Virginia, the slogan goes, is for lovers. If a new report tracking the number of hate groups in America is to be believed, then New Jersey might be for haters.
Yesterday, the Southern Poverty Law Center released its annual report on hate groups and extremism in America. The number of hate groups increased from 926 in 2008 to 932 in 2009. At the same time, the number and activity of nativist and so-called "patriot" groups increased sharply across the country.
New Jersey was home to 44 hate groups in 2009, more than every other state but California, Texas and Florida. More than half of hate groups in New Jersey are classified as racist skinhead organizations. There are also 7 black separatist groups, 6 neo-nazi groups, 3 white nationalist groups, 2 Klan groups, 2 racist music labels and a Christian identity group. Most of the state's hate groups are based in South Jersey. The state was also home to eight nativist groups and eight patriot movement groups.
Perhaps the most active hate group in New Jersey is the League of American Patriots, founded in 2008 for "adult heterosexual men and women who are entirely of European Christian ancestry." The group littered towns in North Jersey with racist anti-Obama fliers in the run-up to the 2008 election, and last March, they "brawled" with anti-fascist activists who had shown up to protest the group's meeting at a Clifton library.
He says the death threats and racist vandalism he and his family have endured are not worth it anymore.
[snip]
Not long after being elected two years ago, Tyson said he received emails and phone calls warning him that he was being watched and calling him a "dead man." No arrests were ever made in relation to those threats. Investigators said whoever made the calls used disposable phones.
Tyson also had his tires slashed and a sign on his lawn bedecked with "KKK.
A member of a neo-Nazi organization was indicted last month for making other threatening phone calls to Tyson and other African Americans, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
The attorney for Bill White, the neo-Nazi member who made the threats defended the words. Here's more of the disturbing story from CNN in which the mayor said this:
"Racism was here yesterday, it's here today and it'll be here tomorrow"
Christopher Petronzio, who works in the Shade Tree and Parks Commission and volunteers as a firefighter, says the comments posted on the popular Internet networking site were taken out of context and had nothing to do with his job. Rather, he said, the borough is retaliating against him because he is an active member of a union that is suing the borough for unfair labor practices.
"What they did was they suspended me for something that was done on my time, not on theirs," he said.
Petronzio, who has more than 200 Facebook friends - including borough employees, a councilman and a former councilman - posted a greeting yesterday, saying, "Chris would like to wish everyone a happy James Earl Ray day."
James Earl Ray is the man who assassinated King.
Petronzio's Facebook page also included an advertisement for Kentucky Fried Chicken superimposed on a picture of the White House. He also posted a racist slur referring to President Obama, Iacono said.
This will be a legal case for sure and the township admits they're dealing with an issue that isn't very clear:
"This is obviously a gray area," Iacono said. "This is his personal Web page, and it?s not really any of our business until it's brought to our attention. Our concern is that it was brought to our attention."
The worker says he wants to look into his first amendment rights being violated. The County Prosecutor is looking into whether it's a bias crime.
Separate from the legal issues of whether it can be used against you, I just make it a general rule not to put something out there that could blow back in my face. We are certainly going to see more instances of information posted by people in public forums possibly being used against them.
I was told social networking sites are a gold mine for information when recently talking to a company that does background checks. When I managed campaigns, I used to tell my candidates, if you don't' want to defend it, don't say it. I guess you can modify that for technology and say don't post it either now.
The following is a statement to supporters of the Grewal Family, who signed up at the Hardwick Township Unity Rally on November 15th, which was held in response to the cross burning incident on their lawn on November 6th.
The cross was wrapped in a bed sheet that their daughter had made to celebrate Barack Obama's victory earlier that week.
Arianna, Alina and Gary would like to thank you for participating in the Hardwick ?Unity March,? physically or in spirit. Thanks for caring!!! The ?Yes we care chant? still rings in our ears. Your support by being here goes a long way in restoring our faith and belief in our community and our wonderful country.
The rally was a powerful message, especially to Arianna, that we are not alone as she starts to live her normal life again.
The hundreds of people who were here sent a very strong signal that such bias and racist crimes are not accepted in the world we live in now. We are all Americans and as Americans we are free to choose our beliefs, our values, our religion, where we live and whom we vote for. No citizen has the right to dictate to others how they should live. If these cowards thought we were going to roll over and play dead they had another thing coming. They WILL catch them and bring them to justice.
Again, thank you for your sincere support and have a wonderful holiday season!!
The Grewals
The link below is a moving video of the Hardwick Unity March put together beautifully by Robert Daniel II, LEPOCO Peace Center
I got some news today that really made me think twice about where I live. As the election season progressed, and it looked more and more like an Obama win, the anger in Warren County became visible. Every election, signs are stolen. But this year, they were stolen, damaged, defaced, destroyed, and burned. In some cases, additional property damage was done. There was a constant stream of people coming into Democratic headquarters reporting these problems.
