Tea with a side of hate

There's no controlling a movement. The actions of some shouldn't always define the reputation of everyone. But when members of a movement act out then everyone has a decision to make. Do you look the other way, do you apologize, do you celebrate?

Well, I'm waiting to see what the loosely organized groups that make up the tea party are going to do in light of the news that some of their members hurled racist and anti-gay epithets and spit at Black and gay members of Congress.

According to MSNBC's First Read:

African-American Congressman John Lewis (D-GA), a protege of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who helped organize the March on Washington, went to the House floor today to tell Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC) that a Tea Party protester called him a "n-----."

Another Democratic source confirms to NBC News that openly gay Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) was called a "f--" by somebody in the Tea Party crowd.

Rep. Emanaul Cleaver (D-MO), another African-American member, was apparently spit on by a Tea Party protester.

Clyburn, who helped lead sit-ins in South Carolina in the '60s had this to say regarding the Tea Partiers:

"It was absolutely shocking to me, last Monday, I stayed home to meet on the campus Pomford University where 50 years ago, as of last Monday, March 15th I led the first demonstrations in South Carolina, the sit-ins...quite frankly I heard some things today that I haven't heard since that day. I heard people saying things today I've not heard since March 15th, 1960 when I was marching to try and get off the back of the bus. This is incredible, shocking to me.

Carol Swain has questioned the sources and motives behind the story in some tweets today, but concedes that it's "quite unfortunate if the incident occurred." Her questions come as a result of her views of Crewof42, a Twitter handle for Lauren Victoria Burke, whom Swain calls a "mouthpiece" of the Congressional Black Caucus.

First, I haven't seen anyone directly dispute that any of these incidents occurred. Second, I didn't notice that Swain dealt with the epithets directed at Congressman Frank. She may have, but I didn't see it. Third, it's not hard to imagine that a few individuals at a rally where the rhetoric is boiling might do just the kind of things that have been reported.

The Tea Party has already been getting a xenophobic rap. Will anti-Black and anti-gay stick, too? It depends. The leaders--and who can figure out exactly who they all are?--should condemn these actions. The outcome of the upcoming health care reform vote should give the movement plenty of opportunity for reflection on how they go forward. Part of that reflection ought to involve a frank discussion of their approach to minorities.

Mumpower invites Vaughn and Yokely to Beale Street

Commenting on the voting records of TN House Democrats Nathan Vaughn (D-Kingsport) and Eddie Yokley (D-Greeneville), here's what House Minority Leader Jason Mumpower of Bristol said:

"They are better suited to be representing inner-city Memphis than the rural hills of East Tennessee," said Mumpower.

In other words, he's reminding voters that Rep. Vaughn is African-American and that Rep. Yokely votes as if he were, in Minority Leader Mumpower's view. Not only does he use racial coding in mentioning Memphis, he underlines it by saying "inner-city." His phrase "better suited" basically means that some people belong in some places but not others.

This nonsense is beneath any elected official, especially a party's leader in one of our houses of government who should have as his care the welfare of our entire State.

Reactions to the Noose

Yolanda Putnam gives us a sample of some of the community reactions to the second noose found a Blue Cross Blue Shield building site in Chattanooga.

...the city’s Office of Multicultural Affairs is launching a marketing campaign to advertise its discrimination hot line. “This type of demonstration will not be tolerated,” said Multicultural Affairs board member Norma Hansen at the group’s monthly meeting Wednesday.

But the office is doing even more:

The group also is establishing a citywide policy for responding to hate crimes, and it has been conducting events such as the Sweet Diversity neighborhood meetings that celebrate ethnic differences. “If you plant hatred, those weeds will attempt to drown out the good seeds,” Ms. Hansen said. “We want to plant seeds of harmony and respect throughout the community.”

Blue Cross Blue Shield has also spoken out in a memo to employees:

“Blue Cross BlueShield of Tennessee will not stand for this behavior,” wrote President and CEO Vicky Gregg in an e-mail to employees this week. “BCBST has a proud history of diversity. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age or faith.”

These responses are extremely positive. They indicate that hate crimes must be taken seriously by the entire community. It is also encouraging that government and a major corporation are taking the lead. Some might consider a couple of nooses a joke, but they should be construed as a threat of violence based on bias.

Another noose found at Blue Cross Blue Shield building site

Noose number 2 has been found by construction workers at a Blue Cross Blue Shield in Chattanooga. The FBI continues to investigate. The construction company is attempting to deal with the situation.

