By Michelle Martin, PhD, MSW

Ever wonder why we’re getting so many waves of desperate Central American migrants coming north to the United States?

The waves began in 1979 following the U.S. intervention in the Nicaraguan Contra War, in an attempt to overthrow the leftist Sandinista government in Nicaragua. The Reagan Administration provided substantial financial and material support for the Contras operating in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, despite reports of vast corruption and mass human rights violations.

By  Michelle Martin, PhD, MSW

I began collecting Republican quotes some time ago because it seemed like every time I heard about some outlandishly  sexist or racist comment made by a politician or other community leader, it always turned out to be a Republican, and just as often,  a self-identified Christian (of the Evangelical kind). So whenever I heard or read about such a comment, I added it to a Word document I kept on my laptop. 

Soon, the list was getting long, with 10, 15, then 20 outrageous comments, that if one didn't know better, might assume were a part of either a propaganda  plot,  or a misguided piece in the Onion. But no, after thorough vetting  the comments, (which most often involved going to  the direct source and reading the comment for myself) the  majority (99.98%) were accurately  reported.  I've posted the list on Facebook and Twitter, and I go back periodically  to update the list as new comments emerge.

This list does not necessarily reflect the attitudes and perspectives of all Republicans, but I do believe they  reflect the increasing shift of the Republican  party  toward the political Right.  Perhaps the GOP has always had sexist and racist strains, particularly due to the party's commitment traditionalism, or perhaps the Republican party has been hijacked by right-wing populism. Regardless,  I present to you members of the GOP:

By Michelle Martin, PhD, MSc, MSW