tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8581401473844438605.post3416765829943224178..comments2024-03-26T19:46:33.565-07:00Comments on Random Walks: The Last Confederate SurrenderJohn Kurmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04607323621206823686noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8581401473844438605.post-338703419711776292015-06-24T10:26:31.794-07:002015-06-24T10:26:31.794-07:00The score so far, braindead whitewing rednecks: 48...The score so far, braindead whitewing rednecks: 48 American murders, Muslim Extremists: 26. USA! USA! USA! <br /><br />http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/25/us/tally-of-attacks-in-us-challenges-perceptions-of-top-terror-threat.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0 John Kurmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04607323621206823686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8581401473844438605.post-48837174481799797682015-06-24T10:17:15.339-07:002015-06-24T10:17:15.339-07:00Roof to be charged by Feds: http://www.ibtimes.com...Roof to be charged by Feds: http://www.ibtimes.com/dylann-roof-federal-hate-crime-charges-charleston-shooting-could-be-imminent-new-1981430John Kurmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04607323621206823686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8581401473844438605.post-52300524608627441052015-06-24T10:15:18.994-07:002015-06-24T10:15:18.994-07:00"The history of this flag—keep in mind, first..."The history of this flag—keep in mind, first of all, that this is not the Confederate flag. It’s the battle flag of the Army of Northern Virginia, Robert E. Lee’s major army, not just for Virginia, but for the Eastern Theater. And it was a symbol of rebellion, rebellion in 1860, ’61, against the electoral victory of the Republican administration under Lincoln. And it was a rebellion to secede and to overthrow the power of the federal government within the what became 11 Confederate states.<br /><br />So, a century later, that flag then became, or had been, a symbol of a second rebellion, and that was a rebellion against desegregation and federal efforts to interfere in the states’ rights to perpetuate segregation. It goes back not to 1962, but earlier to at least in 1948, when Strom Thurmond of South Carolina, U.S. senator, led the Dixiecrats out of the Democratic Party, protesting the civil rights plank that was included that year in the Democratic Party platform. And it continued to become a symbol. Now it was politicized and became a symbol of resistance to desegregation in 1961, 1962. This was a time when the—when Clemson was about to be desegregated, with Harvey Gantt applying for admission, James Meredith in Mississippi. And not just South Carolina, but nearly all of the Deep South states began to use the Confederate flag as a kind of symbol of resistance.<br /><br />Now, it was also entangled with the commemoration of the Civil War centennial of a century earlier. So it was confused and shrouded in this issue of heritage and history and this kind of benign concept of celebrating or honoring the past. And I think people very sincerely believe in that, but at the same time, the political implications of the flag in 1962, when it was raised on the state House dome along with the United States flag, the state flag and then this battle flag, I think it was clear to everyone that this was a symbol of resistance, of defiance, and that if it provoked and offended, I think that was OK with the people who defended the place of that flag up on the state House dome."John Kurmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04607323621206823686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8581401473844438605.post-72972394271621989122015-06-23T19:35:41.316-07:002015-06-23T19:35:41.316-07:00To me, the core issue is declaring this phukker a ...To me, the core issue is declaring this phukker a terrorist like Tsarnaev and dealing with him federally. <br /><br />When terrorism is invoked, many Americans––Republicans especially––have assented to indefinite detention; the criminalization of gifts to certain charities; secret, extrajudicial assassinations; ethnicity-based surveillance; and the torture even of people who might know about a future attack. Having undermined so many civil-liberties protections in pursuit of terrorists, the white majority and Republicans especially are alarmed at the idea of the homeland-security bureaucracy treating them as they’ve treated Muslim Americans.<br /><br />Is this why there’s a flagrant double-standard wrt both media and law enforcement narrative and terminology when it comes to the persistent problem of domestic terrorism?<br /><br />“terrorism” means premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against non-combatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents.<br /><br />The Commonwealth of Massachusetts could have tried the Boston Bomber and sentenced him to life without parole. However the Federal Government came in and took control and brought somewhere around 40 charges many carrying the death penalty. Convicted of all charges he is now on Federal Death Row. Dylann Roof deserves equal justice. If he is charged and convicted federally he will only get federal appeals and state judges can't screw things up. Federal terrorism charges should not be for the foreign born only.<br /><br />Finally, his use of murder as a political tool involving an elected official - place his status as a terrorist beyond any legal doubt.<br />CNuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14152640304402402884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8581401473844438605.post-41844036389440677212015-06-23T19:31:35.053-07:002015-06-23T19:31:35.053-07:00Can't disagree with a word you wrote, but I wa...Can't disagree with a word you wrote, but I wasn't familiar with the living-memory history of that flag's use. <br /><br />http://www.democracynow.org/2015/6/23/perpetrator_has_been_arrested_but_killer<br /><br />In your browser, find Dixiecrat on this page, and it will take you directly to Don Doyle's interesting summary review of when the battle flag came back into vogue in 1948 under Strom Thurmond.CNuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14152640304402402884noreply@blogger.com