White extremists lash out over election of first black president -- KKK emerging

[jefferson_dem]

White extremists lash out over election of first black president
The Ku Klux Klan is emerging from decades of disorganization and obscurity, and the turnaround is acutely evident -- more than 200 hate-related incidents have been reported since the Nov. 4 election.
By Howard Witt

November 23, 2008

Reporting from Bogalusa, La. — Barely three weeks since America elected its first black president, noose hangings, racist graffiti and death threats have struck dozens of towns across the country.

More than 200 such incidents -- including cross burnings, assassination betting pools and effigies of President-elect Barack Obama -- have been reported, according to law enforcement authorities and the Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors hate groups.

Racist websites have been boasting that their servers have been crashing because of an exponential increase in traffic.

And America's most potent symbol of racial hatred, the Ku Klux Klan, is reasserting itself in a spate of recent violence, after decades of disorganization and obscurity.

Nearly two weeks ago, the leader of a cell based in Bogalusa, La. -- a backwoods town once known as the Klan capital -- was charged with second-degree murder in the shooting of a woman who allegedly sought to become a member but then changed her mind.

Late last month, two men with ties to a notoriously violent Klan chapter in Kentucky were charged in a bizarre plot to kill 88 black students and then decapitate an additional 14 students -- and then assassinate Obama by shooting him from a speeding car while wearing white tuxedos and top hats.

"We've seen everything from cross burnings on lawns of interracial couples to effigies of Obama hanging from nooses to unpleasant exchanges in schoolyards," said Mark Potok, director of the Intelligence Project at the Southern Poverty Law Center, based in Montgomery, Ala. "I think we're in a worrying situation right now, a perfect storm of conditions coming together that could easily favor the continued growth of these groups."

Experts attribute the racist activity to factors including the rapidly worsening economic crisis; trends indicating that within a generation whites will not comprise a U.S. majority; and the impending arrival of a black family in the White House.

<SNIP>

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/washingtondc/la-na-klan23-2008nov23,0,7813917,print.story

[slackmaster]

1. Poor babies - At least they are coming out in the open where we can see them

Seeing them is the first step toward shutting them down.

[Thrill]

2. they need to GET OVER IT

I can't wait until they start arresting and making an example of these idiots who make threats as well.

[Joe Chi Minh]

6. They will - all of them with an IQ above 30 - when they find Obama

cares about the poorer Americans and helps them. The remnant of more monied racists, shopkeepers,etc, will remain the laughing stock they remain.

[TheCowsCameHome]

10. It would take at least 10 to have a total IQ of 30

[ruggerson]

3. Round em up and lock em down

parole them in eight years. Or not.

[Cirque du So-What]

4. Gonna be a busy stretch for the FBI, ATF, etc.

I look forward to federal investigative agencies switching priorities from anti-war groups (i.e., Quakers & little old ladies) to *real* domestic terrorists. Round'em up, boys!

[Triana]

5. Domestic Terrorists. Maybe if they become visible enough again...

..they can be dealt with - permenantly. It's about time we did something about our DOMESTIC terrorism problems too.

[meow2u3]

25. Maybe Obama will use the Patriot Act to put these terrorists out of business

We have to fight the real war on terrorists--right here in the good old U.S. of A.

[Blarch]

35. I agree.

If they want to start it ...I will show up to finish it.

[Number23]

43. That's exactly right. These folks better watch themselves

The Klan's power in the early 20th century revolved around the fact that they had so many sympathizers in positions of authority including judges, police officers and politicians. Black folks knew better than to mess with the Klan and were effectively silenced.

Now, I don't know a single black person and especially not a young one that would take these people's crap lying down. The Klan and their minions are universally reviled and there is probably no end of folks willing to put them in their place REAL QUICK if they even appear to be a legitimate threat to Obama or his family. They may need to learn the hard way that's it's a brand new day.

[Doctor_J]

7. Maybe they will prompt the sane 85% of the country to deal with them

once and for all over the next 8 years.

[polichick]

12. It is certainly about time! imo it's also up to mainstream Christians and Muslims to...

...curb their crazies!

[high density]

8. From Maine today: Police investigate KKK signs found along river trail

HALLOWELL — The appearance of "KKK" written in block letters in dozens of locations along the Kennebec River Rail Trail has police investigating and a civil rights activist calling the act cowardly.

