White Vigilante Groups Blockaded Small Town In Post-Katrina New Orleans And Murdered Blacks: Report

Think Progress:

Earlier this week, A.C. Thompson of The Nation revealed that after Hurricane Katrina, white vigilante groups patrolled New Orleans, blockaded streets, and shot at least eleven black men. It "was like pheasant season in South Dakota.

Read the whole story: Think Progress

Comments

[GravitonX]

I can't wait until Eric Holder become Attorney General.

[liseworks]

Yep !!!

[truesteam]

I am ashamed and embarassed to be white.

[sextonfan]

No need. It's logic like this that leads to stereotyping. Just see this as a proof that just as all whites aren't racist murderers, not all blacks are homophobic ignoramuses.

[MyLowell]

good one.

[truesteam]

I get that. But, still.....­.even if these mental midgets had not done what they are bragging they did.....Th­e level of stupidity that just oozed from their pores.....­.the shame.....­.

[SinisterK9]

Then you are weak minded. If you didn't participate then why do you feel guilty or ashamed, or embarrassed? If all the suspects are men, are you also ashamed to be a male? If they are all American, are you further ashamed simply to be an American in relation to the story?

[82nd]

Vinnie Pervel, one time President of the Algiers Point Homeowners Association, was beaten with a hammer and carjacked a few blocks away from his home after the storm. I wouldn't be too quick to judge the Algiers Point Residents for being jumpy.

[GiveUsFree]

Yeah,
This justifies arbitrarily shooting anyone "who doesn't belong". I wonder why it was only Black males that were targeted?

[JulieSA]

Take a look at crime stats sometime.

[1will]

http://www.fbi.gov

While nothing excuses the actions of those at Algiers Point if these crimes were actually committed it is easy to see where the fear came from.

[MyLowell]

i can see residents arming themelves and taking action since it was chaotic, but force should only be used if someone breaks into your home, not someone walking down the street.

[truesteam]

Yeah, that guy's story has A LOT of inconsistencies. Even the police have questioned his story.

[Troubledwawa]

What a horrible story.

It has victims describing a criminal act being perpetrated on them, as well as other people describing perpetrating a criminal act on innocent and hapless victims. Both groups of people describe similar details of the act in a similar area, and at about the same time.

One could easily believe it would be the same act. Yet the victims say it was someone else, indicating that there were multiple occurrences.

Why isn't the Federal Government investigating this?

[JulieSA]

Why isn't Mayor Nagin having this investigated? It's his jurisdiction.

[JulieSA]

You did notice the whites in that video were drunk, didn't you?

[SurrealPumpkin]

Kinda hard to miss. All that really means is that the filter between thought and mouth was on the blink.

[daedelus]

Yes I did, as a matter of fact. It brought to mind that old Southern chestnut "a drunk never lies".

[doctorj2u]

What a joke! A country that ignores a destroyed American city and a large chunk of America for three and a half years now decides it is important to listen to the stories of drunks. Guess what America. YOU ARE TOO LATE! Nothing is going to come of this but internet babble, just like everthing else written about post Katrina.

[JulieSA]

Excellent point. A video of drunks at a bbq telling tall tales to a yankee reporter will suck attention away from the very real problems facing NOLA. The Nation is hurting, not helping.

[GrainOSand]

The fringe makes you cringe but it is not usually where the masses are. Power uses the fringe for its purposes and we all pay the price. A sidewinder, a person without a soul, breathing air, wild-eyed stare, possessing a heart with a hole, these are the people of the racist fringe. They are not impressive, inspiring, or bold. They live a compromised life, blowing callousness and strife unto the world from within. The masses contain vestiges of the fringe. The masses may not be on the edge but to the degree the fringe exists is the degree to which the masses have been misled about their own life and humanity. How much hate, intolerance, and injustice is one measure of society, another is, how much insanity and evil vanity played out on everyday life. How does a nation account for toil and strife, and if we cannot account for it when the bill comes due, you can be sure we will not be able to pay for it with lip service and nervous entreaties for more time...we need more time to stop the killing, the hate, the malice, the violence thrown all over another’s’ life.

The LGBT community has a complaint against the society in which they live. That society is dismissive of their right to be who they are. Their argument resonates for anyone who knows injustice no matter their sexual preference in terms of matrimonial lifelong partnership. We trust compassion is bi-lateral.

[LDnearthesea]

Bet they're all registered Repugnantcans too!

[dadw5boys]

Shot Americans who were using a PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY.

It does not matter that a Hurricane had hit.

The right to walk along a PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY can not be blocked.

So these murderers think they were doing something good ?

[AsISaid]

I find it sadly interesting to point out that a story about Jennifer Anniston drew 765 comments as of this writing and comments on this horrible story only number just over 140 so far. Pretty sad.

I would hope that the Federal government would step in and investigate this horrible violation of civil rights in New Orleans and its surrounding areas. This is bad flashback.­.......

[karinova]

Perhaps words fail.

[MyLowell]

i think that's it...plus the story is somewhat muddled..a­n investigation definitely has to be done and we should be given the full story

[Stilts9]

The character studies of WIliam Faulkner live on.

[anderinthemountains]

As shocking and terrible as this is, there is more murder going on in New Orleans than the local government wants anyone to know about. Blacks are not the only people getting killed. People of all races are murdered every day and nothing is done about it. My husbands friend was car jacked getting out of his car at home after work. He was shot twice in the head and ran over twice. The vehicle was found several days later burned out. This crime has never been solved and the police there are not even trying to solve the murder. There are too many for them to solve. It's a lawless place and I think anyone spending their tourist dollars there are crazy to support such a society.

[MyLowell]

thanks for sharing your story. unbelievea­ble...

[CFAmick]

This is sicker than the Abu Ghraib abuses.

[DocJerome]

I wonder what would happen if a group of black men banded together during a tragedy, armed to the tee, and started shooting white folk passing through the neighborhood? Perhaps the same excuses will be used to justify the shootings and skirt the law.

[kas70]

You know what would happen...

[Durango]

Exactly what happened to the Black Panthers in Chicago circa 1969.

One of he most disturbing things about Hurricane Katrina: the media EXPECTED looting and rioting. And reported on their prejudices.

Because most of the folks trapped were poor and Black. Even though the looting was carried out by the police, and the violence by police and vigilantes, the media has never corrected the impressions given in the first days.

Racism at it's finest.

[PCVIRGINIABEACH]

That happened. There were a lot of people murdered by gangs during Katrina.

[Tom Joad]

evidence?

[Durango]

Gangs of police maybe.

[karinova]

"A lot"?
Please post links or references; I am very interested.

[kellygrrrl]

so we can expect Grand Jury indictments when?

Murder1with SpecialCir­cumstances attached

[Tom Joad]

"Lord of the Flies" nation.

[karinova]

SERIOUSLY!

"I'VE got the conch!"
And I will beat your brains in if you try to take it.