In one particularly nasty incident, an Obama sign, stapled to a plywood panel and screwed to a tree high off the ground, was torn down. The Obama sign was burned off, and a pornographic portrayal of the candidates was drawn and obscenities scrawled on the plywood. The plywood was nailed back to the tree.
Did you know that immigrants are to blame for Global Warming? That's the conclusion of a recent "study" released by the anti-immigrant "think" tank - the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), which has a history of publishing less-than-credible research.
After a careful review of "Immigration to the United States and World-Wide Greenhouse Gas Emissions," we produced this video to tell it like it is: a bunch of... well... watch the video.
Roxbury resident Elizabeth Corsetto said she picked up a flier at the end of her driveway on Saturday thinking it was a supermarket circular, and was shocked to see the headline "Do You Want A Black President?"
"I was like, 'What?"' Corsetto said. "It's a ridiculous piece of literature and blatantly racist."
Corsetto said she was outraged by the incident and had seen other neighbors stuffing the fliers in the trash.
"I'm supposed to draw a conclusion that's what will happen to us if we have a black president?" Corsetto said of the flier's references to Haiti and South Africa. "I want to know how I'm going to fund my retirement with the stock market in the toilet ? those are the facts I want to hear."
Your retirement? The stock market in the toilet? Yeah, I think those are some of the things the Republicans don't want to talk about with you, because they know they'll lose on that right now.
"I have a dream that my four little children
will one day live in a nation where they
will not be judged by the color of their skin
but by the content of their character."
This election marks a potential turning point in American history. The American people will either elect the first black President, following the dictates of logic, self-interest and absolute common sense... or they will elect John McCain and prove that at least a slim majority of the voters in this nation are ignorant fools, religious extremists, blind believers of the partisan propaganda of the right wing, outright racists -- or some horrifying combination of those descriptors.
Last week we brought you the happy and true story of Republican bigotry in Pemberton.
Today we get the Democratic side, with Belmar Mayor Ken Pringle stepping up to the plate to insult Staten Islanders, Italians and yellow haired people in what appears to be an official town newsletter.
Going after Staten Islanders?
"The spat ended the way most fights with SI girls do," the mayor wrote. "The SI woman grabbed the Boonton woman by the hair ... and began punching her face in."
He didn't stop there: Pringle made fun of the way Staten Islanders look, suggesting their attire is a "costume" and the women use too much hair spray.
Italians?
"They're always tanned to the color of coconut shells and easily identified by their plumage: satin shirts and short skirts on the females; Armani Exchange T-shirts and artfully distressed jeans on the males," he wrote.
"The call of the Guido is bellowing, and frequently slurred, invariably starting with the sound, 'Yo.'"
The tallow-haired?
Pringle ended his newsletter with a gem about two renters who told an inspector they didn't know how to take out garbage.
"Let us guess ... they're blonde," the item was headlined.
And the excuse?
Pringle admitted he went "over the top" in his attempt to highlight the bad behavior of some seasonal visitors in the quintessential Jersey shore town.
"It was meant as a humor device, not to insult anyone," he said. "If I don't make it funny, no one is going to read it."
Yeah, that last thing is just not true. It wasn't funny at all, and now lots of people are reading it.
Ed Kuck, who posted an image on his site that said "Obama loves the US like OJ loved Nicole," now defends himself against charges of racism by noting that his wife is Thai and his children are bi-racial.
Of course, his new slogan just proves that while he may not be racist, he's got a lot of hate in his heart.
Obama loves America like Michael Moore loves Slim-Fast
Now, I guess, he has something against heavy people. Gotta love the "Big Tent" Republicans.
Update:Interestingly, the tag at the bottom of the site says, "It is the policy of this website to avoid posting any knowingly offensive or inappropriate material. Anyone finding such material is urged to Email the webmaster at the above address."
Not only does the anti-obesity quote above belie this, but Kuck doesn't actually provide an e-mail address to send complaints to.
Gov. Jon Corzine today withdrew the reappointment of a Superior Court judge in Middlesex County for failing "to demonstrate the proper judgment" in making - and later defending - racist comments from the bench, a spokesman said.
During a nomination hearing for a tenured position, Judge Fred Kieser Jr. of Metuchen admitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee that he told a woman seeking payment for her daughter's tuition at Middlesex County College in 2005 that her ex-husband "should not be treated as a cash register, that this is not a free lunch."
He also told the woman "no tickee, no laundry," a racial slur mocking Chinese laundry services that require a claim ticket before returning clothes, after she failed to provide proof of her daughter's enrollment at the two-year school, Kieser said.
