There have been a couple news stories about the Texas GOP in the past two weeks that have earned a lot of attention — neither of which was favorable.

First, a couple precinct chairs in Tarrant County had made it their mission over the past few months to remove Dr. Shahid Shafi, a practicing Muslim, as their appointed vice chair, claiming the trauma surgeon and twice-elected local city councilman had (unproven) ties to terrorists who practiced Sharia. (He doesn’t.)

The removal effort was set for their January 2019 meeting when several Republican leaders stepped in.

I sent a letter to Tarrant County GOP Chairman Darl Easton arguing that such an effort was bigoted and disgusting and that the Republican Party had no religious test for affiliation. Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush and outgoing Speaker of the House Joe Straus quickly weighed in as well. The State Republican Executive Committee subsequently passed a unanimous resolution defending Shafi and opposing the effort to remove him. Collectively, this was an unmistakable sign of where the Republican Party stands on anti-Muslim bias.

We are a big-tent party. We always have been. If honorable and decent people continue to stand up in situations like this, we always will be.

That brings us to another worrying story.

Ray Myers, a tea party leader in Kaufman County, posted on Facebook that he proudly calls himself a ‘white nationalist.’ He currently holds no official role in the Republican Party but did serve on the Platform Committee during the 2018 Texas State Republican Convention.

I was asked by a reporter about this and made clear that “white nationalism” is offensive. It holds that whites are the supreme race. I allow that Myers may be confusing nationalism, an idea supported by President Donald Trump that national interests must come before international responsibilities, with white nationalism. I hope he was just confused and, if so, he should clarify his views.

But here is some real talk: Myers has been a disgrace to the GOP for many years. His social media posts are blatantly racist. He calls for people to “polish their muskets” against illegal immigrants. He suggested that a recently fired African-American election official in Florida should be lynched.

There is nothing conservative about spewing blatantly anti-Muslim views or harboring racist bigotry.

The Republican Party is the Party of Lincoln. America is increasingly becoming more diverse. Some Americans perceive this diversity as a threat to their way of life. They shouldn’t. Diversity is our strength, as it has been all the way back to Ellis Island.

In the previous two national elections, the Republican Party’s base of support has become older and whiter. This is a recipe for permanent minority party status in America. Any Republican who does not recognize this needs to wake up.

Extremism afflicts both parties. Some on the left support abortion through the day of birth. And environmentalist fanatics have attacked car dealerships where SUVs are sold.

But my concern is the GOP. Perception is greater than reality.

The national media and the Democratic Party use every single opportunity to highlight these instances to make the Republican Party appear unacceptable for young and minority voters. We must rise above that. The stakes are too high for the future of our country.

Let me tell you what I know the Republican Party stands for:

We stand for opportunity for all.

We desire a system where hard work is rewarded.

We support strong families and safe communities.

We know that a stronger America means a safer world.

Any American who believes these things is welcome to join the Republican Party. There will be outliers who may make you question things. But ignore them.

Mackowiak is chairman of the Travis County GOP. He’s a Republican consultant, a Bush administration and Bush-Cheney re-election campaign veteran and former press secretary to two U.S. senators.