Hatfields vs. McCoys, The Sequel: Feuding Families Cause Riot In Alabama

MARION, Ala. — Two Alabama families that had been fighting for years turned their feud into a full-scale riot Monday outside a small-town city hall, with up to 150 screaming people hurling tire irons and wielding baseball bats. Eight people were arrested, and at least four were hurt, Trooper John Reese said. Two were taken to hospitals. The town's police chief was hit in the head with a crowbar but was OK.

The two- or three-year-old feud apparently prompted a fight earlier in the day at a high school, after a window was shot out of a home Sunday night. Then, "all hell broke loose" later in the day, said Sgt. Carlton Hogue of the Perry County Sheriff's Department.

"It was a full-scale riot is what it was," said Tony Long, mayor of the town of 3,300 about 85 miles west of Montgomery.

Hogue said the rioters were "throwing jack irons, throwing tire irons, anything they could get their hands on." Some people carried baseball bats and brooms.

Reese said two people were arrested at the high school during the initial disturbance. Relatives of the people who were arrested followed officers to police headquarters at city hall, and then the melee erupted.

Six more people were arrested at city hall, Reese said, and police called in reinforcements from surrounding cities. Some officers wore riot gear, and many planned to stay overnight to help maintain order.

The mayor said he wasn't sure what sparked the fracas.

"Everybody's trying to point the finger at everybody," he said.

Judson College, a church-affiliated women's school with about 300 students in downtown Marion, issued an alert asking students to stay out of the downtown area for 24 hours as a precaution.

Comments

[JUST the FACTS]

For reasons known only to the Associated Press, the article "Feuding Families Set Off Riot in Alabama" describes the participants of a "full-scale riot" as two Alabama families. This simple omission has led many members of this board to fill that factual void with conjecture and hyperbole. One only has to read the posted comments for an example. To further an intellectual and honest dialogue on this board, here are the facts:

1. Marion, Alabama is located in Perry County. The racial composition of Perry County is 67.9% BLACK, 31.2% WHITE, and 0.9% OTHER. (Footnote 1)

2. Perry County Schools serves the students in Marion. The racial composition of Francis Marion High School is 98.1% BLACK and 1.9% WHITE. (Footnote 2)

3. Both families send their children to Francis Marion High School. (Footnote 3)

By combining these facts with those from the AP story, we get a better picture of the participants. Accordingly, the probability that these students (and their families) are black is 98.1% and white is 1.9%. Therefore, the odds are overwhelming that BOTH FAMILIES ARE BLACK.

FOOTNOTES:

1. SOURCE: U.S. Census (http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/01/01105.html)
2. SOURCE: School Data Direct (http://www.schooldatadirect.org/app/location/q/stid=1/llid=118/stllid=386/locid=1033676/stype=/catid=-1/secid=-1/compid=-1/site=pes)
3. SOURCE: The Associated Press (http://www.al.com/sportsflash/index.ssf?/base/sports-79/1251297853139850.xml&storylist=alabamasports)

[SusanStoHelit]

Interesting how people are assuming they know the race and cultural subtype of the people involved. Interesting if the assumption is right - that the type of fight can tell us who is involved - interesting if it's wrong too. But nowhere do any of the articles say the race of the families involved.

There appears to be a clear assumption we're talking about white, rural southerners - except among a few conservatives (commenting on CBSNews) who have the clear assumption it's a bunch of black people - either way, the fact so many think they know the type of people involved, based purely on the fight, is interesting.

[firstfreeze]

Marion is in one the few very blue counties in an otherwise red state --figure it out, you know the deal here. It wasn't Hatfield and McCoy at all. Not too many Hatfield and McCoy types in Marion.
Ouch, but deal with it.

[ComeNow]

Unfortunately, however many times this has been pointed out, they keep on coming with their stereotypes of the South and its people. It sounds like those so-called progressives living in the "North" are not as educated as I thought. Of course, facts should never stand in the way to make fun of poor uneducated "white" people in the South. There is something really rotten in this sort of attitude.

[stencil62]

people are going crazy.

[mapleaforever]

Cue the banjo music.

[firstfreeze]

more like the ...nevermind

[phxbuster]

We could solve our immigration problems by employing all of these confederate dunces to do our manual labor. At least they're citizens.

[firstfreeze]

Doubtful you would find too many confederate flags around the people involved in this incident. I saw their local news coverage. No Bubbas there. Then again, you may want to get out of your parents basement one day and check out other parts of the country.

[TekBoss]

JERRY JERRY JERRY!

[KIMBER]

Yee Ha! I guess they all showed up at the town hall meeting at the same time.

[DestinationsUnknown]

Aug 17, 2009 –Monday-

Gene Taylor (D-MS) TOWN HALL, on C Span Healthcare Hub, the majority were there for ‘anti-HC Reform’.

Taylor is not voting for Obama’s Healthcare Bill. He made that very clear.

Gene Taylor D-MS Blue Dog- at TOWN HALL stated –
“…the only wind insurance in the state of Mississippi is GOVERNMENT RUN INSURANCE”!

His words- not mine!

After Katrina- all other insurance companies left state.

Public Option eliminating the INDUSTRY?

Remember all those claims not paid?

Over $1 billion government dollars were paid to residents in Mississippi; because their insurance companies refused and were allowed not to pay.

