Posted on 11/09/2002 2:38:35 AM PST by KS Flyover
Two black-faced dummies hanging by nooses in a Wichita front yard -- one resident's statement against two men convicted of a killing spree -- does not constitute a hate crime, police said Friday."As disturbing as it may be to our community, it does not rise to the level of a crime," Deputy Police Chief Robert Lee said at a news conference.
Only hours earlier, about a dozen black activists held another news conference in front of the Sedgwick County Courthouse to demand that authorities investigate the yard display as a racially motivated crime.
Especially for black people, they said, a noose is a terrible reminder of the lynchings of African-Americans that occurred in the nation's past.
The demonstrators said they were not defending Reginald and Jonathan Carr, two black men recently convicted of five murders.
The Rev. Wanda McDaniels, president of the local branch of the NAACP, said the display threatened people of color who traveled the street in front of the west-side house.
Earlier this week, some minorities who live in the area had complained about the dummies, which hung for several days before the resident took them down. A sign beneath the dummies said "Carr Bros."
Lee said police did not receive a formal complaint about the display. But they reviewed the situation and determined that no crime had been committed under the city ordinance against bias crimes.
To violate that ordinance, a person would have to commit an underlying crime including assault and battery, disorderly conduct, damage to property, trespass, interfering with telephone service or unlawful use of weapons.
One key factor, Lee said, was that the Wichita display was on the man's property. Although the display offended some people, the man has some right to express himself, Lee said.
The resident, who would not give his name or address out of fear of retaliation, reiterated Friday that he did not intend to offend anyone.
Reach Tim Potter at 268-6684 or tpotter@wichitaeagle.com.
Please let me know if you want on (or off) this list.
Hanging Carr effigies offend some in area [Wichita Massacre]
Ugly - Let's avoid offensive racial overtones in Carr trial [Wichita Massacre][BARF ALERT!]
"One key factor, Lee said, was that the Wichita display was on the man's property. Although the display offended some people, the man has some right to express himself, Lee said. "
Surprise, it is a free country after all.
Wish I had an excuse to offend some people, I would. Why do some people get offended at every chance they get? I think it used to be a matter of pride to walk away from someone who called you names. Have we become a nation of wusses where everything that might offend is now a hate crime?
Was the mass murder afforded the same review?
Why wait for an excuse? Every day, I see some clods right here on FR crack that dark-painted and newspaper covered window into their minds to reveal some of the nastiest and down-right ignorant biases known to civilized man.
As for the guy in Wichita, broadcasting his desire for revenge and his view of what the penalty for the Carr brothers should be could have been better stated with a placard rather than the symbolism of the effigies. It would have shown more guts, rationale and gotten the message across with a lot less background noise, IMO.
In a word, yes.
No mercy.
Coming soon: Tha SYNDICATE.
101 things that the Mozilla browser can do that Internet Explorer cannot.
Uhhh, yeah, they were.
Hmmm. A rational, gutsy placard, you think?
NO......Suspect of what?
Jared Taylor founded the site that you linked. He's a white racialist. Now, if I linked NoI and YBY stuff here, you'd look at me like I was crazy.
Do you subscribe to Taylor's beliefs?
No mercy.
Coming soon: Tha SYNDICATE.
101 things that the Mozilla browser can do that Internet Explorer cannot.
Yeah. Why not. Something along the line of:
SHOOT, HANG AND BURN THE MURDERING B*ST*RDS!
I don't see the problem if they made it clear it was those guys they want to see hanged.
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