Haley Barbour pardoned who?!? And how many?!?

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Haley Barbour, just before stepping down as governor of Mississippi, had pardoned one hundred, ninety convicted murderers and rapists. So now, the worst of the worst walk free in Mississippi, able to vote, legally own firearms, and anything else that law abiding citizens can do - because THEIR CONVICTIONS DON'T MEAN s**t ANYMORE!! !! !! !

By the way, Barbour is the same closet racist who had wanted a license plate memorializing the founder of the Ku Klux Klan, Nathan Bedford Forrest, and had discounted segregation as being all that bad.

Please, discuss, and we'll see if anything this idiot does makes a bit of sense.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

Exactly where are you getting your information?

I've gotten my information from CNN.
And yes, he had originally supported a license plate commemorating KKK founder Nathan Bedford Forrest. He had backed down only because of the national outcry, because at that time, he was still seriously considering running for president, and so didn't want to reveal himself to be the bigot he really is.

And I concede, I may have jumped the gun by reporting that the whole 190 convicts who had been pardoned are rapists and murderers - but that is how it had been initially reported early this morning when I had heard it. But then again, I don't have any reason to believe that the number of such felons granted pardons are so low, either.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

According to CNN there were some 200 pardoned. But I'd like a better comprehensive list to confirm actual murders and rapes. I'm not buying it. Sounds like a little old-fashioned north-on-south hatred to me.

Take into account the nature of some of the lesser violent crimes committed. Manslaughter is not always murder strictly speaking, and these aren't hardened criminals incapable of turning their lives around. As for the trusties that Barbour pardoned--they don't let just anybody in the governor's mansion. It takes several years of impeccably good behavior behind bars to even earn trusty privilege at all, much less the kind of status these guys had. They may have gotten away with murder, but also consider that because of the public nature of their crimes and punishment, they will have a difficult time being ostracized for the rest of their lives. They will certainly get the justice they deserve even if they aren't incarcerated for their crimes.

While I do think that it is important for the victims involved to also demand and receive justice for what was done to them, one of the truly awful things about the society we live in is the shameful lack of mercy we are willing to show each other. I do not see an unforgiving society as a healthy society. Forgive-and-forget doesn't mean we should just let all dangerous people go free or cease from granting justice to the victims of crimes. It just means that we look on all people with a compassionate attitude and celebrate when mercy is shown even to those who do not deserve it. I hope at the very least these criminals were pardoned showed remorse for the harm they did and acknowledged that what they did was wrong. We are also failing to understand the circumstances of the crimes themselves. Feelings of hopelessness and despair, for instance, can cause someone to do some crazy things. That doesn't make it right, but it does explain why someone would do those things if they felt they had no way out. Showing mercy also shows a compassionate understanding that under different circumstances no crime might even have been committed. I think it shows a strong strength of character to show mercy and compassion in the face of horrific circumstances.

On a side note, I'm not that crazy about Barbour. He comes from one of the poorest regions of the state and appears to be oblivious to what's going on around here (I'm a delta resident myself, and I'm not wasting any time getting out of here once the opportunity arises--and it's mainly because I think I can provide better opportunities for my kids elsewhere...I'll go on about delta life and regional attitudes another time). As a former teacher, I fell victim early on to massive teacher firings when Mississippi refused to fund education in a timely manner. I held on for two more years in a different district until I got fed up with administration, and I didn't fare much better in the snobby private schools after that. Better to be a self-employed instructor than face the bs of education system d-baggery. All those years of broken promises left very little to impress me, and I'm glad he's gone.

In truth, he probably did go too far with the pardon tradition and probably made some ill-conceived decisions there. But even so, that doesn't excuse the hateful attitudes of people who absolutely refuse to show any kind of compassion at all. At least we have one instance in which Barbour at the very least attempts to pretend to look past the crime and see the person. If he's genuine about it, then I gotta give him mad props for that.

Are we accepting a blanket statement that no convicted murderer or rapist can ever merit a pardon?

By all means we should hold government to account for the decisions that it makes--but those decisions should be assessed on their individual merits. If there is a rapist or murderer on that list who does not merit a pardon, then bring attention to that case and demand answers for why the decision was taken. But don't just assume that any person on that list who has a conviction for rape or murder is ipso facto undeserving of a pardon.

For one, Due Process in Mississippi has often meant that the Police arrested someone, the jury convicted them, then the trial was held.

Getting an appeal for wrongful conviction is impossible, so Pardon is the only way.

