In the 1850s, an anti-Catholic, anti-Irish, xenophobic movement burst on the political scene in the United States. At first a secret society, the Native American Party required its initiates to present proof of a Protestant pedigree, support mandatory Bible reading in public schools and a 21-year naturalization period for immigrants, use hand signals and passwords, and promise to respond to questions from outsiders by saying, "I know nothing." Before it flamed out, the Know Nothing Party sent hundreds of its members to the U.S. Congress and state legislatures.
Their eyes wide shut, fingers stuck in their ears, Congressional Republicans are certain all they need to know is which way the wind is blowing - and that they shouldn't do anything about the pandemic, the economy, voting rights or immigration because it might help Democrats.
Many Republicans support Donald Trump's contention that he won the election. The Biden inauguration was based fraudulent counts. The January 6 insurrection was just a friendly group visiting the capitol. There was no riot.
What does it say about us that America's 21st-century Know Nothing Party is unlikely to flame out as quickly as its 1850s ancestor?
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