It's a sign of the times that, when one hears a line like the title of this piece, it is natural to brace for the casualty count. We have become all too accustomed to hearing how humans are all too willing to use the flesh of anyone who seems different as a marking post for their political agenda. Nothing ever justifies terrorism. Nothing.
But it is false to think that terrorism is only measured in pounds of flesh and pints of blood. It is also measured in the dropping of a broken-hearted tear, the silent shock of victimization, and the unspeakable horror over the desecration of everything sacred. Kristallnacht was terrorism, pure and simple. And it makes little difference if it is stone that is broken rather than glass.
And it was broken stones and memories that mark our latest example of the perfidy of humans against each other. At this point, it is not being investigated as a hate crime, insisting it was just "criminal mischief". But a similar crime was discovered on Thursday. Twice in less than a week is a lot of mischief not to be driven by hatred.
Lap of Luxury: You have recently inherited a lot of money from your dear old aunt who passed away. Along with the cash from her estate, you have also become the owner of a large and fertile tract of land near Charleston, S.C. You have determined that the most profitable course of action is to build a plantation for the purpose of growing cotton. You have also established that slave labor is the only way of running your plantation without catastrophic personal and financial ruin. However, your dear aunt also has two sisters who may veto your plans if not properly convinced, and then withhold your inheritance from you. Mrs. Chomko and Mrs. Rutzler, your aunts, must be persuaded that slave labor is the best choice, because they are from the North and aren't sure that they agree with slavery. Keep in mind that your aunts have moral as well as financial questions about your decision to use slave labor.
Your job: Create an advertisement that will convince your aunts that your idea is the best course of action.
First, create a list of the pros and cons of using slave labor. Then use the ideas from your list to create an advertisement that you plan to run in the newspaper, where your aunts will see it. You are hoping that your ad will be sufficiently persuasive that, upon seeing it, your aunts will give you the green light to begin building your new home.
Your advertisement must contain:
1. A catchy slogan (or name) for your plantation.
2. At least three reasons why slave labor is the best idea.
3. Reasons why your plantation won't be financially sound if it doesn't use slave labor.
4. Illustrations.
This assignment is so simple and so inoffensive that a sixth grader should be able to do it with no problem, right? Yeah, not if you actually know a little bit about South Carolina and history. Make the jump with me.
A call to action; please call and write your legislator and especially the media.
The first "gun control" laws were written to keep blacks from owning firearms.
Today look at "gun control" in Wash DC, LA, Camden, Newark, NYC...what's changed?
In every case you have selective "may issue" vs. "shall issue" for legal concealed carry.
"May issue" is an instrument of Old South oppression and unequal application of the law.
In NJ the reality is "may issue" is reserved for politicians and their cronies.
Am I to believe that the law abiding Black or Latino citizen who goes thru the neccesary background check and training required for "shall issue" concealed carry is less qualified than a White citizen?
We are all equal aren't we?
The over-policing of communities is not the answer; they rarely prevent crime. They are law enforcement, not crime prevention. They usually show up after the fact.
The reality of the police is that all too often in their quest to get the bad guy's, they regularly violate citizens civil rights.
I have been searched without cause, at least 2 dozen times in NYC during the Giuliani reign of terror.
Shall issue is currently law in 40 states, crime is down in every one of those states.
With hundreds of millions of guns in America, the choice is clear: I will take a few accidental shootings over the mass murder of un-armed students, teachers and innocent citizens by crazies and outlaws every day of the week.
In fact any NJ legislator working on "banning guns" in light of the facts is grossly irresponsible, again, there are hundreds of millions of guns in America.
If you were walking on any of NJ's streets and were approached by someone who intended serious bodily harm to you, would you like to be in posession of a firearm to defend yourself or a loved one?
Recently, those good young people murdered in Newark, never stood a chance, they have been denied their civil rights to self defense by a combination of racist and apathetic NJ politicians.
While Mayor Corey Booker and the Newark police did a great job in apprehending the animal (yes, someone who did what he did IS an animal), it still does not change the fact that those un-armed young people were shot dead.
I am less enthusiastic about Mayor Booker spending $3mm on "gunshot detection technology", (so they can hear the gunshot, which to the uninformed means the bullet (s) have already struck the victim).
That $3mm would be better served in after school programs.
Lastly, with "shall issued" concealed carry becoming law in NJ the word gets around and the criminals are unsure as to who may, or may not be carrying, which benefits all NJ citizens, not just those citizens who decide to carry.
Self defense is a civil right.
Please call and write your legislator and especially the media, we need immediate corrective action here in NJ, it is a life or death issue.
