Reagan ethnic purity.
Al Overview
The debate surrounding Ronald Reagan and "ethnic purity" stems from a 1971 phone call where he acknowledged a "natural inclination" for people to maintain ethnically similar neighborhoods. While supporters highlight his public rhetoric favoring equality, critics point to this comment, his "Southern strategy," opposition to certain civil rights measures, and a 1971 recording featuring racist slurs as evidence of racial
prejudice. Salon.com +3
Key aspects of this debate include:
The "Ethnic Purity" Comment: In a 1971 phone call to then-President Nixon,
Reagan stated: "I have nothing against a community that's made up of people who are Polish or Czechoslovakian or French-Canadian, or who are blacks trying to maintain the ethnic purity of their neighborhoods. This is a natural inclination on the part of the people".
"Reagan Democrats" and Neighborhoods: This perspective was tied to his focus
on retaining "white ethnic" voters (often Catholic/Jewish) in cities, which some critics interpreted as a defense of segregation-era housing patterns.
Contradictory Public Rhetoric: As president, Reagan formally proclaimed "Ethnic
American Day" in 1986, urging harmony, and publicly stated that "racism, anti-semitism, and other forms of ethnic and racial hatred had no place in the nation".
1971 Audio Recording: Newly released audio showed Reagan making derogatory comments about African diplomats, which revived debate on his private views on race.
Policy & Legacy: Critics point to his opposition to the Voting Rights Act renewal
and his support for Bob Jones University's tax-exempt status despite its ban on interracial dating as evidence of an underlying agenda that harmed minority communities, contradicting his stated goals of equality.
Ronald Reagan Presidential Library (.g...
+7
I get Carter's ethnic purity quote attributed to Reagan now. I'm probable being served by a different Google machine.
(if you are running the Google Chrome browser it's Google Lens right click makes it easy to capture screen images to post)
![Numerous radical right-wing Israeli organisations have carried out campaigns for Amir's release. The Shin Bet security service has assessed that Amir remains a threat to national security. [3] The Knesset passed a law preventing the president of Israel from pardoning the assassin of a prime minister.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:wshklmgivhn2lyfljh67rtoe/bafkreigzhdbsx76t3to5p6bk5hv35yfuikz6qnk53uh55ib7priyymxj3m)
![Other lyrics, notably "squeeze (my lemon) till the juice runs down my leg," can be traced to Robert Johnson's "Travelling Riverside Blues". It is likely that Johnson borrowed this himself, from a song recorded earlier in the same year (1937) called "She Squeezed My Lemon" (by Art McKay). [12] The song also references Albert King's "Cross-Cut Saw" [13] In December 1972, Arc Music, owner of the publishing rights to Howlin' Wolf's songs, sued Led Zeppelin for copyright infringement on "The Lemon Song". [14] The parties settled out of court. Though the amount was not disclosed, Howlin' Wolf received a check for US$45,123 from Arc Music immediately following the suit, and subsequent releases included a co-songwriter credit for him. [14][15]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:wshklmgivhn2lyfljh67rtoe/bafkreibs724jjhlerb3763gn2f6rtdhd67nwkpz6ayb5cqrch26pi6ybia)
