Confederate monument defaced in Alabama

cnredd · #1 (**permalink**) 11-17-2007, 04:59 AM

Quote:

MONTGOMERY, Ala., Nov. 17 (UPI) -- A Civil War memorial on the grounds of the Alabama statehouse was vandalized, with the face of a Confederate soldier painted over.

The monument was also spray painted with the slogan "N.T. 11 11 31," The Montgomery Advertiser reported. Mark Potok of the Southern Poverty Law Center said the slogan was a reference to Nat Turner, who led a slave rebellion in Virginia in 1831.

Potok said the vandalism was not a hate crime.

"It's more an attack on the principle of the old Confederacy, but not to all white people in general," he said. "If these vandals had written 'death to whitey' or 'all whites must die' it would have been a hate crime because it attacked an entire class of people."

Gotta love the omniscient Mister Potok...

He doen't know the vanadals, but he damn well knows their intentions because the vandals weren't specific enough...

crazyflamingos · #2 (**permalink**) 11-17-2007, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cnredd

Confederate monument defaced in Alabama

Gotta love the omniscient Mister Potok...

He doen't know the vanadals, but he damn well knows their intentions because the vandals weren't specific enough...

Mr. Potok may be a little presumptuous but I have to agree with him anyway.

A lot of Black people in the South hate symbols of the Confederacy with a passion. But most of them don't hate Whites... or, at least they cover it well if they do.

When I heard this on the news, I was torn.

On the one hand, the Confederacy is part of our heritage. A lot of us, including myself, had ancestors who fought proudly in that war. And we are not prone to believe that they did it because they were a bunch of bigots. Even though we would like to put the Black/White rancor behind us, we cherish out Civil War monuments and our Civil War ancestors.

On the other hand, the Rednecks who drive around town with their Confederate flags on the back of their trucks and harass any Blacks they happen to come across, make the rest of us look bad. And I can imagine that, if I were black, and had encountered a few of said Rednecks, I would not look too kindly on symbols of The Confederacy either.

Hate crime or no, it was a crime and I hope they catch whoever did it.

Or at least I think I do. I'm not really looking forward to the media circus that will accompany the trials of the perpetrators if they are caught. It ain't gonna make Alabama look good no matter which way it goes.

Maybe we will get lucky and it will turn out to be the work of a bunch of punk-ass, spoiled, white, college kids.

knot_e_lady · #3 (**permalink**) 11-19-2007, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazyflamingos

Maybe we will get lucky and it will turn out to be the work of a bunch of punk-ass, spoiled, white, college kids.

I was actually thinking the same thing.

I also think it's good that they decide it is or is not a hate crime BEFORE they find out who did it, that way there can be no question of bias.

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