board77

sauronsfinger wrote:

The real tragedy of hate groups like the Ku Klux Klan is how Whites in the Southern states and even border states,

And northern states too. Many northern states have a Klan chapter - New York, Michigan, New Hampshire, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Ohio, etc. The most virulent branch of that organization is based in New England.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ku_Klux_Klan" target="_blank" target="_blank

Wikipedia has a pretty good article on the history of the Klan. It gives three periods of Klan high peak activity. In the first, it was pretty much a Southern organization orgamized for racial hatred purposes and activities. In the second wave, it was an anti-immigrant group which had great success both in the South and in the Midwest and East where it spread among non-Catholics Whites. The third emergence of the Klan occured as a reaction to the drive for Black Rights in the Fifties and Sixties and was based mainly in the South.

The fact is that when you look at membership and illegal activity spawned by the Klan, the focus has been in the Southern states far more than any other for the long term. The Midwest & Eastern spurt of the Klan was short-lived and as aimed at Catholic immigrants as much as African Americans.

It still brings us back to the main question as to why Southern White culture first spawned the Klan, nourished it, and continued to embrace it long after other sections of the land like the Midwest flirted with it and moved on. Byrd is but a hiccup. To focus on a few years of his life is to only look at one speck in the margin and ignore the bigger picture.

The SPLC doesn't say "the Klan's activity in the North is in the past." The SPLC says "here are active Klan chapters in the North."

TheEllipticalDisillusion wrote:

I listened to the speech, and the part that made me happy was to hear Obama include non-believers (aka atheists) in his list of creeds that make up America. I

There was a loud cheer in the room where I was when Obama made that statement.

Quote:

Bush once remarked that he didn't think that atheists were citizens.

This, apparently, is an urban legend. No evidence has ever been found that Bush really said this.

jewelsong wrote:

TheEllipticalDisillusion wrote:

I listened to the speech, and the part that made me happy was to hear Obama include non-believers (aka atheists) in his list of creeds that make up America. I

There was a loud cheer in the room where I was when Obama made that statement.

Quote:

Bush once remarked that he didn't think that atheists were citizens.

This, apparently, is an urban legend. No evidence has ever been found that Bush really said this.

However, Bush did say if you weren't for him, you were against him. Even if you were an American and disagreed with Bush and his cronies, it was clear that you were not a real American citizen. I had heard six years of that shit, and am damn glad he is gone.

I'd like to ad, President Obama has been President for some hours now, and the World has not ended, the gates of Hell have not swung open and swallowed all of us taking our guns and capitalism with them.

This probably deserves more thought but I can't access my computer this week and feel weird writing on another one. Just wanted to say that I will tire very quickly of the talk about Obama being black (or half-black or not black enough, depending on who's saying it). I hardly know a thing about him but when it comes to racial makeup, one parent was black and one was white, yes? Welp, I think that speaks nicely of how far the country has come, more than him being elected to office even though I appreciate what a big deal that is. Color doesn't matter, uniting as a human species does. Maybe the point is that this guy will restore a bit of respect to the concept of "President of the United States of America", but I feel like he was already doing things right. Seems intelligent, hard-working. Good qualities in anyone. That is why today should feel like a win, not because of his race. It was kind of weird seeing tv reports showing black people crying because "it was very emotional for them" and then cut to a white person who "is happy, too!" I dunno, man...

As for how I spent my day: I slept a lot and then finished a book. Didn't realize how early the inaugeration was taking place, so after waking up, I just kept an eye out for Wilma in any clips the stations aired.




*E*

Ara-anna wrote:

I'd like to ad, President Obama has been President for some hours now, and the World has not ended, the gates of Hell have not swung open and swallowed all of us taking our guns and capitalism with them.

Give it time...

Rahm Emanuel sent out a directive from President Obama telling everyone under the administrations power to STOP enforcing or implementing any new changes in regulatory practices that may have been recently made by Bush and company. The Obama administration will review them and has the option to reverse them as the law allows.

Expect lots of good stuff to come today and the rest of the week as elephants are known to leave behindthem a pretty large mess as they walk away.

Most notably, the "legal" proceedings at Guantanamo have been put on hold - one of the first things Obama has done as president.

If ever there was a reason to boo for Bush, Guantanamo is it. What an absolute disgrace to your country and its reputation.

He's just lucky the crowd didn't pelt him with shoes - that would have been a fitting end to an ignominious career.

Did anyone else think that Dick Cheney looked like some weird cross between Dr. Strangelove and Mr. Potter from ITS A WONDERFUL LIFE yesterday?

The hate of Obama is pretty strong for a few and they will hate him no matter what he does, including turning the economy around and healing the nation. It simply won't matter, they are unwilling to accept he is President.

President Barack Obama's first public act in office Wednesday was to institute new limits on lobbyists in his White House and to freeze the salaries of high-paid aides, in a nod to the country's economic turmoil.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090121/ap_ ... cutive_pay" target="_blank

How about they work for free?

Obama has had two years in the limelight, SF, discussing how he wants things to be. More than enough time to know how you feel about him.

um, that's not correct, but since you've presented no argument, simply an insult, I'm not really sure how to correct you.

I slept for 17 hours and missed the whole thing.
Apparently, the inauguration magic words got all messed up, and he was wearing a red tie...

Surely signs that a) his career will also be all messed up, and b) he's really a republican in disguise.

Crucifer - and Bush wore a blue tie. So we are in a parallel universe.

Although, a friend of mine noted that it may an effort to get ultra conservatives on board...

"I hate this decision"
"But he was wearing a red tie"
"Oh, it must be a conservative decision so. It's ok by me!"

sauronsfinger wrote:

Can't you guys stop this arguing?

Enough already.

People do not want to read this.

Let me see if I got this straight. You want us to stop you from arguing?

How about you stop you from arguing? Nobody is forcing you to engage in this and if I have to step in to stop this from continuing my options are limited. The board has tried to stop this silliness for quite a long time now and pretty much everyone is beyond fed up. If you guys can't police yourselves and the rangers are forced to step in, the result will be your own forum where you can tear each other limb from limb and leave everyone else in peace.

I am going to say this to you guys one last time;

Speak to the topic
Further the discussion
Stop the insults
Stop taking over every thread with the endless back and forth petty bitching
Stop being so selfish and thinking only of yourselves
Consider the rest of the board

This applies to all threads and all forums.

One last time;
disengage !!