Race Infiltrates Political Races, KKK Sees Benefits of Obama

LibertySugar — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 13:00:22 -0700

While white supremacists hope a President Obama would inspire white backlash, a black Congressional candidate, who used the image of the KKK in a campaign ad, has lost her Democratic primary in a landslide.

Klu Klux Klan leader David Duke predicts that a black president could advance white civil rights, as whites would be inspired to rise up and begin what he calls a long overdue revolution. About 200,000 Americans are thought to be members of white supremacy groups. I think a white uprising is unrealistic, but perhaps a "backlash" could take a more subtle form, like the scaling back of affirmative action programs.

Over in Tennessee, a black Democratic attorney who used race and religion as her main tools against a Jewish opponent, suffered a resounding electoral defeat yesterday. Nikki Tinker ran a TV ad putting photos of her opponent and a hooded Ku Klux Klan member side-by-side. Tinker's supporters also said a black district should be represented by a black candidate. The victorious incumbent, Steve Cohen, is one of two white representatives representing a black-majority district in the House of Representatives. Do you think race will leave American politics any time soon?

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The Minutemen Adopt-a-Highway - Allowed to Keep It Clean?

CitizenSugar — Mon, 12 May 2008 12:15:12 -0700

When the San Diego Minutemen, an anti-illegal immigration group known for taking border patrol laws into their own hands became a member of Adopt-a-Highway (the keep-it-clean volunteer road service) they were quite surprised by the stretch of highway they were given. Their assigned turf was near a Border Patrol checkpoint on Interstate 5, a main route known for carrying illegal migrants into the United States from Mexico.

The state however has since decided to remove the sign crediting their litter patrolling. They fear demonstrators or vandals would create a safety hazard along the highway - as well as fearing harm to the Minutemen who would be clearing litter on that stretch. To see their response, read more.

The Minutemen contend otherwise. Their attorney said, “we can’t have our free speech because if we do, people who don’t like it might become unruly and unlawful.” And made a more pointed accusation by saying, “we were moved to silence our message in response to pressure from the open border advocates and the Latino caucus.” The US District Judge appeared to agree with the Minutemen on that point. “It would seem you’re saying you’re allowing the people who are unhappy with the message to dictate who can be in the program.”

The Adopt-a-Highway has had another controversial patron in the past. In 2005, the Ku Klux Klan adopted a stretch in Missouri and when the Adopt-a-Highway group tried to discontinue their membership, the Supreme Court sided with the KKK despite the Adopt-a-Highway’s regulation prohibiting groups that deny membership with a documented history of violence. State legislators - to contrast the image of a hate-based group advertising on publicly-owned land - renamed the length of highway adopted by the KKK, the Rosa Parks Highway.

In the Minutemen's case, the lawyer for the state said that the Adopt-a-Highway signs are just a "thank-you" from the state, not political messages protected under the First Amendment. If the Minutemen are doing the work of keeping the road clean, are they entitled to a sign? Was the state right to remove the sign before it caused trouble? Should controversial groups be allowed to volunteer - and get credit?

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TresSugar

Race Infiltrates Political Races, KKK Sees Benefits of Obama

The Minutemen Adopt-a-Highway - Allowed to Keep It Clean?