A Brief Break From the Hilarity

[Pat K]

The church's Web site states that it has worked for "desegregation, racial harmony, fair wages, women's rights and gay rights" since the 1950s. Current ministries involve emergency aid for the needy, school tutoring and support for the homeless, as well as a cafe that provides a gathering place for gay and lesbian high-schoolers.

I'm not a Christian, but that sounds like a pretty fucking awesome church. Good on them for doing what needs to be done out there in a tough world. And any bunch of people with as much heart as it sounds like these folks must have, I've got no doubts they'll be able to pull together and make it through anything, even this.




I'm thinking about when I was in traffic court last week, and I realized that the baby faced teenager sitting next to me with shaved head and elaborate Nazi Iron Cross rings and tattoos was an Aryan Nation type. I was almost in disbelief that he even existed. Who are these people? In 2008, where are these people still coming from? What are they thinking? It baffles me. I guess it's easy to get naive about that kind of stuff.

[buffcoat]

Plus this guy was mad at the liberals who took away his food stamps.



Wha?

[Shaggy 2 Grote]

I'm thinking about when I was in traffic court last week, and I realized that the baby faced teenager sitting next to me with shaved head and elaborate Nazi Iron Cross rings and tattoos was an Aryan Nation type. I was almost in disbelief that he even existed. Who are these people? In 2008, where are these people still coming from? What are they thinking? It baffles me. I guess it's easy to get naive about that kind of stuff.

It's pretty big in prison.

[dave from knoxville]

And it has happened again

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5htMhvae9SQ5gVBlEQaGwu-8h4_Eg

A 16-year-old boy was shot dead by a second student Thursday in a school cafeteria in Knoxville, Tennessee, police said.

The student suspected of killing the boy was arrested without incident on a nearby street six minutes after police received the report of the shooting at 8:11 am (1211 GMT).

"This was not a shooting that was a random act," William Roehl, deputy chief of the Knoxville, Tennessee police told reporters.

"Both the suspect and the victim knew each other," Roehl said at a press conference.

"We don't know the particulars as to why it escalated to the situation that occurred today."

Witnesses told the Knoxville News Sentinel that the argument began with shouting and shoving.

The 15-year-old shooter pulled a gun out of his backpack, shot the other boy and then "casually walked away as if nothing had happened," one student told pastor Kevin Perry.

**********

I got to come north, ya'll.

[iAmBaronVonTito]

move west to nashville, dave. 










or memphis?

[erika]

I got to come north, ya'll.

I was so sad to hear this today.

That said, don't give up on your town, Dave. As a person who lives in an extremely violent, sometimes bleak city (at least as far as schools, drug abuse, and the future of the city's youth goes) I can say that there's always some sort of silver lining.

[Jennifer]

I'll be thinking of your friends, Dave, and everyone involved.

[<<<<<]

move west to nashville, dave. 










or memphis?

Not much safer over that direction.  Wasn't the head of the DFL in Arkansas murdered by some right wing kook just a week or so ago?

[Denim Gremlin]

The church's Web site states that it has worked for "desegregation, racial harmony, fair wages, women's rights and gay rights" since the 1950s. Current ministries involve emergency aid for the needy, school tutoring and support for the homeless, as well as a cafe that provides a gathering place for gay and lesbian high-schoolers.

I'm not a Christian, but that sounds like a pretty fucking awesome church. Good on them for doing what needs to be done out there in a tough world. And any bunch of people with as much heart as it sounds like these folks must have, I've got no doubts they'll be able to pull together and make it through anything, even this.




I'm thinking about when I was in traffic court last week, and I realized that the baby faced teenager sitting next to me with shaved head and elaborate Nazi Iron Cross rings and tattoos was an Aryan Nation type. I was almost in disbelief that he even existed. Who are these people? In 2008, where are these people still coming from? What are they thinking? It baffles me. I guess it's easy to get naive about that kind of stuff.

they're everywhere.

I worked for years as an anti racist activist in new jersey. it's frightening to see how pervasive extreme white supremest beliefs are all over the country. people have this fantasy that it's some kind of southern thing but it's all over the country. new jersey it's self has several clusters of white power groups ranging from violent nazi boneheads to white collar upper middle class "white separatists"  like National Alliance.

 

[dave from knoxville]

move west to nashville, dave. 

I grew up in Nashville. I have not been to Memphis since I was detained at Memphis University (then Memphis State) by campus police in 1975.










or memphis?

[<<<<<]

I'm betting the Memphis U cops have forgotten you by now.  Prolly safe to sneak back now.   

[dave from knoxville]

I don't know; those trees might still be on fire.

[Miss]

So many things I want to say, yet like others, I just can't find the words.

I'm so sorry is all that seems to come to mind.

[emma]

Awful.

[cutout]

The student who was shot had alopecia and was apparently teased mercilessly his entire life, only to die from a gunshot by one of his bullies. Heartbreaking story all the way around.