On Tuesday, I wrote a diary that addressed the alleged use of a racist term by Atlantic County Sheriff and County Exec candidate Jim McGettigan. It sounded like a perfect catch of a man whose small-minded view of the world had finally caught up with him. Why would any politician use racial epithets in a constituent meeting in this day and age?
In fact, it sounded a bit too perfect. I asked at the time: "Anyone else smell a set-up?" As it turns out, that was exactly the right question to ask.
The Press of Atlantic City has reviewed a video of the incident and McGettigan's side of the story, as it turns out, was the correct one.
But, as I said, you cannot entrap someone unless they are willing to be entrapped. McGettigan did, actually, repeat the slur twice in his answer. It appears that he was trying to get away from it, but the more he struggled the more it tied his hands. See for yourself after the jump:
It has been said that Ronald Reagan's "Eleventh Commandment" was "Thou shall not speak badly of fellow Republicans." Well, forgive me if I think that is simply yet another thing Reagan was wrong about. Rabid partisanship serves no one. The rampant corruption seen in the Republican Party in DC is, to a large extent, caused - or at least encouraged - by too many people cleaving to Reagan's Commandment.
I bring it up because there are some disturbing reports of Atlantic County Sheriff Jim McGettigan using racial epithets during a public meeting with a constituent group. To be fair to the Sheriff, he claims he did not use the term but was responding to a member of the audience who did.
A New York Times piece today notes that Cory Booker is taking heat from some blacks in Newark for choosing two white men to serve in the top law enforcement positions in the city. The decision to make acting Police Chief Anthony Campos the permanent police chief is said to potentially split the city that has come together in the wake of the murders of three college students.
I'm not an expert on the history of racial tensions in the city, but I was surprised at how seemingly racist some of the comments in the story sounded. If the words "black" and "white" were interchanged, I think few would argue that these statements would indicate racism from some elements of the black community. For example (my text in italics):
In a city like Newark, where the majority of the population is black (white) and race issues bubble just below the surface, the decision to place two white (black) men at the helm of the city's Police Department could threaten the good will and unity that Mr. Booker has been enjoying of late.
Or this:
"Rightly or wrongly, perception is just as important as reality, and in a city that is largely African-American (Caucasian), there is not going to be a comfort level with two white (black) guys running the Police Department," said former Mayor Kenneth Gibson. "Quite frankly, this is going to be a problem he doesn't need."
And finally:
Donald M. Payne Jr., a City Council member who had been lobbying for Captain Wilson's promotion to police chief, said he was disappointed by the decision to keep Mr. Campos (a black man) in the position. "This just continues the pattern of denigrating African-Americans (whites)," he said.
Does the historical distrust between black Newark and the police somehow justify this response or is it simply unjustifiable racism?
I don't usually like having to spell out what words mean, but with a provocative title like that, in this case it might be necessary. Racism, as defined by Merriam-Webster:
1: a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.
A recent Monmouth University-Gannett poll on immigration asked respondents whether immigration by certain groups has been good or bad for the state. I doubt most New Jerseyans have the capability to do the research and statistical analysis to determine which groups have had a net "good" or "bad" effect on New Jersey or have any other meaningful evidence to arrive at such a conclusion.
And yet, these were the results to such a question, based on a sample size of about 400:
I'm going to ask you about specific nationalities that have been coming to New Jersey. For each, please tell me if immigration from this country has been more of a good thing or more of a bad thing for the state?
Good
Bad
Diff
Poland
62%
11%
(+51)
China
57%
14%
(+43)
Phiippines
51%
15%
(+36)
Dominican Republic
43%
24%
(+19)
Mexico
42%
34%
(+8)
Colombia
38%
33%
(+5)
The results are striking. They vary from +51 net positive for Polish immigrants to only +5 for Colombians. Clearly these differences can't be attributed to statistical noise. Nor do I think they are significantly based on any rational evidence or analysis. Being able to determine an entire group's impact on a general population is not a simple problem. So how can we explain these numbers?
Many Polish immigrants came to New Jersey during a major wave of immigration between 1880 and 1925 that also swept in Italians, Greeks and Hungarians. A few decades before that came the Germans and Irish (notice they're not in the poll). On the other hand, immigration in the last 50 years has been dominated by - you guessed it - Asians and Latinos.
It may not be conscious or overt racism, but our state's relative unfamiliarity with newer immigrants must be a factor in these more negative views towards certain ethnic groups. And it would be naïve to pretend that's not the reason some find it so easy to scapegoat entire groups.
This isn't a new problem. Most immigrant groups have probably experienced similar difficulties gaining acceptance as they assimilate into the general population. But we should be able to recognize what is driving our collective response - and accept that on some level, that might be racism. I don't necessarily believe that makes someone a bad person - to a significant degree, that could just be human nature. But if we can't come to terms with that reality, we won't be able to make rational choices about our immigration policy.