Litchfield resident Steve Wessler, executive director of the Center for the Prevention of Hate Violence in Portland, was riding his bicycle Saturday on the trail in Hallowell and Farmingdale when he came across numerous signs that had been defaced, apparently by marker, with the letters "KKK," he said.

Wessler said the writing of the letters "KKK" – an acronym for the Ku Klux Klan – is part of a disturbing trend of racist incidents he has seen since the election of President-elect Barack Obama.

"It's cowardly," Wessler said of the graffiti. "I've been dealing with an increase in racist incidents ever since the election. It's just sickened me. We need to speak up and say this is not what Maine is about."

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=223598&ac=PHnws

Also from Maine:

The owner of the Oak Hill General Store in Standish won't face any charges from local police for a sign posted in the store last week asking customers to bet on the timing of an assassination of President-elect Barack Obama, Cumberland County Sheriff Mark Dion said Friday.

http://news.mainetoday.com/updates/036108.html

[AspenRose]

27. Something is going on in Maine

It's a disturbing trend. From the pregnant woman who was assaulted and kicked in the abdomen while being racially insulted, to the elderly white man threatening the (mostly white Maine) NAACP....it's like racists have set up shop there or something, trying to have a presence deep in New England. There are also a lot of Somali immigrants in Maine and there have been incidents involving them, too.

With the new administration I hope that DHS and the FBI team up and treat these vermin like the domestic terrorists they are.

[mcg]

32. SPLCenter.org: Hate Groups Map

http://www.splcenter.org/intel/map/hate.jsp

This map shows only 1 hate group in Maine, but it appears that the KKK is also there.
One thing this map shows is that hate groups are by no means limited to the South.

[bluedawg12]

9. Primitves with disgusting self reinforced attititudes of hatred and fear.

What does anyone think that the Palin rally goers were so vocal about? Hatred was there under the surface.

Blacks, gays, non-Christians, are among their targets.

[uponit7771]

11. KKK is TECHNICALLY a terrorist organization declared in 1865 by grant and is the ONLY terrorist...

...organization that can exist AND protest.

[genna]

13. What does the Southern Poverty Law Center propose for everyone else to correct this surge?

One thing I remember from the rise of the KKK in the 1900s is that the response was just as important as the surge. If well meaning people sat down in fear, black, Jews, and nonWhite people winded up receiving KKK intimidation.


What can people who live in the Midwest and the South do to make their disagreement with these fear peddlers known and heard?

[Peacetrain]

14. YOu can send support to Morris Dees, they have burnd the SLPC once already

and they (the nazi/kkk) extremists have put out a threat to kill Dees and skin him alive. Actually this is good so people can become aware of the scary side of the internet, that is where these brain dead are organizing

[OneBlueSky]

15. might be a good idea to include Obama's safety in our prayers each night . . .

given the history of violence against progressive leaders in this nation, one has to worry that sooner or later some nutcase out there will try to get his name in the history books . . .

[niceypoo]

16. Republicans gone wild

This is just the beginning. They will start up the right wing terrorist attacks again like we saw in the 90s.

[L0oniX]

20. When people tell me they are republican I say "so ...you are a bigot and racist?"

Always puts them on the defense. I don't care if they never speak to me again. I say it to their face!

[cliffordu]

21. Cool. Give the Department of Homeland Security something to do to earn their brazillions.

[political_Dem]

17. This is horrible as much as it is scary.

This is exactly what I feared would happen--especially when people started talking about a "post-racial" America. Racism isn't over yet. And the anger that was whipped up by McCain and Palin is a clear sign that we still need a lot of work to deal with race in this country.

I only hope that the authorities do their job and try to finally nip this in the bud before it gets worse.

[LatteLibertine]

18. Clowns, one and all of them

nt

[Enthusiast]

19. Killer Clowns, dangerous killer clowns. nt

[tnlefty]

22. If you can afford a donation at all, The Southern Poverty Law

Center has a group of generous supporters who are matching dollar for dollar up to $800,000 contributions made now.

The snail mail address is: Southern Poverty Law Center, 400 Washington Avenue, Montgomery, AL 36104, or donations can be made online.

[democracy1st]

23. they're to dumb to organize but dummy's can cause horrific problems for this country look at Bush

[vademocrat]

24. Donate to the Southern Poverty Law Center - here's a link

https://secure.splcenter.org/donate/online/online.jsp

[Odin2005]

26. The KKK is a terorist organization that needs to be CRUSHED.

Obama needs to sic the FBI and Homeland Security on their Nazi asses.

