Obama Victory Triggers Racist Backlash: At Least 200 Incidents Reported

Atlanta - In rural Georgia, a group of high-schoolers gets a visit from the Secret Service after posting "inappropriate" comments about President-elect Barack Obama on the Web. In Raleigh, N.C., four college students admit to spraying race-tinged graffiti in a pedestrian tunnel after the election. On Nov. 6, a cross burns on the lawn of a biracial couple in Apolacon Township, Pa.

The election of America's first black president has triggered more than 200 hate-related incidents, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center -- a record in modern presidential elections. Moreover, the white nationalist movement, bemoaning an election that confirmed voters' comfort with a multiracial demography, expects Mr. Obama's election to be a potent recruiting tool -- one that watchdog groups warn could give new impetus to a mostly defanged fringe element.

Most election-related threats have so far been little more than juvenile pranks. But the political marginalization of certain Southern whites, economic distress in rural areas, and a White House occupant who symbolizes a multiethnic United States could combine to produce a backlash against what some have heralded as the dawn of a postracial America. In some parts of the South, there's even talk of secession.

Keep reading

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HuffPost's Greg Mitchell -- Racial Incidents and Threats Against Obama Soar: Here Is a Chronicle

Comments

[DallasFrankie]

Thanks, Sarah Palin for all you did to revive the racial tensions in the lower 48 states. Hope you are proud of this achievement.

[mahdeealoo]

She's a bimbo alright! I wondered what would go on after she was shut down. She sure stirred up the bottom feeders.

[Mag44]

Funny that's who I blame also. Let them all go live in AK w/her. These folks must never heard Jesus Loves the Children song. All the children of the world. I must live in a cave because I didn't realize the extent of racism in this country. It's just heartwrenching.

[DALLASDAN]

DallasFrankie, I hear all those reports about rednecks rushing out to buy guns. We progressives down here would be wise to arm ourselves to defend against the haters.

[island-in-alabama]

As a progressive, who lives in the midst of the rednecks, I would remind you that guns are often most dangerous to the gun owners and their families.

I'm troubled by the run on guns down here, but I suspect that most of these people are just wasting their money and making their own households more unsafe.

[island-in-alabama]

What she did, with the help of the craven and cowardly corporate press, that refused to call her out on it, was to make the racist behavior seem acceptable.

Now it's up to ALL of us to remind the bigots that bigotry is NOT acceptable.

[Greg285]

These people are idiots! Why is the press giving them their 15 mnutes of fame anyway? Ignore them because they have nothing of substance to say anyway....

[Chuckwheat]

Texas Southern University, a black college in Houston, had a few unscheduled days off last week because of suspected arson. Electrical switchboxes were set afire, insulation melted and wires
shorted out, leaving the campus with no electricity.
Interesting timing...

[Owlygirl]

I've no use for people who choose to live under a rock of hate. I don't wish to reach out to them or even try to understand how and why. Who gives a crap?! They are scared separatists who want to continue living the same fearful, small lives. Nuh-uh. Like someone else here said times are changing so you better get with it or get left out. If having a President Obama eats away at you, tough sh*t!

[americansfordecency]

We need to bankrupt the KKK and put all these racists away. We can have a nice montage of all their mugshots- esp if they look like the guy in the photo

[HoraceOvidson]

Time for some Bible lessons in the Bible Belt.

[Zofomofo]

Lesson #1 - The bible contradicts itself often, therefore can not be taken literally.
Lesson #2 - Evolution occurs undoubtedly, so Adam was the son of an ape.

[zippywpinhead]

I'm thinking more along the lines of going Old Testament on these rac.ist knuckle draggers..­.

[hilary916]

Some parts want to seceed (sp?) How patriotic!

[island-in-alabama]

Not parts. Just some stupid people in some parts.

There are lots of patriotic, un-bigoted Americans who live in those parts who'd rather not be abandoned by their fellow Americans.

[mozeovr]

Domestic terrorists, anyone? "Vigilantes"really doesn't adequately describe their actions and words.

[MalloMel]

They are surely potential domestic terrorists, and the harm that they can do could be very great. They are not going to go away. They are going to do all they can to screw this country up, so as to teach us a lesson. Mark my words. They are exceedingly hateful and dangerous.

[Zofomofo]

We breed them that way.

