G. Felix Allen a racist? You be the judge...

[Virginia Dare]

Look closely at the symbol that some of these Allen supporters are wearing, and by the way there is an African-American man right in the middle sporting one of these symbols on his shirt. :wtf:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/postphotos/orb/metro/2006-04-20/4.htm

Now, look closely at the symbols on these robes, with thanks to DUer ieoeja for pointing this out:

http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/whi/fullimage.asp?id=1902


See the similarities?

[CottonBear]

1. OMG! What the hell is that black dude thinking?

That's a whole bunch of unrobed KKK. :scared:

[The_Casual_Observer]

5. He is the only guy in formal work clothes, tie, white short sleeve shirt

black pants, shoulder boards like pilots & bus drivers wear. Looks to be either the bus driver or a security guard to me. Notice that he was framed in the middle of the picture among an otherwise homogeneous bunch of late middle aged white people.

[Lerkfish]

2. yeppers. Them's some mighty unsubtle klan symbols

[Dhalgren]

3. Does anyone have a close-up of one of those badges?

It is certainly designed almost identically to the KKK symbol, but what IS Allen's symbol, ACTUALLY?

[Xithras]

4. Honestly, that could be anything.

I would generally assume that it's NOT the KKK symbol, unless that black guy is some kind of masochist.

The reality is that our local firefighters union has a symbol that looks just like that...it's two firehose nozzles crossed on a red background. From a distance it would look exactly the same way.

[Virginia Dare]

7. It's probably the Virginia Sons of Confederate Veterans...

it looks an awful lot like it, but I can't be sure.

http://www.scscv.com/publications/2005_COTCMM_Registration2.pdf

[underpants]

16. That is what it looks like to me

but then lets not kid ourselves about most of the SCV mmmkay?

Is Allen really going to get the SCV vote???

:sarcasm:

[bbinacan]

6. I wonder if a closeup of each

is available. A side by side view could be interesting.

edit for spelling

[Xithras]

8. Aha! Got it!! Definitive answer!

Yes, it may be perceived as racist, depending on your POV. The photo was found at the Virginia Shad Planking, which is some kind of big political get together. After doing a bit of searching, I found somebodies photo album of the event, which included this photo:

http://www.spankthatdonkey.com/display/ShowPicture?moduleId=543259&pictureId=335082&galleryId=28029

The caption on the sticker: "I Support Confederate History Month".

FWIW, I support Confederate History Month too...as long as that history includes detailed explanations about how and why they oppressed and killed a people for their economic benefit.

BTW, there were a ton of politicians at this event, not just Allen.

[Virginia Dare]

10. That's why my OP said you be the judge...

pretty subtle, but being a Virginian, there's no doubt in my mind what wearing this symbol at a political event is supposed to mean. By the way, I've got Virginian ancestors who fought for the Confederacy, so I feel pretty safe in making this judgement.

Yes, you are correct I believe Jim Webb also attended this event along with other Democrats. Since I wasn't there, I don't know if any of them were sporting these symbols.

[Stinky The Clown]

9. Check out the guy in the center of the picture with his arms in the air

What's with that hat? He's the only one wearing one like that, but it sure looks creepy in some odd way .......



I mean .... I'm not sayin' nuttin' ...... I'm just sayin' ......

(Its what? The informal everyday wear version of the formal hood?)

[Virginia Dare]

11. I believe that man is a French infiltrator....

along with the guy in the red shirt...

[Catchawave]

12. George Felix Allen is a knob....

He won his Senate seat playing moral games with Chuck Robb's "personal" life. Much like Thelma Drake won her VA-02 playing with Ed Shrock's (and swiftboating her Iraq vet challenger David Ashe)

Oh Moral Majority indeed...don't get me started :evilgrin:

[Igel]

13. Is it an Allen symbol, or a shad planking symbol?

Apparently the shad planking is a get together in April that a number of politicians frequent these days; used to be a whites-only affair. The photograph seems to say blue is the sign of Allen-hood.

In any event, it's like saying some racists supported Clinton. Unless you could show they supported him because of his policies, you've said nothing. If you could show that his policies were racist, then you don't need to show squat about his supporters.

[Virginia Dare]

14. see post #8...

it is a support confederate history sticker.

I take your point, but why would racists support a candidate unless they thought they also upheld racist policies?

[whistle]

15. I see three people with the round red stickers with the Confederate

...blue cross and white stars, unless I'm overlooking it. I believe that the official KKK hate symbol is as follows:

<snip>

Symbol Type: Racist/Extremist Group

Symbol Description: A cross in a circle with the "blood drop" in the center

Background/History: According to the Klan, the blood drop represents the blood shed by Jesus Christ as a sacrifice for the White Aryan Race. The KKK originated as a secret society organized in the South after the American Civil War to reassert white supremacy through terrorism and intimidation.

http://www.adl.org/hate_symbols/groups_kkk.asp

What Allen represents is loathsome and despicable regardless of how he and his campaign handlers try to cover it up.