Black Workers Who Helped Return Electricity to All-White Arkansas County Receive Racist Reception

[babylonsister]

This is just disgusting. :puke:

Icy reception for repairmen


Madison County, the rugged mountain county south of Fayetteville through which the beautiful drive known as the Pig Trail traverses, does not make the news very often. Never would suit us better.

The Madison County Record, the sprightly weekly newspaper published at Huntsville, the county seat, broke the news first, but the nature of it guaranteed some national attention. Some 100 workers from Pennsylvania, about a third of them African Americans, came down to help the local electric cooperative restore power after the devastating ice storm last month took down just about every power pole in the county. They worked tirelessly clearing trees and putting up poles and lines in the ice and freezing rain to try to speed power to people.

For their trouble, they were harassed and threatened by roving groups of young men shouting racial epithets and pointing guns at them. The county sheriff said the young men would drive around the work teams waving Rebel flags and cursing the blacks. The workers were frightened enough to contact the sheriff’s office in nearby Washington County.

Madison County is all white.

The last time Madison County made national news was the day after the general election in which Sen. Barack Obama was elected president by a landslide. The owners of the Faubus Motel at Huntsville, named after the Arkansas governor who sent the National Guard to Little Rock Central High School to block nine black children from attending classes in 1957, took down the American flag the morning after the election and put up a Confederate flag. The proprietor said the voters of the United States had abandoned the principles of the nation’s founders in electing Obama.

more...

http://www.arkansasleader.com/2009/02/editiorial-icy-reception-for-repairmen.html

[BlooInBloo]

1. (shrug) Let the bigots rot in darkness.

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. Good grief

Hard to believe shit like this happens in the 21st century.

[BlooInBloo]

5. Au contraire.

[pampango]

39. The only "good" thing about this is that it was exposed by an Arkansas newspaper.

The first defense of that pockets of racism and privilege retreat to is that it is "outside agitators" (Northern liberals, liberal media, etc.) stirring up trouble. (Of course, some of that counties residents did a fine job of "stirring up trouble" when "outsiders" came to help them.)

From the home page of "The Leader" it seems it is not "local" to this county. Whatever newspaper is "local" must have ignored the whole story. Perhaps "The Leader" will be regarded as "outsiders" by the locals of this county.

[dsc]

41. actually the article makes clear that the local paper covered it first

[fujiyama]

3. Arkansas was one of two or three states

where McCain's margin of victory was greater than Bush's.

As I'm reading this, I'm wondering what century this story is from. How disgusting.

[treestar]

4. This must be one of the pro-america parts of the country

:sarcasm:

[DCKit]

No doubt the "Real America" Sarah Palin was going on about.

They'd better hope the natural disasters are few and far between with that attitude.

[Jkid]

6. There's only one word that best describes the bigots reaction.

Ungrateful.

[NOLALady]

56. I could think of bunch of other words,

censored words.

[rwheeler31]

7. Do these people care about anything except guns.

[w4rma]

8. Money and power. (nt)

[Lost in CT]

22. Funny cause those toothless dimwits have neither.

And people wonder why the smart folks choose to Fly-over.

[rolltideroll]

80. Prejudice and Hate

Are what you people are showing towards hundreds of thousands of people based on where you live. I am a compassionate person, and I am smart enough to feel great sympathy for the workers, and realizing that 99.999% of the people had nothing to do with this hate filled behavior. Take some of the things you are saying about southerners, replace them with a racial group, and you would be justifiably ashamed of yourself for saying some of the things you did. I forget just what economic and cultural achievements currently rest in LA or NYC Cultural Centers sure, but why are people flooding out of them? I truly want th progressive cause to win, but this insistence on degrading people based on where they are born( as much a master status as race or gender or sexual preference)is stupid, counter productive and hurts the cause. Look at what we could accomplish if we just realize idiocy is rampant all over, and we stop insulting people. Grow up and stop broadly painting people with a brush. I live in Alabama, love it here, and have no racist tendencies. Neither do my friends. We are pretty much like the rest of you. People are like that all over. Stop costing our side votes.

[Lost in CT]

105. You people??? You people!!!???? What do you mean YOU PEOPLE...

Okay I jest...

First of all i clearly wasn't just talking about southerners... I was including the people of Ohio for example.

But seriously. It is the actions of a few and the lack of disdain shown for those actions by the many that I object to.

I am not saying that everyone in the south or even in this county in Arkansas is some backward piece of shit.

But until they can better themselves, learn to accept outsiders different from themselves and stop spreading hate I will continue to think ill of them.

