Burning Crosses in .... Michigan?

I heard a report on NPR this morning to the effect that people in and around Detroit are having crosses burned either on their lawns or into their grass. The people are apparently either African American or mixed racial couples moving into "white" neighborhoods.

One person who had the cross burned into his grass went out and re-sodded it, but not until after his children had seen it. He told the kids it was someone trying to write the alphabet. He also said "if they think they're going to intimidate me, they don't know me."

I thought to myself, "Michigan? WTF?"

flourish.

A lot of people don't realize that there are more KKK chapters in PA, OH, and places like Michigan than the South.

The original KKK (from the south) died out around the turn of the last century. The "new" KKK sprung up in the 1920s as a response to the immigration of Eastern European people to America. There was a big backlash against Italians, Hungarians, etc. coming to America at the time. These KKK people were more against non WASPs coming to America than they were with blacks. (There aren't that many black people in those parts of the country, so it wasn't an issue for them, although I'm sure they didn't like them, either).

My parents lived in York, PA (southern PA) in the early 70s. We happen to be Italian, by the way. Several times, he would hear people mutter "WOP" or "DAGO" when he would enter a public place. My Mom still tells me the story of the first week they were there when a KKK rally drove right down the main street. My Mother was forced to use her maiden name (a German name)to get a job. They only lasted there for about a year before they couldn't take it anymore.

They still raise their ugly, hooded heads every once in a while. There have been parades within the past 15 years in the area. White Power groups have hung around Perry County on and off, too.

I know lots of people in Lancaster County, PA, who still use the word "colored" all the time.

If a cross were burned around here, sadly, I wouldn't be surprised at all.

When the Klan was reconstituted in the 20's it did a lot better in states like Illinois and Indiana than it did in the south.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

If we are going to continue the trend of devaluing labor, people of all hues are going to look for scapegoats. The problem is that these people really believe that they're just temporarily broke Millionaires and that there's some sort of reason besides there being fewer and/or unfamiliar opportunities that they aren't living in the Upper Middle Class at least. So, they listen to Rush and Hannity and believe that their problems are all due to a wholesale transfer of wealth from people like them to lazy, shiftless, liberal poor people, like in New Orleans.

We are entering an age where you are going to have to be significantly "above average" to make a living. The problem is that most people are going to be average, that's the definition of average you know. We have made this a winner take all society and we just have no time for losers when in fact the vast majority of us are indeed losing....

area. The bush administration and his republican cronies has undone decades of progress in a mere four and a half years.

as long as it's not against the war . . . :sarcasm:

and was intrigued by the concept of "lit crosses" as opposed to "burning crosses". "Lit" crosses are considered free speech!

well, pretty much everything, but especially black people.

As a southerner who has lived, worked or travelled in just about every corner of this great country (minus Alaska and Hawaii), I can tell you racism is everywhere. It takes on various forms in different locations, but hate is hate and ignorance is ignorance. There are narrow-minded bigots in all 50.

But there are beautiful, loving, soulful people in all 50 as well. God bless those working to eradicate hate.

http://www.ucc.org/jwm/wfj010702.htm

The Center for New Community is a faith-based organization whose mission is to revitalize communities for genuine social, economic and political democracy. Its Building Democracy Initiative helps the Center do this by tracking hate groups in the Midwest. In its 2001 report, State of Hate, it listed 338 such groups throughout Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio and Wisconsin, with Ohio leading the list with 73 such groups and Michigan coming in second with 63.

The only possible upside is that they aren't going to like Keith Butler. Not at all.

Julie