By Liz Moomey
liz.moomey@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — Republican lieutenant governor candidate Mark Robinson told Lincoln-Reagan Dinner attendees Friday night that the country’s two major political parties previously were not all that different once. Now, he says, the differences are clear.

The dinner is an annual fundraiser and kick-off for the Rowan County Republican Party’s election season. Robinson, who won the March 3 primary, came into the spotlight in 2018 when he spoke at a Greensboro City Council meeting about gun rights and the video went viral. He also was a speaker Friday night at the Lincoln-Reagan Dinner.

At one time, Robinson said, the Republican and Democratic parties only disagreed about how taxes should be spent, but there was always a common denominator.

“When the flag was presented, both sides stood up,” Robinson said. “When the national anthem played, both sides came to attention. Both sides loved this country, respected our veterans, respected our law enforcement. The same cannot be said today.”

Robinson listed abortion, gun rights, education, veterans’ treatment, law enforcement and voter ID laws as stark differences between the parties.

He said “our side” respects and loves life and “believes we should purge abortion from our shores for the cause of life,” while the other side believes “unborn human beings and sometimes born human beings are expendable.”

Republicans, Robinson said, believes the Second Amendment was created for citizens to protect themselves. Democrats think some are “too stupid” to own a firearm or that the Second Amendment is about hunting.

Republicans want students to be taught real-life skills in school and that discipline and order are their principles, while Democrats think homosexuality and transsexuality should be taught in the classroom, Robinson told dinner attendees. He said those are “adult issues” that should not be discussed “in public schools on the taxpayer dime.”

Robinson said the majority of law enforcement officers are good, but Democrats push a false narrative that they are racist and that it’s police brutality if officers put their hands on a criminal.

And he said Democrats call voter ID laws racist.

“They can survive the middle passage,” Robinson said. “They can survive slavery. They can survive Jim Crow. They can make it to the highest office in the land, but they can’t get free IDs.”

He said the Democratic Party creates victims and the “Republican Party has and always will create victors.” The party must send out that message.

“It is time for us to start controlling our own narrative and telling people that this is the party of freedom, equality and victory, and it always has been from its very beginnings,” Robinson said. “It will continue to be in the future with great folks like you.”

N.C. GOP Chairman Michael Whatley also spoke Saturday, telling the crowd that Republicans are going to win with President Donald Trump, U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis and Dan Forest running for governor as well as in the council of state, North Carolina Supreme Court and Court of Appeals races.

“Democrats are the party of socialism,” Whatley said. “We are a party of economic freedom. Democrats believe in sending our jobs overseas. We believe in creating them here at home. Democrats believe in infanticide and abortion on demand. We fight for the sanctity of life.

“Democrats believe in leading from behind. We have a president that puts America first. The Democrats are the party of the Russian hoax, the Ukraine hoax, impeachment and four years of presidential harassment. We are the party of four more years.”

Forest, who was slated to be the keynote speaker but was not in attendance, was displayed in a video message, saying “Let’s all start working really hard, and we’re going to be successful in November.”

Rowan County Republican Chair Don Vick announced Ken Andrews as the Volunteer of the Year for his help growing the Republican breakfasts and stepping in to build a parade float after he suffered a stroke. Vick awarded the Republican of the Year honor to Rowan County Sheriff Kevin Auten.