[rolltideroll]

109. Ha ha I just caught

that I used You people, not a good starting point for my argument. I am just tired of the perception these people are a plurality of Southern people. It isn't true and no one hates these cave dwellers more than decent southern people. However, part of the Southern psychology, due to it being largely Scottish in influence, has, and I know I am setting my self up for a joke here, a clannish instinct. Southern people band together more readily than other regions will against perceived derision. If we allow our message to become that progressives look down on you,and I think it is indefensibly hypocritical to claim that our side wants equality and then mock people from areas many have never been to or understand, then wonder why they vote against us. You want to kill the GOP? Simple, win Georgia. If you want to do that, people need to stop acting like the geography of their birth is a key to their superiority. Morons abound everywhere.

[Raineyb]

112. You people?

I will refrain from telling you what you can do with that phrase.

Regards

[rolltideroll]

118. I think it is a racist term only when referring to a racial group.

Otherwise, Southern people just use the term to refer to other groups, i.e. Fans of a different team, people from another office. Racists just use it a lot.

[ret5hd]

9. miscegenation?

i'd bet that's up there.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

25. Can you read?

It appears they are very concerned about having black people in their county. How did you happen to miss the entire point of the article?

David

[Pirate Smile]

10. Wow. That is horrible. I also hadn't heard the story about what they did the day after Obama won

the election.:puke:

[Edweird]

11. Funny, I was just talking to some guys that worked the ice storm...

One of them was black... nobody mentioned anything about that. They talked about how much money they made and about a coworker that blew his brains out in bed at the hotel with his roommate there...

I'll see him again in a couple of weeks. I'll be sure to ask him about his experience....

[Pirate Smile]

13. Where did they go or did he not say?

[Edweird]

47. Some of the guys I knew were working around Newport and the airport there.

The guy I'm going to get back to was working out in the sticks.... he didn't really specify any one place, just that he was sleeping 80 miles from the work and it took 2 hours to get back and forth...

[Liberal_in_LA]

12. Faubus Motel, A raggedy looking place

http://www.faubusmotel.com/

[ellenfl]

18. alcohol is prohibited. it must be a very religious non-christian place. eom

[Bluebear]

27. All the comforts of 1955!

[Liberal_in_LA]

30. lol. and 1955 racial attitudes

[wryter2000]

55. That place and Orval deserve each other

If you have a place so d*mn*d ugly, why would you give it a website?

[chatnoir]

57. "Not suitable for Americans”

And "Rudest Place in Arkansas"

Check out a few of the reviews of this raggedy place:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g31688-d270817-Reviews-Faubus_Motel-Huntsville_Arkansas.html

[Liberal_in_LA]

59. OMG! It sounds like a 'Twilight Zone' motel. Read this review:

From the tripadvisor link, review of Faubus motel. Is this guy secretly watching the guests? creepy!

'We got back to the motel at about 5 pm that evening very tired and went in to talk over what we had seen that day. As we sat there, I leaned over and kissed her and then leaned in and kissed her again. Not two seconds later the phone rang and the owner said, " We will have none of that here" Those were his exact words. He then proceeded to tell me that my girlfriend needed to leave or he would call the cops and have her thrown out. His reason was that I had rented the room as a single person. I told him she would mot be spending the night and was only there briefly until we went to dinner. He insisted and I hung up on him. I then began searching the room for cameras or something that would explain why he called at the moment he did and why he made the statement he did. After I lifted about the third picture/mirror, the phone rang again. My girlfriend answered it and he asked her if this was 116. She answered that it was and he told her she needed to get in her car and leave immediately. She questioned him on it and he told her to leave or he would call the cops and have her thrown out. She hung up on him. About 10 minutes later a police officer knocked on my door and I invited him in and we explained everything to him. He agreed that the owner could not make her leave and said he would have a talk with him. The owner left us alone after that and about 30 minutes later, after putting the sign on the door again and turning on the A/C, we went to dinner. That night when I got back to my room, the sign was still there, but the A/C was off and the door left unlocked. I found this man to be extremely rude, and very nosy. He asked questions he had no right to ask, and entered my room even though he knew he was not wanted'

[chatnoir]

63. Whoa, I missed that one

How does a place like this even stay in business? Surely can't be the ambiance, unless one's tastes run to Twilight Zone or the super creepy.

[Liberal_in_LA]

60. "We don't have south-of-the-border people to clean their rooms, we do it ourselves."

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g31688-d270817-r22274382-Faubus_Motel-Huntsville_Arkansas.html

another gem from the owner. OMG.

[depakid]

72. Crikey! That's the kind of place you'd get scabies from...

:scared:

[rolltideroll]

116. #Why do theyhave the Garden Gnome in the centerof the room pics?

Like it adds class to the place or something.

[Political Heretic]

14. The time is coming when there is going to be a reckoning.

This shit is not going to last forever.

If nothing else, when my parents generation dies (I'm 31, and I know how mean this sounds) race relations will get a lot better.

[BlooInBloo]

15. Yup. The primary means of getting rid of both idiots and bigots is to wait for them to die.

[The Doctor.]

