Posted on 09/23/2004 8:22:38 PM PDT by WKB
JACKSON, Miss. -- The Mississippi State Fair opens in two weeks, but it's already losing money.
A group with ties to the Ku Klux Klan, called the Nationalist Movement, is planning to set up an information booth at the fair -- a plan that's driving away some businesses and customers.
The group's leader, Richard Barrett, calls it a "pro-majority" group. The Anti-Defamation League calls it white supremacist.
Either way, the group's attempts to set up shop aren't sitting well with the fair commission.
"I've been here for three years and gone to the fair every year," said Ramie Mitchell. "This year, I think the tradition will end. I don't think we'll be there this year."
Mitchell said she won't be bringing her two boys to the fair if Barrett's booth is there.
Barrett said he wants to spread his group's message and honor the Rev. Edgar Killen, who was acquitted in the 1964 murders of three civil rights workers in Neshoba County.
Barrett said the booth is an extension of his First Amendment right to free speech.
"You have more freedom today because of what Richard Barrett has won for you in freedom of speech than you had yesterday," Barrett said. "Because of this exhibit and this preacher, you'll have even more freedom tomorrow."
The Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency doesn't want to get caught in the middle. It's pulling its $300 booth from the fair to avoid any association.
"The nature of what's going on over there could upset alot of people," said agency spokeswoman Dani Edmonson. "Aand if we're there, they may not be very happy with us being in the same vicinity of someone like that."
Both the fair commission and Barrett say they've received verbal threats.
"They say, 'I'm gonna find out where you live and stab you and kill you,'" Barret said.
But Barrett said the threats won't dissuade him.
As for Mitchell, she said she won't change her mind about staying away.
"I think it should be an embarrassment to the state," she said. "We ask for outsiders to come here, and it's a slap in the face."
Can you imagine a group called "White Business news"?
A few years ago Jackson hosted the "Black Mayors Conference"
I wrote a letter to the Clarion Ledger asking what would
happen if we hosted the "White Mayors"
That could back fire and make them the biggest hit of all the shows.
LOL! For one thing, Jackson would be visited by Jesse Jackson.
How about right in front of the shooting rage targets? Or I would even take them in front of the milk bottles at the baseball throw. I bet they would get a lot of attention at either one.
Actually they should be on the merry go round with
the rest of the kiddies :>)
The Klan? In Mississippi? That's hard to fathom.
Oh yeah - almost forgot -- //sarcasm//
"Actually they should be on the merry go round with
the rest of the kiddies :>)" Not around my kids!
WE shouldn't be wasting our time on the Klu Klux Klan and those who fee threatened by them. We face a much great threat from the KKK,aka The Kookie Kerry Klan.
When I was growing up there the klan used to march in the local Christmas parades. Don't know if they still do or not. It wasn't that big of a deal. People just pretty much ignored them. Course that's easy for me to say, being white and all. Nobody likes the klan but their own. Probably the good people of Mississippi dislike them more than most. But sometimes I wonder if what this group and others like it want most of all is the keep the controvercy stirred up. That way they are in the news and people are talking about them. They love to yell "freedom of speech"!!! "freedom of speech"!!! Maybe if they set up their little booth and see that they are insignificant now and nobody really cares what they say, they will eventually decide it jsut isn't worth their effort.
"The Klan? In Mississippi? That's hard to fathom.
Oh yeah - almost forgot -- //sarcasm//"
The Klan? In Oregon?
Believe it or not, it's here, as well.
It's not just a Mississippi thang.
"We face a much great threat from the KKK,aka The Kookie Kerry Klan."
Agreed!.
You're right - it is hard to believe the Klan is in Oregon.
By the way - too bad that stupid little tramp natalie maines soiled your alias!
As a Texan - we are all (((THE ENTIRE STATE!!!))) ashamed that she is claiming to be a Texan.
Because some call on its members to murder people not like them and have a history of doing that, while others don't.
Womens groups have never said kill men and did it or worshipped someone that did.
If however a group says they believe in murdering other races, sexes, ethnicities,then they too should be banned.
Too many klansmen have committed atrocities in american history that are no different than the ones committed in Iraq this past week. If you feel they are right to paise killers of innocent people in america, then why don't you have sympathy for the people that beheaded the innocent men in Iraq this week?
It is not the same thing as the KKK. There is no comparision.
Unless they had a hisory of killing,raping, burning, terrorizing, and torturing innocent people, then why should they be banned.
The KKK, on the other, are terrible people that should be banned.
We have MORE than our fair share of kooks, here.
ELF, ALF, PETA, et al overshadow the Klan, but they are here.
"By the way - too bad that stupid little tramp natalie maines soiled your alias!
As a Texan - we are all (((THE ENTIRE STATE!!!))) ashamed that she is claiming to be a Texan."
I love Texans.
But, as for Natalie Maines, and the rest...
Then you should have seen the pictures taken of the lynchings done in america by the KKK to innocent victims and that would consume you also. Then,you would realize the KKK's activities are not insignificant.
Excellent post Meek.
Byrd looks right comfortable in the sheet.
No hood? LOL!
No hood? LOL!hehe! I snapped that pic just before he put it on. :^D
Whew! What a thread!
I absolutely hate being put in the position of defending the first amendment rights of a bunch of white supremacists. But if I did what's easy instead of what's right, I'd be a Democrat.
Being a socialist is much easier than being a conservative- just mindlessly regurgitate the party line. Conservatism requires one to think logically and to be prepared to defend one's positions in debate.
You folks got me thinking. The KKK was from it's inception a terrorist organization. Not much different than the current situation in Iraq, their aim was to terrorize the South into not cooperating with the Union occupation, and to fight unpopular laws such as black suffrage. Their only possible redeeming quality is that in the early days they killed as many carpetbagging politicians as they did blacks.
(no reference to Billary Rob'em Clinton should be inferred.)
Good point that this particular bunch of wackos is not, per se, the KKK. The news report accuses them of KKK ties, but gives precious little evidence to back that assertion up.
However, if these folks in Mississippi are indeed involved with any terrorist organization, or advocating violence, they should be jailed. If they are merely another fringe political group and not a threat to anyone, then I think that we as conservatives must hold our noses and let them have their stupid booth.
But there is --- once you accept groups that base themselves on racial supremacy or superiority then that's where it leads. When hispanic groups proclaim "Everything for La Raza (the race), nothing for outside La Raza (the race)", there is no difference. Same goes for Black supremacy groups or any other kind. That's why I think it's okay to ban the KKK but all other race-based groups should also be banned --- why promote any kind of racism --- even politically correct (that is non-white) racism? I can see the free speech issue though --- but if you're going to allow books like the Koran which commands it's followers to kill all the Jews, then banning books of other such ideologies is hypocrisy.
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