President Obama this week mentioned seven Republican Senators who cosponsored a bill in the Senate but when the President came out for it, they voted against their own bill. Obama seemed to be mystified at their duplicity and dishonesty. But I’m sure he knew more than he let on. He is not stupid. He can’t say what he knows to be the problem.

All the pundits, all the newspapers, all the TV programs are skirting the real issue here, because they are afraid of the ugliness underneath. But someone needs to shout out the truth. We are at a pivotal moment in our nation’s history. This is no less than a battle between barbarism and civilization.

The signature issues defining the side of barbarism are a lack of belief in our American system of justice, a belief in white racial superiority, and a willingness to go to the darkest of evil in pursuit of their goals. The country has never been more polarized in 150 years, and the road we are on will lead to inevitable civil war again. The Ku Klux Klan and the White Citizen’s Councils never really went away, and Obama’s presidency has made them visible again, with a new brand.

For over one hundred years the barbarians ignored the civil justice system to savagely lynch over four thousand people, mostly black. To those who think it was just hangings without a trial, which is bad enough, you need to go back and study the history. Many were tortured to death with red hot irons or beaten to death slowly with bull whips while the crowds who came to watch the spectacle clapped and cheered with every blood curdling scream, and took photos to send to their friends and relatives who might have missed the fun. In later years some were dragged to death behind cars or trucks. These barbarians not only believe in torture, they relish the very thought.

This continued for decades with no arrests or prosecutions because the local law enforcement had no regard for the law, or in some instances were intimidated by the fury of the barbarian crowds. Lynching did not stop until the racist bigot who headed up our Federal Bureau of Investigation for too many years finally died, and Federal law enforcement finally stepped in.

For one hundred years the barbarians were Democrats, until Lyndon Johnson got the Civil Rights bill through Congress. The shift in party started immediately, and by the time the Voting Rights Act was passed, the Republican Party had their Southern strategy working to appeal to racists everywhere using “code” words which would impart the meaning to those who knew and go under the radar for those who didn’t.

Sometimes it was obvious. When Ronald Reagan talked about that mythical welfare queen going to get her check in her Cadillac, he did not have to mention her color. Those who thought as he did knew.

For the last forty years the barbarians have kept a low profile, afraid to be found out as racists, even though little signs slipped through now and then in a “Macaca” moment, or Trent Lott’s nostalgia for Strom Thurman’s racist history as a Dixiecrat. They were willing to compromise with past Democratic presidents when the issues suited them, such as lowering taxes, reforming welfare laws, or deregulating financiers on Wall Street. But they will not compromise with Obama. They vote against their own bills to keep Obama from getting any credit!

For the last year, they have been revealing their prejudice without shame. They never said a word about the trial of Richard Reed, the “Shoe Bomber”, who tried and failed to blow up an airplane full of people. But now that the “Underwear Bomber” has repeated the act, they object to Obama’s Justice Department trying him in a civil court for the crime. Since we already know they don’t trust our court system, why didn’t they object when Bush was president? Is it something different about Obama?

It should be obvious by now that nothing Obama does will satisfy the Republicans. If he were to be found helping a little old lady across the street they would complain about him holding up traffic. Even though he has declined to prosecute the war crimes of the prior administration, saying he only wants to “look forward, not back,” they will not stop attacking every thing he does. They will never accept having a black man as their president.

All the absurd stories of Obama being born in Kenya or Indonesia, or of being a secret Muslim, or of the election being stolen by ACORN are desperate attempts by white racists to disqualify Obama and replace him with a white man.

Our choice is not difficult. On one side are people who do not believe in government, do not believe in our legal system, do not believe in racial equality, do not believe in common decency or human rights, and do not believe in paying taxes to support our schools, parks, police or other benefits of civilization. People who do not believe in civilization are barbarians by definition.

They are opposed by those of us who appreciate the benefits of good government, who believe in the Golden Rule, who believe that all persons have equal rights under the law, who are willing to pay taxes to support our teachers, policemen, firefighters, judges and other government employees who keep peace and tranquility in our nation.

I believe our civilization is in grave peril. This is not politics as usual, and no one should be under any illusion that it is.

Don Rogers is a resident of Winnemucca.