44. It's just taking too damn long.

These people are throwbacks. That tells me that much of this is stubbornly (and effectively) kept alive from one generation to another.

[BlooInBloo]

61. Yup. The other part is stopping them from making new ones...

We're doing better on that with racism than we are with idiocy, but that's a rather low bar to set.

[The Doctor.]

67. Ed-U-Cation!

The internet is an interesting phenomenon. At once it brings people from different backgrounds together, and at the same time gives people with common hatreds a place to validate their racism, bigotry, etc.

I do believe diversity will win out... eventually.

[northernlights]

77. people from your parent's generation

are mostly the ones that taught you that prejudice is wrong, so don't blame us. Among other severe faults, my parents were prejudiced against "coloreds." I have no relationship with them largely due to their hateful, bigoted views. Hell, if I were speaking to my father I probably would have heard him refer to Sasha and Malia as "pickaninnies." FWIW, he also didn't believe in educating women. Just 2 reasons why I don't speak to him.

I am just old enough to be your mother. We broke a lot of ground for you, so I suggest you try being a little grateful for that. On the other hand, I've been waiting patiently for my parents to die off -- the so-called (and self-named) "greatest generation" that just refuses to die.

Anyway, there are places in this country where race-hatred continues through generations, and unfortunately they tend to breed a lot and home school at best. So don't expect it to die out on its own. It will take work and sacrifice, just as it took work and sacrifice to bring our country to a point where an African-American could be elected president, and a woman nearly so.

[madmom]

113. I applaud you! I am also of your generation and am tired of being blamed for all the ills

of our country. : )

[omega minimo]

16. speechless

do they have schools in Arkansas?

[dixiegrrrrl]

21. Dental schools needed, judging from my last trip thru.

Made 8 stops....3 stores, 2 gas, one motel, 2 restaurants.
Felt like a time machine.

[BirminghamExaminer]

17. I'm so sorry for that town ....it's all white.

How sad.

[KamaAina]

108. Years ago, I spent several summers in the county immediately north of there

at the time, neighboring Boone County (Harrison) was also all white.

The nonwhite population of Carroll County was one, a mixed-race boy named Tracy who had come to Eureka Springs with his white hippie mom. I once had the privilege of serving as a guest lecturer in math at the small private school the hippie community in Eureka had set up; I got them to work with really really big numbers, as long as they were multiplied by either 0 or 1. :-)

I understand that Carroll County is now somewhat more diverse, with Latinos working at the Tyson Foods plant in Berryville (and living in apartments built on the two-acre place I stayed in!)

[RamboLiberal]

19. OzarksElectric chose not to press charges

According to Madison County Sheriff Phillip Morgan, the Pennsylvania crew, which had split into about three groups, had between 30 or 40 African-American workers included in the 100.

"Some kids were driving around them, waving Rebel flags and mouthing to them," Morgan said. "They showed some weapons and were supposedly intoxicated.
"That's just not right for those people to treat them that way. Those people came down here from Pennsylvania to help us get electricity back on, leaving their families behind, and this is how they are treated. That's just wrong."

Captain Robert Boyd, Lt. Clay Rowland and Reserve Deputy Wayne Martin responded.

Ozarks Electric chose not to press charges against the boys.

http://www.mcrecordonline.com/index.php?id=2306

They damn well should have. Maybe a conviction would've kept these racists from ever legally owning guns.

[nc4bo]

48. There were slaves that were treated really nice too....that is nice until they got too "uppity"

and forgot "their places" in white folk society.

Ozarks Electric spoke volumes on what IT thinks by not pressing some type of charge against those "nice young men".

Pfft.

[lurky]

20. The mountains in Northern Arkansas are pretty scary.

Harrison, Arkansas, just a few miles from where this happened, is one of the biggest centers of Klan activity in the country.

[lins the liberal]

76. Harrison is not

I live near Harrison. It is not a big center of Klan activity. There are a very few who live in the county and keep a low profile here locally. They do not hold rallies here. They go some distance away to do that. The last time they tried to hold a rally here was back in the early 1980's and they were not given a warm reception.

[lurky]

78. It is the headquarters of the Knights of the KKK

the largest Klan group in the country. I consider that to be major Klan activity. The fact that they go out in the woods to have their big cross-burning parties doesn't put my mind at ease.

This is not meant to disparage the many good people who may live in the area.

[lins the liberal]

79. the group here is really quite small

Which is not to say that they don't put out their hate filled crap or have any influence over some people. But they don't do that in this area. Their leader, Thom Robb, speaks with a slight foreign accent. I don't know where he moved here from, but he was not from this area.

What I am saying is that they keep a very low profile around here. I have never heard of a cross burning in this area. The one rally they held here, as I said was not well received.

[Blue_Tires]

23. it's not like the rebel flag boys would recognize what it means

to do some actual work...so the black utility workers may as well have been space aliens....