[BlooInBloo]

28. I'm lol-ing at the alleged "good whites" who piously maintain that "it's just a few bad apples".

Good job guys! Way to create and maintain a racist-friendly environment, while escaping the blame!

[Sebastian Doyle]

29. You could take out half the Klan with a good old fashioned Anthrax attack

No, I don't mean white powder in envelopes or anything high tech. I mean Anthrax the way it exists in nature. As a disease that sheep get. And then it would spread to the Klansmen......















....through sexual intercourse. :rofl:

[Bullet1987]

30. Despicable

President Obama is going to get death threats from all of these crazy nuts now...

[JerseygirlCT]

31. SPLC is going to need more support for the next 4-8 years

at least. Just saying...

Hopefully, these are the dying gasps of this breed. But they can still be very, very dangerous.

[Jennicut]

33. Will we see a rise of the cazy white militias again, like in the 90's?

[AspenRose]

36. I believe we will.

These people are unhinged.

Edited to add: *sigh* :-(

http://www.newsday.com/about/ny-lihate2412199891nov23,0,3336318.story

[Erin Elizabeth]

34. The first time I ever heard this:

"...trends indicating that within a generation whites will not comprise a U.S. majority..." was several years back. My reaction: sounds pretty cool to me.

These racists need to unclench their assholes and chill the fuck out.

[AlinPA]

37. The republican base is pissed and the RNC will kick in for the robes and crosses.

[secondwind]

38. yuk......

[Life Long Dem]

39. How many currently? For this administration? Can't all be a rating's game.

Then I recall something about caskets not being allowed on the news, and continue to wonder who is calling the shots?

[Name removed]

40. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[and-justice-for-all]

41. And all those fuckers live in 'red states'...

The FBI and the CIA needs to label them as DOMESTIC TERRORIST.

[Bucky]

42. Bullshit

I agree they're terrorists, but if you don't think there's hardcore racism in blue states, you're deluding yourself. And not just because President Obama has dramatically increased the number of blue states.

[Kalyke]

44. Maine's a red state?

New York is a red state?

California is a red state?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/greg-mitchell/racial-incidents-and-thre_b_144061.html

In a Maine convenience store, an Associated Press reporter saw a sign inviting customers to join a betting pool on when Obama might fall victim to an assassin. The sign solicited $1 entries into "The Osama Obama Shotgun Pool," saying the money would go to the person picking the date closest to when Obama was attacked. "Let's hope we have a winner."

* From the Orange County (Ca.) Register: "Two gang members pleaded not guilty Thursday to hate crime and attempted robbery charges in connection with the beating of a black man who was trying to buy cigarettes at a Fullerton liquor store." The two men shouted racial and anti-Obama epithets in the attack.

* From today's New York Times: "Two white Staten Island men face hate crimes charges after they were arrested on Friday in the beating of a black teenager on the night that Barack Obama was elected president, the police said on Saturday. The teenager, Alie Kamara, 17, was walking home on Pine Place in the Staten Island neighborhood of Stapleton when several men hit him on the head with a baseball bat and yelled 'Obama,' said Aliya Latif, the civil rights director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, who was in contact with Alie's family since the attack and spoke to his mother on Saturday after the arrests were announced."

I'm in no way condoning the actions of these racists, but the bigotry on DU regarding "red states" is not any better.

[and-justice-for-all]

46. Oh pleeeeeezzzzzz

"the bigotry on DU regarding "red states"...:eyes:

[AllentownJake]

47. Not exactly

The middle part of PA is scarier than some places in the deep south as far as racial hatred is concerned.

Remember Indiana is a Blue State now and there were alot of bigots there when I lived there 3 years ago.

[iamthebandfanman]

45. let em keep it up

they were better off hiding.

all thats gonna happen is public opinion of the once forgotten KKK is gonna drop further than it already is..
thats fine by me... let em make tons of people of angry... then we'll see how long they last when its hundreds of thousands against them..

[1corona4u]

48. Huh...

As far as this statement goes;

"Experts attribute the racist activity to factors including the rapidly worsening economic crisis; trends indicating that within a generation whites will not comprise a U.S. majority;"



How is that a factor in their minds? It's not the blacks that will be the majority, but the latinos. The black population remains the same %, if I remember right. Are they going to retaliate against the latinos next/too?