Re: [HoB/D] Hate and politics

[Louie Crew <lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu>]

On May 14, 1961 the local Adams Boys burned the freedom rider bus in my
hometown.  Fine upstanding white citizens of Anniston were appalled that a
bunch of red-necks were giving the town a bad name.

"We love our Niggras," the mayor said.

"This is the fault of a bunch of outside agitators," my father, chair of the
school board said.  He had sworn to uphold the Constitution of the State of
Alabama which forbade racial integration even if he had wanted it, and he
didn't.

I am enormously grateful that Yankees outsiders risked their lives to bring
to us a critique of our culture that we whites were showing no signs of
coming to on our own.  I am glad that no one heeded the argument that the
Adams' vitriol was no worse than vitriol in Chicago or Detroit or Boston or
New York City.

Of course Ms. Palin and her parties have no exclusive franchise to hateful
rhetoric.   However, did anyone else of her stature put Giffords'
congressional district in her cross-hairs?

The nation would be remiss if to make Palin's allies feel good we fail to
seize this moment to insist on more responsible rhetoric from us all.

Dad, the mayor, and their friends prayed the controversy would all just go
away.   It did, but only after Dad, the mayor and their friends personally
escorted the local black leadership into the local Carnegie Library as the
Adams Boys looked on, aware the local leadership would no longer look the
other way for their devilment.

Sarah Palin's cross-hairs are devilment.  Rush Limbaugh is up to devilment.
Glen Beck is up to devilment. Anyone who speaks violence against political
opposition is up to devilment.  Enough already.

XXXX, quit whining about how unfair it is to single them out.  Don't invest
your own integrity prodigally in giving them cover.   Join us in saying "Not
again" to all who encourage violence.

Louie


Louie Crew, 377 S. Harrison St., 12D, East Orange, NJ 07018. 973-395-1068
http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~lcrew