[AnnieBW]

24. No good deed goes unpunished

Next time, repair your own fucking power lines, racist assholes.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

26. Should have left them in the dark ages.

Along with their mindset.

[Bluebear]

28. "Ozarks Electric chose not to press charges against the boys." - lovely.

[tom_paine]

33. The Bushification/Nazification of the Nation is WELL underway.

The South, insofar as it can, I am sure, has reinstituted pre-1960s KKK policies as Bushification takes hold, riding in on a wave of Homeland Security lucre.

Apologies to all our DUers from the South. There are many good people in the South as everywhere, but one cannot turn aside from the truth that the South is the center o Bushie/KKK evil, nor that such is making a comeback down there much more directly and brutally than elsewhere in the nation.

Not that Bushification isn't coming EVERYWHERE eventually. It's what totalitarianism does, seeks control over everything and everyone.

This is but a small signpost of what lies ahead. 30,000,000 Knoxville Shooter Clones (10,000,000 Brownshirts and 20,000,000 Good Germans to quitely support and at the same time deny they knew what they were supporting).

These were just a few of them. How will they act when the KKK runs all the Sheriff's offices (oh, that's right, I forgot, the KKK stripped off the white sheets and joined the Rushpublican Party) and all of them have their "permission from authority" to do to 'liberals" as they please?

We will be finding out in 10-25 years.

[Name removed]

35. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[tom_paine]

36. Bullshit. The same kind of bullshit goes on everywhere nowadays, and it's on the rise again.

Keep Dreaming.

That comical fellow Hitler is down there in Bavaria stirring up trouble. But that's just a country-bumpkin backwater and is not the real Germany.

Some things just never change, do they?

Sorry to be so blunt, but I am all out of patience. The Death's Head just smashed through the Obama Election like a train through a cloud of smoke, and I have no illusions.

Here's a letter from one in 30,000,000 Hannidiots, Dittoheads and Savage Weiners, differing from the others ONLY and I mean ONLY in the fact that he acted in murderous "defense" of his Bushie Ideals. I mean it. Go down and remove the murderous sentiments from the letter and then see if your local Hannidiot or Savage Weiner agrees with the rest of the sentiments when you show it to them.

http://web.knoxnews.com/pdf/021009church-manifesto.pdf

They WILL agree with the sentiments, at least 90-100%. The crazy uniformity of the authoritarian mind.

Now read the link below, and UNDERSTAND what we face, and what is almost certainly coming, sooner or later.

http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~altemey/

It's later than you think.

[geek tragedy]

37. Obama won.

The Hannidiots are a loud and noisy but small group of scumbags in most civilized areas of the country. They represent a significant portion of the population only in places like rural Arkansas and Kentucky.

[tom_paine]

38. Please go back and read my revised links. This kind of authoritarianism, one activated,

and if left unchecked to grow to this poisonous level, just pauses to refresh a moment.

Inverted Totalitarianism is quite a bit different as it's Classical Totalitarianism predecessors.

Please read this, then go back and check out the links I have provided in my edited post above.

http://www.truthdig.com/arts_culture/item/20080515_chalmers_johnson_on_our_managed_democracy

You are massively underestimating the Battering Ram of Will, as well as the depths to which the law enforcement in this country has been corrupted in this country.

51 of Bushler's US Attorney's REMAIN AT THEIR POSTS, in spite of having been members of the most corrupt, poltically-motivated and quite frankly Third-World-ian in their selective application of "justice"...to their poltical enemies.

Two more things for you to read and understand that nothing of this is really new, just repackaged, remarketed, and rebranded for that American Flavor! New and improved! Less violence! More subtle indirect methods of control with QUADRUPLE the manipulatbility of the old in-your-face racist ham-fisted Pravda and Der Sturmer style!

http://www.thirdreich.net/Thought_They_Were_Free.html

http://www.amazon.com/Defying-Hitler-Memoir-Sebastian-Haffner/dp/0312421133/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235299143&sr=8-1

[janet118]

45. Thanks for those links

I have read Defying Hitler and it is a fascinating chronicle of the period of Hitler's rise to power as seen by a young law student in real time. It is also ominously close to mirroring some of the things that have and are happening in America in real time. People forget that Germany was technically a democracy during Hitler's ascension to dictatorship.

I see this latest authoritarian trend as not merely an American phenomenon, but as a worldwide movement backed by amoral, international corporate/financial leadership who use nationalism, economic disaster and religion to further their agenda.

[Seeking Serenity]

51. Go screw yourself!

Madison County is NOT representative of all of Arkansas (where five of the six congressional seats are held by Democrats, as well as all of the constitutional offices and a huge majority of the Legislature).

Go peddle your broad brushes somewhere else.

[fortyfeetunder]

65. I bet we have some of this racist BS in the other 49 states

Just as you said Madison Co is not indicative of the rest of Arkansas, I'd wager that the other 49 states have some pockets of neanderthal racist behaviour.
:hi:

[rolltideroll]

93. The Northeast is home to some of the most extreme hate groups

Along with the mid west.No coverage of them. Can I also reasonable say because the Aryan Nation has such a strong presece in Illinois, upstate NY and Mass. that the cities of NY, Boston and Chicago are inherently worthless, and all their people are also racist for letting these people exist? Of course not. People are living their lives, too busy to worry about a bunch of nuts. Conversly there seems to be an expectation from those living on the oast that it is our job in the south to hunt them down, and if we do, then we are good southerners, like how some racists consider there to be "good" African Americans or Hispanics. It is the same attitude, and I defy anyone to show me a functional difference between the two. Lets not forget Boston's reaction to school busing, or the riots in L.A. from Watts to Rodney King. All of these stemmed out of racism and a lack of respect for law. It shows this racist crap happens all over, and painting Southerners as backwards or dumb is prejudice, pure and simple.

[geek tragedy]

66. Funny how all of those white Democrats became

Republicans when a black guy was on the ballot.

[Seeking Serenity]

69. I don't know who you're talking about.

Your woeful ignorance is showing.

Go pound sand.

[geek tragedy]

70. Obama lost 15% of all Kerry voters.

Think about it. Obama picked up 7% nationally relative to Kerry, but lost 6% to him in Arkansas.

[RushIsRot]

137. I live in Arkansas. I was only allowed ONE vote. It went to Obama.

[EFerrari]

73. One of the most greatest community meetings I've ever seen

was one of the last anniversaries of the integration at Central High. They had a town meeting that lasted for hours and was aired on CSPAN. It would have made a rock cry to listen to those people talk to each other. Some of them were the kids that went in, some of them were the kids that protested the black kids coming in, and everyone else you can possibly think of. It was great.

[rolltideroll]

82. Go Hogs

But mainly Roll tide Roll

[Seeking Serenity]

90. I'm with you. But just keep that "War Eagle" stuff to yourself.

;-)

[rolltideroll]

92. After Last season, Auburn fans are keeping the War eagle to themselves 36-0 nt

[rolltideroll]

110. You guys coud move to Baton Rouge

If Les Miles (2009 farewell tour plans are in the mix now) loses to you guys again, I think you get to have the town.

[Seeking Serenity]

141. Oh, the sweetness that that game was.

Even better than the OT victory with Darrin McFadden and Peyton Hillis in '07.

[Heidi]

86. You're just wrong. I was born there, and the most liberal people in my family

still live there and in northeastern Oklahoma. Arkansas is as "real" as any other part of the country.

[Name removed]

94. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Kalyke]

99. So, um, Bill Clinton and Wes Clark are backwater hillbillies?

[KamaAina]

101. And they give their kids names like "Adolf Hitler Campbell"

oh, wait a minute, that wasn't Arkansas, it was New Jersey. :sarcasm:

[Vektor]

29. What a festering, purulent pox on the ass of America people like that are.

Hard to believe such neanderthals still exist in this day and age, but I guess the effects of inbreeding and fetal alcohol syndrome are timeless.

[EFerrari]

31. I wish we could give these people their own state where they could hate

all they wanted until they were fertilizer. They are unteachable sociopaths.

[tom_paine]

32. Just a few of the 30,000,000 Knoxville Shooter Clones, just waiting for their "permission from

authority" to do what they always do, and have done since the beginning of human history.

It's still coming. Crazily enough, Obama's election may have sped it's coming.

That's what happens whensome serious crazy is unleashed and nurtured by Bushigandists or Nazigandists or whoever is getting all the authoritarian followers in line to eventually terrorize the rest of us.

Don't say I didn't warn you all, and haven't been doing so since the Stolen Election of 2000 made it clear that a great Battering Ram of Will has been constructed by the Bushies.

It's the same Battering Ram of Will Caesar and Hitler used, and so many other tyrants.

It crashes down great democracies and republics and the rule of law with the greatest of ease. It bullies and intimidates and stifles the media. It destroys the lives of those who oppose it. It will eventually, like the Nazism it is patterned after, but kinder, more gently, and more subtly, penetrate into every corner of life.

It may be 25 years away, or it may be 5 years away. And though I hope I am wrong I simply believe it is too far advanced, and has been too far deliberately cultivated, to now be stopped. Like a mad brushfire, it now must blaze and consume all before burning out.

I am not advocating giving up. Even if it were 100% hopeless, we should still TRY.

I wonder how many Knoxville Shooters the "liberal media" has successfully kept from America's attention?

Quite a few, I would guess. I remember reading about one in NY State, in the local papers only, of course (thanks Internet!), and marvelling at how a 100% blanket silence of censorship could so easily be imposed on our supposedly "Free Press".

