Alabama sidesteps compensation for survivor of ’63 KKK blast

AP ^ | 9/15/22 | Jay Reeves

[mcenedo]

Sarah Collins Rudolph lost an eye and still has pieces of glass inside her body from a Ku Klux Klan bombing that killed her sister and three other Black girls at an Alabama church 59 years ago, and she’s still waiting on the state to compensate her for those injuries.

[mcenedo]

I feel for the victim but this is kind of a slippery slope.

Should every New York crime victim be able to sue the state for it's ridiculous "no bail" laws?

Should every store in California be able to sue the state because they made shoplifting under $950 legal?

[bert]

Yes

[Tell It Right]

The KKK attack victim should sue the group that created the KKK terrorist group: the Democrat Party.

[T.B. Yoits]

The taxpayers don’t owe that compensation - the Democrats, the party of the KKK, do.

[READINABLUESTATE]

Yes

[Gay State Conservative]

If we start giving "reparations" where do we stop? Yes,many black people suffered serious hardships at one time in our history. But others did as well. My father's older brother used to tell stories about seeing signs reading "No Irish Need Apply" all over Boston. Back then the Irish were treated very,*very* badly there.

Where are *our* reparations?

[FoxInSocks]

Maybe ilhan omar can sponsor a “Some People Did Something” bill.

[thefactor]

If you are the victim of a crime, do you believe you should be able to sue the town/city/state/feds for failing to protect you from the actions of the perpetrator?

[bert]

You avoid the point.

There was no criminal action in the shop lifting since the government declared that anyone could just take your personal property without recourse.

The government permitted and even promoted the act of shoplifting

The government is liable

QED

[Jemian]

Ping to the state list.

Why is the state considered responsible for this?

[kinsman redeemer]

:

The KKK attack victim should sue the group that created the KKK terrorist group:
the Democrat Party.

[Leaning Right]

> do you believe you should be able to sue the town/city/state/feds for failing to protect you <

As you might know, the Supreme Court has ruled that the police have no duty to protect you. I suppose that ruling could be applied to the government in general.

But here’s the question. Was the government of Alabama indifferent to the KKK, or did they do things to protect the organization? If it’s the former, no lawsuit. If it’s the latter, big lawsuit.

[Feckless]

The “State” didn’t do it.

[Altura Ct.]

Why should the state pay her anything?

[thefactor]

I am not avoiding the point, but you seem to be selectively choosing your point. The article is about victims of violent crime. Do you think those victims should be able to sue the local govts?

You are now talking about stores being able to sue due to shoplifters. That is not a violent crime.

So I ask again, if a person is the victim of a violent crime, do you believe the victim should be allowed to sure the town/county/state/federal govt for failing to protect them?

[bert]

I’ll concede your point with regard to violent crime

[thefactor]

Yes, the govt has no duty to protect you from harm inflicted by other private individuals. They are liable if, for instance, you were victimized by someone acting on the government's behalf (a cop or other government employee).

I would assume proving the govt actively protected the KKK and lead to the violence would be a difficult task. But yes, if the govt took an active role, they should be liable.

[thefactor]

It’s more of a private/public argument. The govt has no duty to protect you from other private individuals. But if a cop or other government worker injures you or victimizes you, the govt is liable. If in this case, the govt supported the KKK in some way, they could be held liable.

[bwest]

I stop reading any article in which “black” is capitalized.

[MayflowerMadam]

“I stop reading any article in which ‘black’ is capitalized.”

I made a similar comment here a few weeks ago and got a nasty lecture from some FReeper. Can’t recall who.