Hazzard County of The Union

If you ever looked in the card catalog at the library for an inane title like “ridiculous shit” or “totally asinine” you might be apt to come across with this stuff.

If you look back in my blog there is an entry Free Speech vs. Offensive BS. If you read the link you’ll see that some jerk distributed some racist stuff to the local populace, threw some literature around at some of the schools and in some neighborhoods. The Superintendent of Schools called the cops they took a report. The local newspaper picked up on it and wrote an article about it. The Police Chief said that there was a problem a few years back with a certain someone and they knew who he was. The individual was identified as a “white supremacist.” They should have left it alone.

Move forward a week or so later. A white teenager is assaulted just off of school grounds. He is assaulted by another teenager, who is a person of color. His friend tried to help him and is also assaulted. The person committing the assault was arrested.

Go further forward in time. Another white teenager is assaulted, again by a person of color.

In both instances there were some words exchanged between both parties involved. Once the white kid was called a “neo nazi” and once the kid was apparently called a “whigger.”
Neither term is a complement.

The individual who was identified as a “white supremacist” approached on of the kids mothers. He puts her in touch with a guy who has an internet radio show and website. She says that there are hate crimes being committed at the school. He takes it and runs with it. He wants to have a protest, by whatever means necessary, he wants action. He schedules something, but it never comes off, he says it is a hoax and that he did it to see what would happen and keep the community off guard.

The mother has since said that she did not intend to cause this kind of furor and was mislead.

Move forward with me to this Saturday November 19,2005. There is supposed to be a demonstration outside of the high school by this group who are protesting under the guise of “these crimes are hate crimes against whites and we will not tolerate this.” There is supposed to be a counter protest at the same time. Will anything happen? I have my doubts. Will there be a protest? A semblance of one. People are talking about staying inside, going out of town, and pretty much making up their own stuff.

Here is what I think:

Somebody distributed this literature and got a rise out of the school. The Police Chief made a stupid comment and implied some sort of guilt to this guy they had trouble with a few years before. The guy didn’t like this. He said on the local newspapers web forum that someone had come to his house and had committed an act of vandalism, to add insult to injury. Now I don’t care if this guy is or is not a “white supremacist,” but his house is his house and it should not be vandalized. Maybe I don’t agree with his beliefs, but it is his right to express himself, provided he doesn’t violate the law.

Anyway, this guy has some sort of connection with these groups. These two assaults take place. He jumps in and fans the flames a) because he feels like it b) he believes in the cause c) he wants justice d) who knows…. Anyway, he puts “mama” in touch with this guy, they set this thing up and people get scared.

Do assaults happen at schools? Yes, they do. Do assaults happen between different ethnicities? Certainly. Do teenagers say stupid stuff? Absolutely. Do we have a race issue here? Only if you choose to spin it that way.

My high school recollection may be a little hazy, but there were 3 or 4 fights a week, and they were not race related, but I must say that the school was 97% Caucasian. However, if it was 50/50, I have no doubt that there would be fights between all ethnicities, because that is, after all, the nature of high school.

Somebody is advancing his or her (after all we cannot assume that this person is a man for that would be sexist) own personal agenda. They stirred the pot, got a reaction, a little news coverage, two assaults took place, they latched on, a protest, recognition, two more minutes of fame, a small city with politicians that stumble over each other at every opportunity. The lure was the “propaganda” that was circulated. The “leaders” bought into it hook, line and sinker.

Look back at what I said, “don’t validate their twisted point.” How about “keep it quiet and find out who did it” or “they provoked you and got a response.”

This isn’t rocket science guys, it is sociology on the most basic level.

Someone fished, you bit, now you have something to contend with. I hope that if it happens at all it is peaceful. I’m tempted to go, but don’t want to be associated with any of it. There is too much rhetoric being bandied about.

I hope it rains like hell on all of you.