That was back in 2001. Our State-Controlled Media was nothing of the sort, I thought naively back then.

:rofl:

[Kalyke]

100. I live in Knoxville and I'm as liberal as they come!!!

:)

We're not all backwater hillbillies here. :D

[rolltideroll]

107. Tennesse "accuracy"

If the Quarterbacks the Tennessee Volunteers are any representation of the accuracy of people from Knxville, I would say the shooters would be more of a threat to themselves. Sorry, I had to do it.

[Kalyke]

127. LOL!!!

But, things are looking up for the old Orange & White:

(WVLT) -- Tennessee has its first quarterback commitment of the 2009 recruiting class, three-star signal-caller Bryce Petty, who hails from Midlothian, Tex.

GoVolsXtra reports that Petty received a scholarship offer Tuesday from the Vols. He becomes the tenth commitment of the 2009 class.

The 6-foot-3, 211-pound quarterback threw for 2,042 yards and 16 touchdowns as a junior. He had received offers from Portland State and New Mexico.

[rolltideroll]

130. That's a big QB

Has to have a cannon for an arm if New Mexico wants him. They run some pretty complex down field routes.

[geek tragedy]

34. Please let a tornado hit them during the summer.

And forget about aid in the future--those people are a national disaster, and anything that would wipe them out would be improving the nation.

[malaise]

40. No surprise

Is there any news re the murder of the Democratic Chairman in Arkansas?

[Seeking Serenity]

50. No motive was ever firmly established.

Search of the computer didn't reveal anything of value.

The killer took his reasons with him.

[Vinca]

42. I have a new proposal for Gitmo. Bring the detainees to Madison County,

take the racist assholes back to the cages.

[The Doctor.]

43. OMG.... what F#cking idiots.

Jeez, why can't these people just be left to rot?

[adamuu]

46. I love my ma, I love my pa, and I just love ole Arkansas n/t

[spanone]

49. they should have taken down all the lines they put up and let the ignorant live in the dark

those rednecks are not americans imho

[myrna minx]

52. Unbelievable.

:-(

[barbtries]

53. an entire county

all white and all bigots. how shameful. disgusting. i bet they like having their lights on though. it's 2009, people.

[Joe Chi Minh]

54. I wonder if all the harrassment was to the tune of duelling banjoes?

[AnnInLa]

58. Gawd, cue the Deliverance banjo music

Brought tears to my eyes....the hate just stuns.

[ljm2002]

62. The very first time this happened...

...the crews should have been removed.

If the town will not protect crews who are there to do a job, and allows them to be threatened with friggin' guns, then they don't get their power restored.

If it also penalizes "innocent" citizens, then maybe they'll think twice about tolerating a situation where their county is "all white" and tolerates racism as a way of life.

In any case -- prosecutions would seem to be in order for those who made the threats.

[BlooInBloo]

64. Silence is consent, DUers have been fond of saying lately...

Although I'm certain they'll be only-too-happy to make an exception for this.

[agentS]

68. At first I thought this was something from 1938

Not 2008...
The reviews of that motel were extremely shocking to say the least.

This excuse of a man is stuck in the stone age if he thinks that people will tolerate that kind of behavior to paying customers.

Not only that, who goes around waving guns at power company people FIXING YOUR POWER?
Is there something in the water there because I have never heard people in other parts of AR doing this shit!

[Tabasco_Dave]

71. Why do they need electricity?

They didn't have electricity in the confederacy. Maybe they should live like their ancestors.

[ColbertWatcher]

74. I started up a page for Madison on the Truthiness Encyclopedia.

Everyone is welcome to join in: http://www.wikiality.com/Madison_County%2C_Arkansas

(Just don't forget to register for a free account to hide your IP address when you post)

[ColbertWatcher]

75. Just an FYI: they're represented in Congress by John Boozman. n/t

[rolltideroll]

81. This is idiocy

the hate you people are showing towards hundreds of thousands of people based on where they live. I am a compassionate person, and I am smart enough to feel great sympathy for the workers, and realizing that 99.999% of the people had nothing to do with this hate filled behavior. Take some of the things you are saying about southerners, replace them with a racial group, and you would be justifiably ashamed of yourself for saying some of the things you did. I know that the economic and cultural achievements currently rest in LA or NYC Cultural Centers sure, but why are people flooding out of them? I truly want th progressive cause to win, but this insistence on degrading people based on where they are born( as much a master status as race or gender or sexual preference)is stupid, counter productive and hurts the cause. Look at what we could accomplish if we just realize idiocy is rampant all over, and we stop insulting people. Grow up and stop broadly painting people with a brush. I live in Alabama, love it here, and have no racist tendencies. Neither do my friends. We are pretty much like the rest of you. People are like that all over. Stop costing our side votes.

[lins the liberal]

83. Thank you!

Even a great many of the republicans in this area do not condone such behavior as mentioned in the op.

