Saw a cross burning last night.

[trof]

We live across the bay from a Baptist camp, Camp Baldwin.
Last night around 8:30 Miz t. came into the bedroom where I was watching TV.
"Come take a look at what's going on at the camp."

I stepped outside and saw, on the opposite shore, a huge flaming red cross. Bright red. It was throwing off thick gray smoke. I think they might have been using road flares.

Then I heard the music.
A loudspeaker was blaring a 'pop' Cristian song for all of us on the bay to 'enjoy'.
I got my binoculars and walked out on the dock for a better look.
I could see no one around the cross and the rest of the area was pitch black.

I came back in and looked up their phone number.
Got the voicemail.
I left a message telling them their neighbors didn't appreciate the racket broadcast up and down the bay and asking what the deal was with the burning cross.

I guess I'm the only one in the world without caller ID.
5 minutes later my phone rang.
It was the camp director wanting to know what the problem was.
I reiterated the message I had left.
"Oh, I didn't know the kids were playing music down there."
How the hell could you be anywhere on Wolf Bay and NOT know?
I asked about the flaming cross.
It's part of their closing ceremony every year.
I explained that for those of us who grew up in the south in the 40s, 50s, and 60s a burning cross meant one thing, and one thing only.
I said that it was a very unfortunate and inappropriate symbol for young people to use in a religious ceremony.
He said he hadn't thought about that.

Yeah, right.
:eyes:

[Magrittes Pipe]

1. You should call these people next:

http://www.splcenter.org/index.jsp

[trof]

6. I'm going to write a letter to the director first.

But thanks for the link.
Some interesting stuff there.
Especially the 'Hate Map'.

[supernova]

2. Typical.

Caught redhanded and feign innocence. :eyes:

[Lex]

3. Cross-burnings for Jesus.

Wow.

[matcom]

4. never THOUGHT about that?

where YOU LIVE??

:wow:

[trof]

5. heh heh

Right.

[Tyler Durden]

8. Where DO you live?

Just want to know so I can remove certain bumper stickers if I'm passing through.

[matcom]

9. he lives in Alabama

can you believe it?

[trof]

12. Coastal Alabama.

Between Mobile and Pensacola.
County is about 75% repug.

[Tyler Durden]

13. You have my sympathies.

Up where I am, it's largely Single Strand DNA Land, the amusement park with no IQ required. Difficult to deal with, but close to Flint, lower on the BIGOT scale.

[mwdem]

19. Hey, my son was in Orange Beach this last week.

He's working in the area, coming home today. He's done jobs in Daphne, also, staying in Fairhope. Anyway, that's a very freaky story.

[trof]

23. On the way to Fairhope in a few minutes. Dermatologist. Wish me luck.

It's our annual checkup, but I have a little bump on my eyelid next to where he removed a tiny cancer a couple of years ago.
I hope this is just a 'bump'.

[mwdem]

29. Hope it went well.

:hi:

[trof]

30. It did! Miz t. had melanoma 5 years ago.

We're both CLEAN!
Thanks

[AllegroRondo]

7. anyone over the age of 30 should know that

especially where you live.

I dont buy the "we didnt think about that" excuse.

[YankeyMCC]

10. I'll wager he doesn't "think" about much outside his narrow view of the world nt

[realisticphish]

11. to be fair

the burning cross was a symbol of a call to arms in scotland, but i hardly think that these kids were having a history lesson here.

but a couple times i've seen "lit" crosses at christmas that creep the hell out of me. Seriously, what are these people thinking (if they're not thinking "down with them darkies" of course)

[unpossibles]

14. kids will be kids!

</sarcasm>

[cobalt1999]

15. They are in Alabama and didn't think about that?

Yeah, right. I'm surprised they were blatant enough to do it on the shoreline though.

[Alexander]

16. Is this what people mean when they say the "Deep South"?

A cousin of mine in Georgia doesn't go to much trouble to hide his racism, even hanging a giant Confederate flag up in his room.

Even he wouldn't go out and take part in a cross-burning.

Is coastal Alabama worse than northern Alabama in this respect?

[trof]

17. Actually, I think it's worse in north Alabama.

Since this is a resort/retirement area it's probably a bit more sophisticated than more rural parts.
We have a lot of snowbird retirees who have relocated permanently.

I have neighbors from IL, CN, NE, Colombia, and the UK.

[Dukkha]

18. oh boy another "Jesus Camp"

the christian youth movement is getting very frightening. churches much less resemble the spiritual temples of old and are more like militant compounds, and they are everywhere.

[billyskank]

20. A burning cross is a RACIST symbol?

*eyes wide innocent look*

Who knew? :o

[trof]

22. Yeah, it's the latest thing.

;-)

[krispos42]

21. It's not a cross, it's a 't'! A lower-case 't' for 'tolerance'!

:rofl:

[AwakeAtLast]

24. I probably would have called the fire department.

That is totally bizarre!

[trof]

26. That was Miz t.'s first thought.

[mzteris]

25. In 1980

My first hubby and I were living in Mobile. His ship was in the yards. Three of his shipmates - one black, other two white, rented a house together. They had a cross burned on their lawn. And were told point blank, "we don't mix around here."

That same shipmate - (this was before the cross burning) - brought one of the local girls he'd met over to our apartment. She had a look of pure horror on her face when we opened the door. She hardly spoke to us. Hardly looked at us. Sat nervously on the edge of the couch. Refused to eat or drink anything. It was very uncomfortable. They left pretty quickly.

He told us the next day, that as they were driving over to our apartment - she became really nervous and agitated. "Where are you taking me?"

"I told you, we're going over to XX & XX apartment. He's from the ship."

"Why do they live over here?"

"Over here?"

"In this part of town, you know."

"I - uh - I guess they just could get an apartment here . . . "

anyways - after they left - he asked her basically "WTF was your problem????!?!?!?!"

To which she replied. Why did you take me to those 'white folks' house? Was that some kind of joke? What is wrong with you? We'd better get out of this part of town - it's after dark and we shouldn't be here! etc etc etc. (granted this was 20 someodd years ago - but that's the gist of it.)

She was TERRIFIED that he'd brought her to the "white part of town". That he was "hanging out" with white people. Maybe we were just trying to set him/her? up for a little southern redneck fun or something?!?!

It was surreal. I couldn't believe it was still THAT bad - and I'd grown up in the South. Mobile was one severely racist city.

[trof]

27. I came back to Alabama in '93.

I grew up in Birmingham in the 40s, 50s, and 60s.
There have been some changes.
No more Jim Crow laws.
Voting rights are better.
No more 'Whites Only' rest rooms, public transport waiting rooms, and drinking fountains.

But down deep, I'm afraid the mindset and basic 'feelings' haven't changed that much.

[SPKrazy]

28. Yeah right is right

those assholes

that kind of stuff makes me want to :puke:

I don't get it... why don't they all just dress out in white robes and pointy hats too

:grr: