Kevin'sMom Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 http://www.npr.org/2014/05/12/311107696/tale-of-two-billboards-an-ozark-towns-struggle-to-unseat-hate I live in southern Missouri, very near the Arkansas border. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heatherwith4 Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Yikes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkInTheBlue Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Wow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 O.k. that's awful! I am so sorry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 GRRRRRR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 That is terrible. If you can't move, maybe you can join in the fight for diversity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyD Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Oh wow, I heard that story on the radio this morning. I thought that this was especially interesting: "Like most prominent white supremacists in the Ozarks, Hallimore is a transplant. He moved here from California." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Such ignorance is just sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El... Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 I heard that piece. I liked the man who said they considered putting up billboards which said "You can't fix stupid," but went with "Love your neighbor." That's classier than I think I'd be, in their shoes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelli Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Harrison is about 60 miles from my hometown in Arkansas. It was and still is a very much neo-Nazi, KKK stronghold. I really do feel sorry for the residents there. The majority of them are great people without a racist bone in their body, but there is a very vocal, very well-funded minority that is loud and proud about their hatred. In the state of Arkansas, Harrison has the reputation of being full of nothing but racists. In the 1980's my dad (a teacher at the time) was warned to not bring his black student teacher to an education conference that was being held there because, "It wouldn't be safe for him." These people were not proud of the fact, but were trying to avoid a horrific situation. I don't know what the answer is for Harrison and other neighboring towns in that area. It seems like from the story that things are coming to a head there. That is a good thing. I just hope that the race issues there don't get worse before they get better, but I firmly believe they will get better. Don't move. There are a LOT of great people in that area that are very welcoming and accepting. The idiots seem to have the bullhorns though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerileanne99 Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Ugh. That is horrible. And Hallimore...really? And what exactly is this ficticious 'absolutely pure blood Caucasion?' Is this really possible? Do they have a percentage, like >0.5 percent or your soul falls out? I think it would be hilarious (if I was involved in a task force) to have DNA profiles run on a few key individuals. It really does suck when the ignorant and obnoxious seem to drown out respect and tolerance...and even articles like this one only further their goals as it spreads the word of the reputation of the place. That way uh, like-minded (maybe like-nonminded?) beings are attracted and it scares decent people away:( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elisabet1 Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Without the back story, the sign alone is not really that bad. However, I would have said "racism runs both ways, and racism is still racism, no matter what race you attack." We have a variety of races in our family. And we have marriages between people of previously unacceptable mixes...such as a Lutheran and a Catholic <gasp!> or an Englishman and an Irish woman, again <gasp!> In fact, my great great grandmother came here with my gr gr grandfather, who she was forbidden to marry because...he was said to be seen in a pub once! There will always be groups who are different from each other who think they should not be marrying together. It eventually, it will be people from one planet and another. Racism never ends when one group is allowed to attack another group based on race, no matter which direction that racism goes. And telling false stories of racism only fuels this (such as that fake one that went around on the internet a while back, about the white woman refusing to sit next to a black man, and assuming the flight attendants should just understand it, and then a caption stating "OMG, this is happening right now!) The black man had the vote and the right to own property before the white woman. The Irish were also held as slaves. Slavery still exists today, and where it is legal, it is not the white people holding slaves. And pointing out these facts does not make me a white supremacist (I am not even 100% white), these are just facts, and they do not go under a category of "things for which we do not speak." These facts do not further a fake racist agenda. I have faith in people. I think we will always have problems and we will always be checking ourselves, and always move toward improvement. I think humanity is a good thing. I think, from what others have said, white supremacists have simply moved to your area due to less controlling laws and cheap property. But if you move away from Missouri, you will get more controlling laws and more expensive property. If any sort of racism supremacy does exist in your area, as in, not just an isolated crime, you can leave of course. Or you can chose to stay and see if you can change it (but I am guessing that as a woman, you are way way down their totem pole and will not be able to affect much change). I want to leave where I live (the south) because of an obvious prevailing sexism. Women are treated like we are supposed to be in the garden puttering around or decorating the house, unless they are getting their nails done. I know that if I have a problem with something, I need to send my husband in, because as a woman, I will not be taken seriously. I have been to a car dealership and have them only want to deal with the husband. I am a 40+ yr old woman, heavy set, and been called "little lady" there. This has happened in an electronics store (but not lately, however, the car dealership was recent, and it was a Ford Dealership, I have never been treated that way at Honda). I have faith that as time moves on, this will work itself out. On that note though, I often want to move back north to get away from this attitude. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Probably there is no need for you to move, if you are otherwise happy where you live now. There are people who live there who are trying to change things for the better. And, it is very easy for the F.B.I. and other agencies to keep tabs on those people, when they live in a rural area like that. There are bad people, extremely bad people, wherever you might move to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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