Rep. Gene Taylor stated “If another catastrophe with wind damage occurs in their state without insurance (the Federal Government) their state would be wiped out immediately.

Where is Socialism?

Where were the guns?

All anti-HC Reform- many seniors complain about all the fraud reported and nothing done- But- they are all anti HC Reform!

"The only wind insurance in the state of MS is GOVERNEMNT RUN INSURANCE!"

Wow- I guess the one and only PUBLIC OPTION is acceptable- When it comes to their home insurance.

The only option- A PUBLIC OPTION-and where is their outrage?

Where is their “I want my country back”?

Where is Socialism?

Where were the guns?

Unbelievable!

Mississippi- 49th in the nation for quality, affordable, accessible health care

Louisiana took their place at 50!

I guess wind insurance is ok for government takeover in Mississippi.

[DestinationsUnknown]

I guess wind insurance is ok for government takeover in Mississippi.

Aug 17, 2009 –Monday-
Gene Taylor (D-MS) TOWN HALL, on C Span Healthcare Hub, the majority were there for ‘anti-HC Reform’.

Taylor is not voting for Obama’s Healthcare Bill. He made that very clear.

Gene Taylor D-MS Blue Dog- at TOWN HALL stated –
“…the only wind insurance in the state of Mississippi is GOVERNMENT RUN INSURANCE”!

His words- not mine!

After Katrina- all other insurance companies left state.

Public Option eliminating the INDUSTRY?

Remember all those claims not paid?

Over $1 billion government dollars were paid to residents in Mississippi; because their insurance companies refused and were allowed not to pay.

Rep. Gene Taylor stated “If another catastrophe with wind damage occurs in their state without insurance (the Federal Government) their state would be wiped out immediately.

Where is Socialism?

Where were the guns?

Where were the Nazis?

All anti-HC Reform- many seniors complain about all the fraud reported and nothing done- But- they are all anti HC Reform!

"The only wind insurance in the state of MS is GOVERNEMNT RUN INSURANCE!"

Wow- I guess the one and only PUBLIC OPTION is acceptable- When it comes to their home insurance.

The only option- A PUBLIC OPTION-and where is their outrage?

Where is their “I want my country back”?

Where is Socialism?

Where were the guns?

Unbelievable!

Mississippi- 49th in the nation for quality, affordable, accessible health care

Louisiana took their place at 50!

[stepintothelight]

C'mon we are talking about the mentality of dining room tables when you look at the "intellectuals" carrying the "industry idea of reforming itself" banner ...

Barney Frank cracks me up ... I am still rolling on that net smash he put on her.

[lawrencemuh]

irony of the story is they all really related...

[Sliceman]

Idiots and slow learners come in all colors. And they seem to have more kids.

[ComeNow]

Indeed, and I found quite a few among the so-called well-educated white elite.

[yliza]

I am ashamed to admit that I laughed at the "Hatfield vs McCoy" headline. It's a stereotype, though, and as such I must reject it. It's as bad as saying that all Southerners have 2 teeth between them (not true: I live in SC and most of the people I see have no visible gaps in their teeth), or that all Black men are criminals.

I may be an atheist, but I do believe in "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." So I apologize for finding the headline funny at first.

[KarateKid]

re: your quote "Do unto others": so, if someone comes at you with a baseball bat, you're going to do the same? See, that quote can be taken both ways.

[ladylove114]

It says "as you would HAVE them do unto you" Please read karate

[yliza]

You make no sense. If I were the one wielding the baseball bat then I would be "doing unto others". If someone comes at ME with a bat, it a different situation.

For the record, in your example, I'd probably get my head bashed in. I'm one of those non-violent types.

[Nooneyouknow]

Well, these people are living up to the stereotype. BTW, the last time I was in Charleston, letters to the editor in the local paper were still arguing that the Confederacy hadn't seceded to protect slavery but for 'states' rights.' Er--yes, the Southern states' right to keep slavery.
There's a reason some call it "Suckalina."

[ComeNow]

It sounds like you see what you want to see.

[JUST the FACTS]

Cudos, yliza. What a rational and reasonable comment. Thank you for it.

[CupOJoe]

If only they had more guns, we could have done the gene pool a huge favor.

[democracydiva]

so funny - and geez, aren't they the good models . . .

[dentuso]

THIS is why teabagging is so valuable, giving something for these southern pinh eads something to do.

[stepintothelight]

These were not Teabaggers. Just the opposite. Their rage is based on generations of localized acceptable norms of social behavior, poor education and access structure. The more you limit the options the more the limited choices are made. We need to learn that there is not "one" mindset driving America or it's more negative personality!!!

These people are a small representative of the truly forgotten tossed asides of America. They were aware of how hard things are long before many of us!!! Funny how that makes you act out.

On a certain level ... I feel a sense of this rage in our social structure in many places. I just hope we can find more positive outlets for this energy other than this type of "release"!!!

[democracydiva]

Those southerns congress critters are the first to vote against any kind of aid, or against education. It's no wonder, there are a lot of ignorant, poor folks in these areas which breeds crime etc. In the same way, we should not be surprised that a poor country like Afghanistan took down the U.S. - so too these ignorant folks will bring down their area. Education and programs are needed but the repubs won't do it.