may be differences in race, creed or national origin in appreciable numbers.

7. We stand for the check and balances provided by the three departments of our government. We oppose the usurpation of legislative functions by the executive and judicial departments. We unreservedly condemn the effort to establish in the United States a police nation that would destroy the last vestige of liberty enjoyed by a citizen.

8. We demand that there be returned to the people to whom of right they belong, those powers needed for the preservation of human rights and the discharge of our responsibility as democrats for human welfare. We oppose a denial of those by political parties, a barter or sale of those rights by a political convention, as well as any invasion or violation of those rights by the Federal Government. We call upon all Democrats and upon all other loyal Americans who are opposed to totalitarianism at home and abroad to unite with us in ignominiously defeating Harry S. Truman, Thomas E. Dewey and every other candidate for public office who would establish a Police Nation in the United States of America.

9. We, therefore, urge that this Convention endorse the candidacies of J. Strom Thurmond and Fielding H. Wright for the President and Vice-president, respectively, of the United States of America.

Thurman won four states, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina and received in excess of seven percent of the total vote. President Truman was re-elected, but the Dixiecrats made their point. The New Deal Coalition would be severely weakened and the struggle racial desegregation would continue for some time to come.

Book Review - Joe Biden - Promises to Keep

This 2007 book published by Random House 2007 is not only a personal biography but also a chronicle of political events during Senator Joe Biden's life before he became Vice-President of the United States.

Joe Biden was born into a strong Irish Catholic household where family was extremely important. He also formed bonds with peers and mentors who influenced him throughout his life.

Despite this, Mr. Biden has faced much tragedy. His first wife and infant daughter were killed in a car accident on their way to purchasing a Christmas tree. His two young sons, who also were in the car at the time, were hospitalized for serious injuries. That left him as a single parent who was facing a career change as he had just been elected to the United States Senate. The grief led him to the conclusion that he should give up the position to be with his children but, thankfully, friends and family encouraged him to be sworn in as a Senator.

Senator Biden made a commitment to always be available to his sons and even though his sister and her husband moved into the house to help him with the childcare, he rode the train back and forth from his home to Washington every day to honour that commitment.

He was hesitant to date again but, in time found and married his second wife who has been a strong support for the boys and him. After their marriage a daughter was born to them to complete the family.

Senator Biden was not immune to physical problems. As a young man he suffered from two brain aneurysms for which he had brain surgery. This brought maturity and growth to a man who was used to being independent and pushing himself.

"Promises to Keep" not only chronicles Mr. Biden's personal life but also his career. At times, however, his writing is so detailed that, unless you are an American history buff or well-read in world affairs, you might feel bored or overwhelmed. For example, the description of the process where Justice Bork was rejected in his nomination to the Supreme Court, was extremely complex.

The only other criticism I have about the writing style is that there appears, at times, to be an assumption that the reader understands the role or history of various organizations that are mentioned. Even abbreviations used for them are used with a casualness that might not be received with understanding.

i enjoyed this book, particularly when it came to the personal aspects that describe how Joe Biden faced difficulties always with the support of his faith, family and friends. His honesty was admirable. I wish that the simple and clear style in that portion of the book had been carried through to other parts which were clouded with unfamiliar geographic locations, legislative complexity and political wrangling that might not be familiar to the reader.

And now I would like to invite you to claim your Free Instant Access to a complimentary list of 10 Steps to Making Your Life an Adventure when you visit http://www.lindahancockspeaks.com From Dr. Linda Hancock, Registered Psychologist and Registered Social Worker Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Linda_Hancock http://www.pippoproducts.com/products4.html

Success According to Jimmy Carter's Life

Jimmy Carter was elected president of U.S. in November 1976. However, this fact wasn't a success for him. On the contrary, it marked the beginning of an ordeal, instead of a triumph. His victory was by a slim margin of 50.1 percent, a margin that could not produce the necessary mandate to govern successfully. The signs of an impending catastrophe appeared immediately. First, there were the president's relations with Congress. The House Speaker started by even objecting to the menu the president offered to congressional leaders at their first meeting.

Therefore, almost everything Carter proposed turned to ashes. His comprehensive energy policy floundered in the Senate for months, and when it passed in Congress in 1978, it had so many compromises that the president called it a partial victory. Also, his finance reform and hospital cost containment proposals failed, as did his anti-inflation efforts (inflation rates more than doubled during his presidency). The same happened to his national health care and welfare reforms, as well as to all his domestic reform efforts.

Outside the administration the opposition was also fierce, if not fiercer. Labor unions openly defied the president. The 1977-1978 coal strike continued for 109 days and Carter seemed unable to solve the dispute. The final blow came in November 1979 when the U.S. embassy in Iran was seized by terrorists who took 62 Americans hostage. They also burned Carter in effigy and set U.S. flags on fire in front of waiting television cameras. Carter was unable to end the ordeal: when in April 1980 he approved a rescue plan, it failed miserably, since two helicopters crashed and dead men were added to the sorrowful situation. Finally, Jimmy Carter's presidency ended in total failure: he lost in the next 1980 election to Ronald Reagan.

Early in 1990, however, the situation changed: Carter fell back into favor. The signs appeared immediately. The newspaper Washington Post published an article that year titled "Jimmy --Come Back! All Is Forgiven!" At the same time, the English magazine Economist asked: "Jimmy Carter for President in 1992?" Meanwhile, a poll discovered that in his home state of Georgia he had a favorable approval rating with 74 percent of his fellow Georgians. By 1994 Carter's return was complete. A Nebraska senator called him the "finest living ex-president," and when he appeared in bookstores to autograph copies of his book Turning Point, lots of people were awaiting him.

Also, on a June Tuesday in 1994, at the age of 70, Carter was present in a ceremony in Atlanta for the unveiling of a sculpture of himself. Present were also many dignitaries and his former associates. He was "being honored in life by the kind of tribute usually paid only posthumously," his biographer Kenneth E. Morris says. And in 2002 Carter's efforts on behalf of global peace were recognized worldwide: he won the ultimate honor, the Nobel Peace Prize.

Conclusion

Jimmy Carter's life shows us that being even president of U.S. is not necessarily a successful season in one's life. Success can be achieved through other, very different ways.

On the subject of this article I have written a whole book titled The Seasons of Our Lives. The moment you have finished reading this book, you will be able to know whether the years just ahead are good or bad for you, and how long this season will last. You will be able thus to act accordingly: if there is a storm on the horizon, you will take shelter in time; if sunny days loom ahead, you will take advantage before the opportunity pass. To help as many people as possible to benefit from my book, I decided to offer it free on line (http://www.GeorgeKouloukis.com) George Pan Kouloukis is a Greek attorney-at-law, a barrister. To contact the author, visit his above web site. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=George_Kouloukis http://www.pippoproducts.com/careers/index.html