On minority voter repression: a story of fighting back

[drdigi420]

Once upon a time, a group of black college students decided that, not needing a tan, they would forego the beach and have their spring break party in the streets of downtown Atlanta. Needless to say, this angered many of the old south residents (read: white) of the immediate suburbs and they began a campaign to stop it.

Each year the event grew larger until the mayor, in a moment of political insanity, told the spring breakers that they were not welcome and should stay home or go somewhere else.

The next party, known as Freaknik, set records for crowds and proved that if you make a public attempt to intimidate, you achieve results opposite of your intention.

So, Black America? Are you going to allow them to intimidate you? They couldn't stop you from partying, surely you won't allow them to stop you from VOTING!

[Jawja]

1. Having lived

through a few Freakniks in Midtown Atlanta, I was GLAD when the mayor told them to go somewhere else. It wasn't a racist thing at all! It was the fact that over a hundred thousand partying kids shut down the city and made life miserable for the residents. And frankly, the old Southern white residents were offended when the kids cried "racism" when the problem was the invasion of our streets and neighborhoods by loud and boozing partiers leaving their empty beer bottles and trash for the city to clean up.

The old white Southern residents would feel the same way if the invaders were WHITE and loud and boozing it up and clogging the streets and leaving the place a mess.

Please don't confuse the cherished right to vote with invading intown neighborhoods and taking them over in order to put on one big wild party while yucking it up on pot and booze and leaving trash behind for the residents to clean up!

:hi:

[NewYorkerfromMass]

2. O.K. whatever

I got his point.

[Jawja]

3. Well, gee, how about putting

me down for clarifying that the residents of Atlanta didn't try to stop Freaknik until it got out of control.

Just setting the record straight, since he was talking about an event that happened in my city and in my neighborhood. :eyes:

[drdigi420]

4. It happened in MY neighborhood too, I live in Midtown

It WAS a racist thing to most Georgians.

But, the point, which you missed massively, was that, the mayor telling them not to come did not keep them from coming. It may them MORE DETERMINED to come.

geez

Music Midtown is worse than Freaknik, having all those drunken suburban white kids pissing in the yards and fighting in the streets.

Freaknik was about showing off cars and meeting potential sexual partners, just like ANY spring break.

[Jawja]

5. Fortunately now,

I live ABOVE Music Midtown and if I lived in the same place I lived during Freaknik, I would hate it, too.

Well I was just making it clear that THIS Georgian didn't hate Freaknik because of racism. I hated the Atlanta Arts Festival, too, for the same reason - noise, clogged streets, and trash. I lived right on Piedmont Park at the time and finally realized I should move to another location.

Take care and GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO KERRY!!! :toast:

[drdigi420]

6. Well, I loved Freaknik for the most part

Especially since the ratio of good people to bad people was much greater than with redneck events like Music Midtown.

[Jawja]

7. Oh, Agreed!

I met some great kids during one Freaknik, since the building I lived in was near the park and a neighbor was hosting some weekend guests. Had all the complimentary beer and wings I could eat out on the front porch and was dubbed the "White Mama" after I brought out a large trash bag and led them in the cleanup.