[Boboday555]

Then ban the filthy Confederate Flag!
Arrest every single red-neck who has a Confederate Flag decal on their pickup or wants to fly it over an American Tax Payer funded public buildings and charge them all with Treason or Sedition!

Show us you WANT to be Americans for a change!

[Scalawag]

You sound just like them.

[Boboday555]

Confederates hate the Confederate Flag too?
Really?
Are you sure?

[MalloMel]

You jest, don't you?

[AbstractImp]

As to succession, these people say they feel left out. From what? The presidents they have supported have held office for 28 of the past 40 years. Why were they left out? Because they were dupes, that's why. They were used by Nixon, Reagan and Bush too get into office, kept poor and dumb, and now have nothing to show for all that support. One guy wins from the other side, and they want to leave the nation. What crybabies. Put yourself into the shoes of progressives and see what they have been putting up with the past 40 years. But no, you can't, because the election is supposed to be about you. If you could forget skin color and realize we are all in this together, then you would understand what is happening here.

[MalloMel]

Well said.

[island-in-alabama]

Put yourself in the shoes of progressives who lived in the South and fought bigotry.

Then imagine reading posts that say good riddance to the South.

Would you feel abandoned?

This election was exactly about us all being together. I was so excited when Keith Olbermann announced was projecting Obama would win - I was in tears I was so happy. Finally, we would have a President who would work to unite us, rather than divide us.

Then this thread starts up, and I find no shortage of people ready to abandon Southern progressives to some idiot secessionists.

Very sad.

The South, like the rest of the country, is not a monolith. The South is populated by the entire race, religious and political spectrum. The rest of that spectrum suffers enough as it is - and doesn't need to be abandoned by the rest of America. Would you have every one of us suffer for the sins of one group?

Thanks for standing with ALL Americans.

[GaGal]

Golly, how unfortunate I was to have been born in New Orleans and raised in the South. There certainly aren't any "Progressives" down here. Gotta go get my horse ready for school tomorrow..­. and I forgot to pick the cotton today, whatever shall I do?

[LKV]

I am from Il and grew up between AR and Co, there is bigotry everywhere in this country and world. The key to distroying it is by confronting it and I mean in a way that brings thought and enlightenmant. OK who am I kidding I grew up during the 60s and 70s and in southeren Il the kkk was still handing out buisness cards and inviting you to meetings on the street no less. Racisum is ugly and evil the problem is that you can not talk to a person and tell the the facts of life so to speak and hope that they will see the "light". This is the hardes thing to change in society .

[MalloMel]

It is hard, but it is changing.. It's just going to take more time, but it is happening.

[CyrusBeaucephus]

As a lifelong Southerner I have to say F*ck the South and all the Stupid people who cling bitterly to white supremacy

[island-in-alabama]

I'm not a lifelong Southerner, but I've spent a fair amount of my life living in it.

I would qualify your statement. I say "F*ck all the Stupid people who cling bitterly to any form of bigotry, wherever they live"

If you're a lifelong Southerner, you know there are many good people here. We may not hold the upper hand in the power structures of the South, but we are here, we are fighting to make the South a better place, and we need help from all of America.

The way to fight division is through unity. Barack Obama just spent the last two years trying to make that point.

[MalloMel]

You sound like a decent person, but you, as a southerner, are obviously in the minority. It's those other ones that are dragging your part of the country down.

So much of their creative energy is wasted on bigotry. Just imagine how much further along that they could be, if they channeled that energy into improving their situations in life.

I do feel sorry for so many of them in their ignorance. They think that they are doing to others, but they are also doing to themselves, and they don't even know it.

I'm sorry, but I have been to ALL the southern states, and I've seen how most of them live, and it's not pretty. As we progress through the 21st century, more and more of them will be left behind, which is how it should be. Humanity left the Dark Ages behind, and we are so much better for it.

[VSamuels]

The point you offer that 'some' still cling to 'white supremacy' is akin to the woman who 30 years after her prom has passed can't bring herself to throw away the dress or the man who 30 years after he's left the service can't toss away his military uniform. Racism, is a part of the fabric within the white culture, it is inconvenient and often ugly and embarrassing, yet it serves as a romanticized reminder for those who still believe there is something special about their race, which is not present within the other races.

