VETERANS TODAY: George C. Wallace, Heart-Felt Populist or Racist Demagogue

Tagline: A personal examination of the life and times of “The most influential loser in American politics”, and his relevance to contemporary issues

George C. Wallace, Heart-Felt Populist or Racist Demagogue
By Michael F. Hughes
posted by Veterans Today
Feb 25, 2015
http://bit.ly/1DqMXLd

[snip]

Soon after taking office [as Alabama governor in 1963] Wallace embarked on a national speaking tour. It was coverage of his speech at UCLA that brought Wallace to my attention. By then Wallace had refined his message. His speech was essentially a warning against the unbridled power of a central government.

He stressed the need for open debate and adherence to constitutional checks and balances. He strongly supported property and individual rights as well as seniority rights within trade unions. Wallace was strongly opposed to the pending Civil Rights Act of 1963 as a usurpation of those God given individual rights in the name of human rights and favored by social engineers and the liberal press. In response to questions regarding his positions and the charge of racism he stated:

“In my public life I have never made a single solitary remark that reflected on any man because of his race, color, creed or national origin. God loves all of us. Segregation serves the interest of both groups…I supported the largest Negro trade school in the south, and served two years on the chair of Tuskegee Institute…Also opened eight new trade schools and junior colleges,…a solution to train Negros for jobs and a good standard of living... civil rights is not a moral issue it is political. If they cared about morality they would address the far greater Indian problem, but there are not enough left to form a voting bloc. As for the Civil Rights Act he said it would take a police state to enforce it.“
-George Wallace UCLA Address, Jan 10, 1963
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