It is unfortunate that some have to use such a broad brush. Makes me think I am at freeperville at times. I am seeing more similiarities with the freepers than I am comfortable with, right here on DU these days.

[rolltideroll]

84. Prejudice against Southerners

is the last allowable hatred. I am not excusing the racists, I am just saying how are the people who condemn people based on where they are born (no control over) any different than people who discriminate based on color, another thing you have no control over? Why should I have to hide my accent to be taken seriously, or be ashamed of my heritage? Didn;t we do this with African Americans? Sickening.

[Kalyke]

102. Kissing you!!

Even though I'm a Vol and you kicked our butts!!

:D

[rolltideroll]

103. You guys will straighten things out in Knoxville.

If you can keep Neyland from falling down. It's funny, but in this post I have been yelled at by Tenn, Arkansas and Auburn fans. I guess when you get enough southerners together, football talk just crops up.

[Raineyb]

124. If you think "prejudice" against southerners is the same deadly bigotry that has been exacted

against African Americans, I'd posit that your view is a bit skewed.

Regards

[rolltideroll]

126. Not Skewed

Just the same mindset allows both to permeate. Discrimination is not wrong because it affects certain groups, to believe that is discriminatory. IT is wrong because of what it is, whatever form it takes. No moral equivalency claimed, however I try to maintain consistency in my beliefs.

[Kalyke]

128. Well, someone upthread did wish a tornado would wipe that town out.

:shrug:

Not skewed, per se. But, you have to admit the prejudice against Southerners is both heady on this board... and, unfortunately, acceptable.

[Catherine Vincent]

85. Don't take it personal.

If you are not like those idiots mentioned in the article, then DUers are not talking about you.

[jsamuel]

88. But when they summarily attack all of Arkansas, they are.

The problem is that they use stereotypes of Arkansas. One group of kids is used to apply a standard to the entire state.

[lins the liberal]

89. Yes and when they wish tornadoes

to strike the area they are wishing destruction on all of us.

[Catherine Vincent]

122. That I disagree with. It was uncalled for. nt

[Brewman_Jax]

87. This is supposed to be the 21st Century

and the power company not wanting to press charges speaks volumes. No one should be put in danger for doing their job.

[jsamuel]

91. Well, in the 20th Century, the sheriff might have been on the kids' side.

I just hope people realize that one group of kids does not represent a rural community any more than a gang represents an urban community.

[Brewman_Jax]

97. What does that have to do with not pressing charges?

no one should feel endangered for doing their job.

[rolltideroll]

104. Your right.

Punish to hell and back those who do things like this.

[jsamuel]

134. as far as that is concerned, I am all for it

I was responding to a different point.

[Raineyb]

114. Indeed!

And while we're at it why was it up to the electric company. They menaced the workers as individuals certainly they had the right to press charge. And why was it up to anyone at all? It is the state versus the individual. The Sheriff could have arrested the jackasses and let the DA straighten it out.

If the youths were black there certainly wouldn't be any nonsense about the power company not wanting to press charges.

Regards

[rolltideroll]

121. Capitalism at work

Morally they should have pressed charges. Business wise, they still have to operate in this area. They just made a decision not not file a complaint as a corporate entity. It is officers discretion and largely up to the individual and the department of Justice if they want to press charges on civil rights violations.

[Raineyb]

132. That's my point.

"Discretion" is the often used excuse for why charges aren't filed; and it's complete bullshit. As a utility, most people can't choose to not do business with such an entity, yet the company couldn't find enough reason to care about the well being of these workers, who didn't have to leave their home towns to help the ungrateful racist bastards, to press charges. In other words, they'll gladly use the labor of these black people but they won't bother to protect them because they're just not worth the trouble.

If the people doing the menacing were black believe me no such consideration would have been taken, arrests would have been made, and charges filed.

I just love being a second class citizen in the country in which I was born. :sarcasm:

Regards

[rolltideroll]

136. The DOJ should get involved, that is what I was driving at.

[Raineyb]

138. I don't think this is merely a civil offense.

I could be mistaken but menacing is a criminal offense is it not? Therefore there is no discretion at all. The Sheriff simply refused to do his job. Since the GD sheriff seems to be involved with the menacing this would mean that not only should be fired but he should be arrested with the rest of the punks and prosecuted.

Regards

[Karenina]

95. Is there another county in the U.S. that is ALL-WHITE?

Is there one that is ALL-Native, Mexican, Black, Asian, Italian, German AMERICAN??? I wonder... :shrug:

[rolltideroll]

96. All white

White people make up a preponderance of the population, minorities tend to cluster, therefore there is probably a plurality of just by the numbers game.Not an intentional plan to be only white, however there are several ethnic specific communities across America. LDS (not a slam on mormons) communities, due to a belief in the church's early writings that, and I loosely summarize here, black people were the descendants of the angels who fought for Satan. Asians were the one;s who stayed neutral. This lead to several of the Fundie cults to start white, pluralistic marriage communities. Ain't religion fun?

