>>Since you were incorrect in your initial statement, I suggest you go research the numbers yourself.

I did. Looking at Southern (Confederate) states with their large black populations: the GOP vote for the 1964 bill in both the House and Senate, was 0%. And Goldwater, the GOP candidate for president in 1964, voted against it.

Admittedly the Southern Democrats weren't a lot better- but the above is quoted by highly educated African Americans as a reason for their change in allegiance. If you think they're incorrect and you know better: care to enlighten us? In particular it would be good to see your explanation for GOP National Committee chairman Mehlman apologizing to the NAACP in 2005 for the GOP's exploitation of racial polarization to win elections while ignoring the black vote.

>>As for position on rights today vs 1964, that conversation cannot occur until we agree on a uniform definition of rights. Health care is not a right.

Says who? Certainly it's a right once you reach 65 years of age, or if you're lucky(?!) enough to be born poor. But what about Joe Average who thought he was supposed to work hard and try to get ahead until he discovered there's a family history of kidney failure and his insurer said "no thanks." Why do we expect schools and public utilities to cater for disabled people and then shrug that Joe is left to fend for himself?

Seems to me there's a great deal of sophistry around a lot of these matters.