Skanska, the company in charge of the construction project, is offering diversity and sensitivity training. So far, said John Reyhan, general manager for the project, morale has not been affected.

“We’ve added a tremendous amount of security at the site,” Mr. Reyhan said. “And at our jobwide meeting every morning we are encouraging anyone to come forward with any reports of intimidation.”

No one is speculating about the motive. I wondered in my last post about the subject whether the crew were being targeted. We don't have any information about the racial and ethnic makeup of the workers. It's interesting that the construction company is offering sensitivity training. Does that mean that they're not ruling out the possibility that someone on the crew is involved?

Noose found at Chattanooga Blue Cross Blue Shield site

A noose has been discovered at a Chattanooga Blue Cross Blue Shield workplace in Chattanooga. The FBI is investigating the incident and trying to determine whether it constitutes a hate crime. It occurred the same day four workers became ill, but so far the noose and the illnesses don't appear related.

The story mentions that it is a building site and that employees of Skanska, a construction firm with a presence in Nashville, had been there and were to report back for work on Monday. Even though the illnesses don't seem to be related to the noose, I wonder whether the crew was targeted.

It has been a tough summer for hate issues in Tennessee. In June, there was a cross burning in Scott County. Revelations of a February police beating of a transgender woman in Memphis came to light in June, closely followed by the murder of a transgender woman in July in the same city. And just two weeks ago what should have been a peaceful Sunday was ruptured by the attack at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church.

Cross burning terrorizes Scott County family

An Elgin, TN family has been the victim of a cross burning. Terry Lay wasn't able to get a good look at the two culprits when he was awakened by the barking of his dogs around 4:00 a.m. His property has been vandalized before with previous incidents including racial slurs. To protect his grandchildren who live with him, he is considering moving away from Elgin.

"They're human beings. God put them here. They had no choice. They didn't ask, 'I want my mother to be this color or that color, I want my daddy to be this color or that color.' They didn't ask for it, and they don't deserve it."

"It's the last straw with me. I'm ready to go." He wants to go somewhere more welcoming, even if the cross burners are caught.

The FBI is leading the investigation with assistance from the Scott County Sheriff's Department.

Racist vandalism in Franklin

WSMV is reporting on racist words painted on an electric box in a Franklin neighborhood named after KKK founder Nathan Bedford Forrest. The words are likely directed at the two African American families who live in the neighborhood.

"Oh, it's so hurtful; so hurtful. I cannot even let my kids go outside due to this. They cannot go outside until something is done," said Audrey Burks.

People in the neighborhood feel powerless to do anything about it and the police to have few options.

"I know at this point, there's really nothing you can do except to make it known to the rest of the community that this is something that's not acceptable," [the Rev. Anthony] Hendricks said. Police in Franklin took a report on the graffiti but said they believe it's an isolated incident. Police have not received any similar reports.

That's probably because they don't have adequate resources to deal with hate crimes. But if Congress had passed and the President had signed the Matthew Shepard Act last year, then they might be able to access the resources they need. On this blog, we've mostly talked about Shepard in terms of its addition of sexual orientation and gender identity to hate crimes laws. And most of the opposition has focused on the fear of making thought a crime, which the Act doesn't do at all.

However, the reason local law enforcement agents and communities in Tennessee should get behind Shepard is that it would provide more resources to fight all hate crimes regardless of their classification, including crimes of racial bias. Not only would money be available but other valuable forms of assistance as well. Consider section 4 of the act:

(a) Assistance Other Than Financial Assistance-

(1) IN GENERAL- At the request of State, local, or Tribal law enforcement agency, the Attorney General may provide technical, forensic, prosecutorial, or any other form of assistance in the criminal investigation or prosecution of any crime that--

(A) constitutes a crime of violence;

(B) constitutes a felony under the State, local, or Tribal laws; and

(C) is motivated by prejudice based on the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability of the victim, or is a violation of the State, local, or Tribal hate crime laws.

(2) PRIORITY- In providing assistance under paragraph (1), the Attorney General shall give priority to crimes committed by offenders who have committed crimes in more than one State and to rural jurisdictions that have difficulty covering the extraordinary expenses relating to the investigation or prosecution of the crime.

Notice the priority for rural jurisdictions. It's time to pass this legislation. Let's hope that Senators Alexander and Corker can find a way to get on board when it comes up again and let's hope that House and Senate Democrats can stop wrangling over attaching it to a defense bill.

Otherwise, we're going to be left with solutions like this:

The homeowners association is going to look into how to remove the paint.