[Raineyb]

115. "Minorities tend to cluster"

Really? You don't say. Gee, I wonder why.

Regards

[rolltideroll]

119. Fair enough, got me on that one. nt

[Kalyke]

98. Out of curiosity, I searched to see what radio stations were available in Huntsville, AR

Here's what I got. I stripped out the music stations and left only the talk radio stations:


KAPG 88.1 FM American Family Radio – Something Good in the Air Bentonville, AR Religious, Radio Website
KAYH 89.3 FM Fayetteville, AR Phone Religious, Radio
KBNV 90.1 FM American Family Radio – Something Good in the Air Fayetteville, AR Phone Religious, Radio Website
KBPB 91.9 FM New Life Evangelistic Center-Serving those in Need Harrison, AR Religious, Radio Website
KTCN 100.9 FM New Life Evangelistic Center-Serving those in Need Eureka Springs, AR Phone Religious, Radio Website
KFAY 1030 AM Farmington, AR Phone News/Talk, Radio http://www.newstalk1030.com/index3.html (Rush Limbaugh's on now!!)
KREB 1190 AM Bentonville/Bella Vi, AR Phone Sports, Radio
KOFC 1250 AM Fayetteville, AR Phone Religious, Radio
KFFK 1390 AM Rogers, AR Talk, Radio Website: http://www.franklyspeakingradio.com/
KNWA 1600 AM Bellefonte, AR Phone News/Talk, Radio NO INFO AVAILABLE - I think it's merged with KFAY, which has Rush Limbaugh on right now!!


See a pattern?

I'm guessing that there is no alternative to religious and rightwing radio, thus plummeting these poor people (and they are poor) further into the depths of voting against one's own pocketbook by keeping them scared and stupid.

[AtomicKitten]

106. They should just secede and be done with it. n/t

[Raineyb]

111. Can someone mention this story the next time the racist ass clown Pat Pukecanan

or one of his jackass apologists start rambling on about how grateful black people should be for being black in this country?

Next time I say that those workers should stay their asses in Pennsylvania and let the racist assholes freeze.

Regards

[EnviroBat]

117. The worst thoughts that go through my mind...

Maybe another civil war is what's required. Legalized killing of these bigots, and assholes would put them out of their misery, and our as well...

[rolltideroll]

120. Tolerance

Nothing says Tolerance like rounding up and killing those with whom you disagree.

[EnviroBat]

123. Tolerance got us 8 years of the bullshit we just went through.

How tolerant are the ones waving guns at utility workers? Live your life under a rock if you so choose.

Nice try Gandhi...

[rolltideroll]

125. Not Gandhi

How does not wanting to round up and kill people who think a different way from the way I do make me Gandhi? That is an abysmally low standard.Those 8 years were bad, but not like when Buchanan let half the country leave, or when Hoover destroyed the economy through inaction? How is it worse than WW2 or Vietnam?Just because you disagree with a mindset, you should never even jokingly suggest rounding up people. You claim the Bush administration was somee malignant, Sheol like evil, then proceed to suggest, then defend, quashing of rights & murder. Cognitive Dissonance. Get some.

[EnviroBat]

131. What part of "Civil War" did you not understand?

Never mind, in fact just shut up please...

[Meekssandygirl]

129. I am shaking my head in utter disbelief...I live in Arkansas

In Hot Springs, born and raised here, and I assure you that not everyone is like those mentioned above. Sure there are going to be people like that in a lot of places, but if they are here I honestly have never been around them and I am 35 years old! But then again my parents raised my brother and me to not be filled with hate for anyone, stemming from the influence of my Grandma, whom made the conscious decision at pre-school age (this was in the early 40's) to never think like her racist father.

So maybe I have been sheltered, maybe I have never put myself around these types of hate filled people, but I do know that there are a lot of people here who are like me.

Oh, my husband is a long time member here, this is my first post, please be gentle! :)

[lins the liberal]

135. Welcome to DU Meekssandygirl!

And welcome from a fellow Arkie, who was also born and raised here.

[maxrandb]

133. Let me guess

Red County??

[ProgrezivIndie]

139. disgusting & despicable, but AR isn't the only place stuff like this happens

Here in Southeastern VA, I saw several U.S. Flags get replaced with Confederate ones (and obviously, the ill-educated bigots don't stop at just that display of their ignorance). <...sigh...>

One good thing comes of it? They've PUBLICLY advertised themselves to everyone around here, as to exactly who they are... and I'm certain it has been duly noted by more than myself and my other neighbors!

[Warren DeMontague]

140. Wow. When they say "White Power", they really mean it!

Eeeeedjits.