Election spurs 'hundreds' of race threats, crimes - AP

[cyberpj]

Election spurs 'hundreds' of race threats, crimes
By JESSE WASHINGTON, AP National Writer
November 15, 2008 - 1 hr 28 mins ago

Cross burnings. Schoolchildren chanting "Assassinate Obama." Black figures hung from nooses. Racial epithets scrawled on homes and cars.

Incidents around the country referring to President-elect Barack Obama are dampening the postelection glow of racial progress and harmony, highlighting the stubborn racism that remains in America.

From California to Maine, police have documented a range of alleged crimes, from vandalism and vague threats to at least one physical attack. Insults and taunts have been delivered by adults, college students and second-graders.

There have been "hundreds" of incidents since the election, many more than usual, said Mark Potok, director of the Intelligence Project at the Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors hate crimes.

The sickening details:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081115/ap_on_re_us/obama_racial

Just my opinion but I believe you can thank Sarah Palin for a big part of this as well as the Republican party subliminal and no-so subliminal ads.

[WritersBlock]

1. "...police have documented..." Documented?? You don't "document" a crime. You prosecute it.

What's being done after these "alleged crimes" have been "documented?" Are those "documents" being sent to the prosecutors' offices, or are they just filing them away?

I am sick of this shit.

[cyberpj]

3. That's just what I thought.

[Posteritatis]

13. You prosecute *and* document them

And to prosecute them you've got to have someone to prosecute. More crimes are reported than dealt with, sadly, when it comes to stuff like this.

[backscatter712]

29. All the more reason why Obama can't take office soon enough.

Maybe once Mukasey's gone, and Obama's put in an Attorney General and some US Attorneys that are ruthlessly competent and not assclowns, maybe we'll start seeing some hate crime prosecutions.

[nc4bo]

2. It sickens me but at the same time I'm glad they are coming out....

An Obama Administration will not tolerate it and has no place in civilized society. This paragraph from change.gov gives me hecka hope.

I found this:

Expand Hate Crimes Statutes: Obama and Biden will strengthen federal hate crimes legislation, expand hate crimes protection by passing the Matthew Shepard Act, and reinvigorate enforcement at the Department of Justice's Criminal Section.

From Wiki:

The Matthew Shepard Act (officially, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007 or LLEHCPA), H.R. 1592 was a proposed federal bill that would expand the 1969 United States federal hate-crime law to include crimes motivated by a victim's actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. The bill would also:

* remove the current prerequisite that the victim be engaging in a federally-protected activity, like voting or going to school;
* give federal authorities greater ability to engage in hate crimes investigations that local authorities choose not to pursue;
* provide $10 million in funding for 2008 and 2009 to help State and local agencies pay for investigating and prosecuting hate crimes;
* require the FBI to track statistics on hate crimes against transgender people (statistics for the other groups are already tracked).<1>

The bill passed the House of Representatives on May 3, 2007, 237 to 180, with Barney Frank, one of two openly gay Representatives, presiding.<2>

On 11 July, 2007, Senator Edward Kennedy introduced the bill (S. 1105) in the Senate as an amendment to the Senate Defense Reauthorization bill (H.R. 1585). The Senate hate crime amendment had 43 cosponsors, including four Republicans. After Republicans staged a filibuster on a troop-withdrawal amendment to the defense bill, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid delayed the votes on the hate crime amendment and the defense bill until September.<3>

The bill passed the Senate on September 27, 2007, as an amendment to the Defense Reauthorization bill. The cloture vote was 60 to 39 in favor. The amendment was then approved by voice vote.<4> President Bush indicated he might veto the DoD authorization bill if it reached his desk with the hate crimes legislation attached.<5><6> Ultimately, the amendment was dropped by the Democratic leadership because of opposition from antiwar Democrats, conservative groups, and President George W. Bush.<7> However, Barack Obama's website outlining the goals of his new administration cites passing the Act as a priority<8>.

I also get hope from the recent and ongoing developments here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27728315/ and http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/11/14/obama.plot.indictment/index.html.

I hope the message is spread far and wide, hate crimes against any human being should not and will not be tolerated.

[cyberpj]

4. Thanks for sharing that. In addition how about if we try to address the growing bigot constituency

here in the US - blacks... gays.... non-christians... what's next?

[nc4bo]

6. If Barack's covering his end, we're going to have to be foot soldiers

and cover our end. It may not be much different than the grassroot effort - sorta like what we had to do as volunteers for Barack's campaign.

Did you really (in your heart of hearts) that Obama would be #44? Could you really believe that so many Republicans and Independents would side with us this election?

It didn't happen overnight and it didn't happen by accident. It took a group effort to get the job done and we're going to do it again and again with each and every issue that begs for change.

