Why did NAACP do it?

Much has been said about the NAACP leaders calling the tea party racist – and fomenting discord through a resolution condemning the tea party. Of course, they claim that they didn't call the entire tea-party movement racist; they were only referring to certain elements of racism that they viewed as creeping into the movement and "taking it over."

That they could or would say something so patently contemptible and unfounded is, on its face, neither surprising nor shocking. It's simply keeping within the overall character of their leadership. The question that begs asking is, why did they do it?

The simple answer is that they are fighting to stay relevant in the only way they know how. In the post-racial day in which we thankfully live, what else can they do? We wouldn't expect them to attack Planned Parenthood and its minions for the unconscionable slaughtering of tens of millions of black children. We wouldn't expect them to oppose a president who supports the murder of more than 25 percent of all blacks in America. No, not a chance – because they and Planned Parenthood are best friends – but I digress.

There are few more elapid than the venerable old group whom time has passed by. They're smart enough to know they cannot brand the entire tea-party movement as racist – at least not yet. Instead, they claim that there are racist elements creeping into it and that they are fearful of the immediate and violent threat this poses to persons of color.

Sadly, I must right here, right now, admit that they are right to be concerned about racist, disruptive elements creeping into the "movement." I've seen them, and I'm prepared to say they would like to take over. I agree, they must be exposed publicly and driven from our ranks. These aren't tea-party people. They are members of the group Crash the Tea Party.

In April, alerts were sent out for our groups to be on guard against these people because of credible information that they planned to infiltrate and disrupt our rallies. My colleague and I encountered two such operatives at a rally I was speaking at, who were behaving out of the norm toward me. We later observed them being picked up by their handlers.

Crash the Tea Party, by its own admission, seeks to dismantle and demolish the tea party through infiltration. Its plan is/was to "act on behalf of the tea party in ways which exaggerate (its) least appealing qualities (misspelled protest signs, wild claims in TV interviews, etc.)."

The NAACP leaders know this, but don't expect them to admit it. They boasted of passing 75 resolutions at their conference this year. But what does that mean? They pass resolutions every year – often the same ones year after year – with this year being no different.

Is this what this once-venerable civil-rights group, founded by liberal whites in 1909, has become? Perhaps its founding members, including Mary White Ovington, Oswald Garrison Villard, William English and Dr. Henry Moscowitz, would be proud of them today – perhaps not. Their stated mission at the time of their founding was to "secure for all people the rights guaranteed in the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments." At what point will they acknowledge said has been accomplished?

The truth is painfully obvious – they won't because to achieve same would require them to admit unparalleled racial progress. It would require them to admit that the civil-rights era is over, that blacks are equal with whites and that they have the same opportunities guaranteed by the Bill of Rights and the Constitution as any American citizen.

So, back to my original question – why would they knowingly make such fraudulent claims against the tea party? Because that is how they raise their money and membership – yes, nearly 65 percent of their income comes from corporations such as AT&T, the Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, Verizon and the Sara Lee Foundation – but those dollars are not being dispensed from bottomless reservoirs. They still need a base membership.

Every time they throw an incendiary statement or make such accusations, they see their membership and fundraising dollars increase. This comes at a time when their numbers and income are dramatically down. Declining numbers and support should tell them that America as a whole, and blacks specifically, are seeing them for what they are.

Instead of passing resolutions, and instead of supporting the likes of Danny Glover, Harry Belafonte, Doc Cheatham and Julian Bond, I submit their cause would be better served by promoting personal responsibility, educational achievement, positive life skills and a resolution that says they've been part of the problem for the past three decades – and now they've seen the error of their ways and repudiate their behavior.