Therefore, the 'specialness' does not have to be proven to be real, it only has to be expressed as some distance fondness for how they choose to think about and see themselves in relations to others. The barriers of society were symbols of this thinking, set to form boundaries to protect this mental and emotion thinking; but destroying merely the barriers does not destroy or get to the cultural 'ticks' that keeps 'white supremacy' alive and kicking.

Otherwise, the cultural tick just morphs into another form and continues to grow. Somewhere, someone must begin within this culture to challenge the central premise within their culture and begin a two-way conversation so that real progress is made. Thus far, there is little evidence that any leader wishes to be that bold 'soul' willing to take on traditional and morality for the betterment for all such affected.

[loveisallyouneed]

"To a lot of people, the idea of secession doesn't seem so crazy anymore," says Tuggle. "People are talking about how left out they feel, ... and they feel that something strange and radical has taken over our country."

Of course, they are the people who fail to realize that the rest of the country left them behind a long time ago. It happens, a lot of people down there are a little slow.

[MalloMel]

I understand how they feel, but I don't agree with them. The only thing that a lot of them had going for themselves, is that they are white. Now they don't even have that. They are going to have to stand on their own merits, as the world is moving on.

[SonyaInTx]

Wonderful post. That sums it all up for the "Joe sixpack" crowd.

[placeyourvote]

I agree, but I also blame the right wing media, palin the bimbo, joe the skinhead, and tito the illigeal, for insiting more of the hate.

[island-in-alabama]

Secession is for idiots.

Nevertheless, we don't win people over by calling them stupid, we win them over by showing them a better way. (mind you, we can never win everyone over - some stupidity is bone-deep)

Barack Obama has had a lot of success with this approach. He offered hope and unity. The Republicans offered fear and division. Barack beat them at the ballot box.

I beg of those posters who don't live in the South to be supportive of positive change, rather than writing off an entire region. There are plenty of people in the South that are progressive, or at least non unrepentant bigots, and who are loyal and patriotic Americans, just as you are.

[Boboday555]

...be careful what Y'ALL wish for!
'Cause Y'ALL need us way more than we need Y'ALL.

[GaGal]

I doubt it.

[Kram]

I would be happy to let them seceede. After five years of having their republican buddies tell them how great things are (while they are unemployed and starving to death), while their rich republican heroes become tax free trillionaires; they won't find going it alone so pallatable without all that federal welfare that comes from them librul' northern and western states.

Imagine how great the rest of this country would be without having to deal with the republican's in congress anymore? Without the deep south, the republicans would be a 15% party. Man that sounds good. Lets offer them $15 worth of free coupons to Wal Mart if they seceede.

[hereitis]

Really? Why do we need you?

[Boboday555]

Because you remove California, New York or New England from the Union and she buckles in a month!
She'd pickup more than a few RPMs if the South comitted treason by seceding again!

[Boboday555]

Well because Blue-State largess fills the Federal Tax coffers that are then emptied by Red-States.

8 of 9 of the states that leech the largest percentage of Federal Tax Dollars are Red-States.
And 9 of the 10 states that donate the most to the Federal Coffers, and get ZERO from it ,are Blue-States.

Y'ALL up to speed now?

[MalloMel]

Yes, Boboday555, why do we need you so much more than you need us? Let's here it.

[Boboday555]

No not me personally silly but you Red-Staters sure do need all those Socialist Blue-State handouts that build your Red-State Creationist schools, hospitals and pave your roads.
8 of 9 of the states that leech the largest percentage of Federal Tax Dollars are, you guessed it Mashmallow, Red-states.
And 9 of the 10 ststes that donate the most to the Federal Coffers, and get ZERO from it are, you guessed it again, Blue-States.
So spare me your righteous indignation!

[RedWhiteandBrooklyn]

Check this out:
http://www.fuckthesouth.com/

[MalloMel]

RedWhitean­dBrooklyn,

That's really good. Thanks for sharing it.

[GaGal]

Wow. f*ck all of the people who feel this way. This is as bigoted and divisionist as it gets.

Way to alienate people who live down here yet ARE liberal and who DID vote for Obama.

I thought I had something in common with the people who post here, but I see this is just as bad as the people who post on Fox news comment sections.

[island-in-alabama]

Who needs Rush to divide us when apparently we can do so perfectly well on our own?

Sites like that just play into the hands of the like of Rush and his ilk by finding ways to divide us.

[Furby]

Oh OK I get it, you're joking. Fooled me for a bit with the accent :)

[Boboday555]

Guess again!