"We" are the change we've been waiting for, right?





:toast:

[gauguin57]

5. Thank you to Sarah Palin and John McCain, for whipping their racist minions into a frenzy!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/uselection2008/sarahpalin/3405336/Sarah-Palin-blamed-by-the-US-Secret-Service-for-death-threats-against-Barack-Obama.html

McCain and Palin should be questioned by the Secret Service re: their complicity in these threats.

[nc4bo]

7. I agree. nt

[uponit7771]

8. Palin and McKlan are the face of these "incidents" and will be held responsible by public

[ZombieHorde]

15. How will they be held responsible by public?

[nomorenomore08]

9. And the Freepers are claiming that every single one of these incidents is a hoax...

That's right, EVERY SINGLE ONE! Don't you know that in the 21st century, only racism against white people still exists? :sarcasm: (to the nth degree)

[Lilyeye]

30. I saw some repukes saying this on another political board. That this was just a way

to make whites look bad because blacks are more racist than any group these days. Repukes love to act as though racism is dead and gone. I guess you would when your the fucking racist who doesn't want to be called out on it.

[Cha]

10. Rec'd~ I believe they already have

cited sarah palin as a contributor to these hate crimes.

And, of course, the corporatemedia wants it to continue as part of their dumbing down of America ongoing series.

[Cali_Democrat]

11. Thanks Sarah

x(

[intheflow]

12. I agree.

It would have been bad enough without her stirring the pot. But she legitimized their hatred by encouraging it on a national stage. I'm disgusted by the freaks who are oozing out the woodwork now, driven by their own ignorant hatred. :puke:

[Posteritatis]

14. Your opinion is the Secret Service's too

They out and said that Palin's responsible for the spike in threats last week sometime.

[ZombieHorde]

16. I am not doubting you, but I would like a link.

I can't convince others without it.

[intheflow]

17. Here ya go:

Sarah Palin blamed by the US Secret Service over death threats against Barack Obama

[ZombieHorde]

18. Thanks for the ammo.

[intheflow]

19. De nada.

Anything to help get the word out! :hi:

[Posteritatis]

20. Thanks as well, I'd lost that (nt)

[Life Long Dem]

21. And we participated in this historical first.

It's not Obama supporters who are acting out. I wouldn't doubt the media provoked this. The timing is the same as when the rumors started coming out.

[AnotherMother4Peace]

22. Limbaugh spews forth inflammatory, racist crap on a daily basis. Just tune in any

day, any time and you'll hear it. I listen to hear the RW's latest talking points and to "...keep friends close, and enemies closer..."

[anonymous171]

23. Good. Let these people come out in the open.

We need to know who they are.

[rebel with a cause]

24. they are coming out alright and in droves .

I wish we had not suspected that this racist backlash would happen, but I was among those that thought it would. This comes from another article on the threats against Obama.

"One of the most popular white supremacist Web sites got more than 2,000 new members the day after the election, compared with 91 new members on Election Day, according to an AP count. The site, stormfront.org, was temporarily off-line Nov. 5 because of the overwhelming amount of activity it received after Election Day. On Saturday, one Stormfront poster, identified as Dalderian Germanicus, of North Las Vegas, said, "I want the SOB laid out in a box to see how 'messiahs' come to rest. God has abandoned us, this country is doomed.""

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27724965/

Dalderian Germanicus can go to hell with the rest of the racist idiots at Stormfront. I would say that God abandoned him a long time ago when DG began hating those who did not share his heritage.

[nc4bo]

26. If the M$M like the AP are watching, you can rest assured that the SS is watching too

that's why I'm glad the turds are coming out.

[rebel with a cause]

27. Yes, I knew they were out there,

but a lot of people have been under the illusion that racism was dead. I am glad they are showing their ugly heads, but I wish they had gotten embarrassed by their backwardness and wised up instead. I knew they would not, but hope springs eternal I guess. :eyes:

[HughMoran]

25. I've noticed this as well

I think it'll calm down after a bit, but there was a bunch of latent racism that boiled to the surface after the election (from the losers who voted for McCain and beleived that people would not elect a black President.) They'll go back to their hobbies and/or video games before long.

[Beacool]

28. People that act out are not the real problem.

The dangerous types who would actually try to do something keep a low profile. They don't vocalize, they act.

[Erin Elizabeth]

31. WOW.

Some of that stuff in the article....I mean, I shouldn't be shocked, but damn. My mouth was just hanging open the whole time. WTF? How can people walk around with so much hatred inside them based on someone else looking differently than they do? I seriously don't get that at all.

And suddenly I feel more worried for my black friends, neighbors and co-workers. I felt this way about the few Muslims I know after 9/11. For a LONG time after that. Really, still now.

Ug. Sickening.