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Op-Ed: Racial hatred raising its ugly head across the South

Although I live in Virginia, I don’t consider myself a Southerner or a California girl. I’m an American. But after reading a story on WTVR.com, I am now only angry and embarrassed.

Over the past weekend, Virginia Beach, a fine, family-oriented vacation spot for many people on the East Coast, was instead. turned into an impromptu stage by a bunch of idiotic white-supremacist “red-necks” flying Confederate flags out of the back of their pickup trucks.

They didn’t stop there, though. They thought it would be cool to yell racial slurs as they drove their “good-ol’-boy” trucks up and down Atlantic Avenue for two hours. Japharri Jones, of Hampton, captured scenes of the event on his cell phone.

Jones told local news station, WVEC that he complained to police about the actions of the truck drivers, but was told no laws were broken. Another witness to the vulgar display, Angela Cook, said,“They’re screaming. They’re yelling and honking their horns. I was petrified, I was like ‘what is going on?’”

“According to 2nd Precinct supervisors working that night, there were no instances of the flag bearers antagonizing anyone or instances of them engaged in disturbing the peace as defined by city and state ordinances,” the Virginia Beach Police told WVEC in a statement.

Confederate flag flying troop of 10-15 trucks gets STUMPED when one crashes into the other! (I could...

Confederate flag flying troop of 10-15 trucks gets STUMPED when one crashes into the other! (I couldn’t make this up if I tried) . This was AFTER they had been honking their horns and bull horns up and down the ocean front for the last 2 hours TAUNTING people.
JaPharii Jones


The parade ended when one of the trucks ran into another truck. Jones called it Karma. Jones said he understands people wanting to stick up for their beliefs and rights, but he said the incident went too far and did nothing but antagonize people.

But that is probably exactly what the flag waving racists wanted to do, antagonize and stir up everyone’s feelings, and they could not have picked a better time.

Klan plans its rally in South Carolina as churches burn
The South’s Civil War battle flag and monuments honoring its heroes have become flash-points after the massacre of nine people at Emanuel AME church in Charleston, June 17.

The shootings renewed calls for removing the battle flag on the South Carolina state house grounds, and Republican Governor Nikki Haley added her voice to those advocating its removal. On Tuesday, Reuters reports she brought the congregation to its feet at the funeral of one of the Emanuel nine, when she declared, “That Confederate flag will come down.”

On Tuesday, while the funeral was going on, and after a sixth black church mysteriously burned on Friday, The Loyal White Knights chapter of the Ku Klux Klan, based in Pelham, North Carolina, decided to announce they were holding a rally at the state house in South Carolina on July 18.

On Tuesday, the chapter’s leader, James Spears, and, believe it or not, he is called the “great titan,” said, “We’re standing up for the Confederacy.”

Spears said Klan speakers would address slavery, then they plan on holding a cross-burning ceremony, but on private property. The Ku Klux Klan is a white-supremacist group with a very violent past, especially against black Americans, dating to after the end of the Civil War.

Governor Haley said the group was not welcome in South Carolina. Needless to say, there is not much South Carolina can do to keep the Klan out, is there? Just like the incident in Virginia Beach over the weekend, under the U.S. Constitution, the KKK has the right to gather, “peaceably,” to protest whatever they want to protest.

And like other groups across the country, from gay rights advocates to environmentalists protesting against drilling in the Arctic, the Klan also has that same right. I am afraid the gathering in South Carolina might escalate into something very ugly, and for that, I am very angry and sad.

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Written By

We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our dear friend Karen Graham, who served as Editor-at-Large at Digital Journal. She was 78 years old. Karen's view of what is happening in our world was colored by her love of history and how the past influences events taking place today. Her belief in humankind's part in the care of the planet and our environment has led her to focus on the need for action in dealing with climate change. It was said by Geoffrey C. Ward, "Journalism is merely history's first draft." Everyone who writes about what is happening today is indeed, writing a small part of our history.

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