Klansman Konvicted ... Does Anyone Here Care?

by bisous 13 Replies latest social current

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  bisous

  PHILADELPHIA, Mississippi (CNN) -- Forty-one years to the day three civil rights workers were ambushed and killed by a Ku Klux Klan mob, a jury found former Klansman Edgar Ray Killen guilty of all three counts of manslaughter Tuesday.

  
  Curious as to JWD'ers reactions.... How do you feel about the verdict? Should it have been murder? Should he have been acquitted? haven't seen a thread on this, so apologies if it is a repeat.

  Full story:

  http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/06/21/mississippi.killings/index.html edited to add (I always HATE IT when someone asks a question and doesn't express their own opinion): I think this is way TOO little, way TOO late. BUT, as the mother of a mixed-race son, I am thankful that some small crumb was tossed, vs. nothing at all. Karma can be a bitch if she wants too, and Mr. Killen will get his ... and hopefully soon and in a BIG BIG way during his time in the BIG house.
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  RichieRich

  First off, Manslaughter is not a strong enough conviction. It was premeditated to nth degree.

  Second, 41 years later doesn't serve much justice does it?

  RR, aka White CHocolate.
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  blondie

  I did hear one woman say that this late verdict was no credit to a community that still by its silence condoned what happened so many years ago.

  I'm hoping that the children and grandchildren of the generation that lived there then and live elsewhere in the US learn from it.

  Congress just apologized recently for failing to take strong action when such lynchings and killings were going on.

  Let's hope it is more than words and that people of Arabic descent don't become the next group to lose their civil rights.

  Blondie (woops, was I on a soapbox?)
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  sandy

  I say better late than never.
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  mrsjones5

  there is no statute of limitation on murder

  Josie
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  Balsam

  That horrible man should have been convicted a long time ago. Hope he rots in jail, or did he get the death penality?
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  luna2

  I agree with those saying much too little, much too late....but better than nothing at all.
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  Abaddon

  I hope this racist scumbag dies in jail, it's just a pity he didn't rot his entire life in there.

  Although I normally think whole-life sentences are inappropriate if someone is not liable to reoffend, for terrorist offences I am far less liberal.
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  seeitallclearlynow

  former Klansman Edgar Ray Killen guilty of all three counts of manslaughter Tuesday.

  Personally, I find this to be EXCELLENT and WONDERFUL news! And the fact that it comes so very many years after the fact can still be seen as very good! By this I mean, sure, better if justice had been done many years ago. But to have accomplished this AFTER so many years is just awesome!

  It shows what can be done, and it shows just how much some individuals cared, to keep going after him till they got him!

  Now, the account says he'll be sentenced today and each count of manslaughter carries the possibility of 1-20 years in prison. ODD! 1-20, wow, what a variance.

  But regardless, they got him, and he's extremely old and sick, so the sentence isn't the main thing now.
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  undercover

  How much coverage did this court case get in the media? How many hours were broadcast debating the trial and how many so-called experts were called in to give their opinion? How many reporters were camped outside the courthouse waiting for a verdict?

  Now compare that to the Michael Jackson circus and you see how fucked up our priorities are in this country.