Forrest did found the Original Klan, right after the war, and did abolish it some years later. When asked what to do about night riders, he said shoot them.

There was active resistance to the Occupation/Reconstruction, Union Troops were taught manners, Carpetbaggers did vanish. It was not till 1891 when the last were run out of New Orleans.

The Klan was a rapidly thrown together stop gap, till White Citizens could organize, vote, form governments.

Carpetbaggers ran for office and bought the now free black vote. Governor Pinchback of Louisiana was a black elected Governor, with carpetbaggers running everything.

Reconstruction was 25 years of looting, lawless government, and mass arrests, where thousands were set to work clear cutting the south. It was occupation and mass white slavery.

The second Klan was a northern thing, when free blacks rode the train to Chicago and Detroit, Freed but unwanted. Them along with Catholics, Jews, Eastern Europeans. The Secretary of the Treasury was Jewish, all of Catholic south Louisiana, many French speaking, and Texas served, along with Choctaw, Cherokee, Mexicans.

The third revival of the Klan was about poor people and intergration.

None have any roots to the Stars and Bars, or the White Citizens Councils.

Our Nations Capital, Washington DC, was built by slaves.

This country was built on the Genocide of Native Americans, Slavery, and War.

The last Civil War was about the Constitution, the next one will be too.

Just who does Homeland Security make secure?

You misunderstand me, the first Klan was born of need. It was an unsettled time. Like the IWW, a sure response was the best defense.

The second was just taking the name, and it's membership was northern, and only partly directed at Blacks.

Catholics, Native American, and Jews served the Confedrate States, it was the second Klan that focused on them, and Southern and Eastern Europeans. Blacks too, but the South were limited bigots.

The Northern Klan was more anti immigrant. English, German, Protestant.

Our local version was the Old French and Spanish Catholics, objecting to the later Irish and Italians.

The 20s and 30s were a sea of America Firsters, Lindburg, established groups, Father Caughlin, Silver Shirts, The German American Bund, and the Labor Movement, That was also the high point of the second Klan.

Like now, the Government used crime, bootlegging, to pass population control laws, and by 1936, Harry Anslinger at the Beure of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, and J. Edger Hoover, investigated everyone. The 1936 Weed laws were directed at Blacks and Mexicans.

That was the last depression, unemployed and joining whoever would feed them.

It was said the South did not notice the Depression, as they had never recovered from Reconstruction. Mostly what everyone was fighting about was "Their" jobs.

Out of that came the AFL-CIO, a Government sponsored version of the Wobblies, THE WPA, CCC, and jobs created to keep millions from overthrowing the Government.

It was still a two tier country, the North got the Union jobs, and the South got Textiles, Right to Work States, and starvation wages.

Do not blame us about Civil Rights, during WWII Blacks were all assigned to be cooks, dishwashers, run mops, and do Step an Fetch It work. Load and unload, but not drive trucks. They were not issued arms. There were a few for show, but in general, stay on the bottom rung where you belong, was the Government version. It was Korea before we got a somewhat intergrated military.

Native Americans had to wait to 1973 to be declared Human Beings. As POWs, they had no rights, were confined to camps, for generations. By the Freedom Loving Government. The 1964 Civil Rights Act did not apply to them. The genocide continues, no White has been convicted of Murdering a Native American, before a White Court, Judge, Jury.

Intergration means something else when the town is half Black, not the 5% in the Northwest. Education had barely reached graduating High school, intergration destroyed the system. Those who could afford it sent their children to church schools, which is what produced the Christian Right, the rest were given an education that blocked any path top higher education.

Most southern public schools are majority Black, and the teachers have to cheat, after teaching to the test, they change answers. The quality of Public Education is declining nationwide.

At Intergration, most Blacks that had finished high school, had a functional forth grade education. Whites had Eight Grade, half way through with a C-, about the national level. That was what everyone drafted for WWII and tested showed.

Education takes generations, till parents can help. As recently as the Civil War, less than a quarter on both sides could read and write at a Forth Grade level. They were made Officers. They were White.

Education in the south was set back fifty years. Christian Conservative Republicans won election, and the churches took over government. We call them The American Taliban.

Lyndon Johnson predicted it. Democrats would lose the south for fifty years.

Now the south is rising, education is reaching Eigth Grade, people will vote for Democrats, and the North from New England to Detroit is a post industrial waste land.

Black people are returning, what everyone discovered is we have a common history and culture. We may have our differances, but we meet at the edges and accomodate each other.

We are in fair agreement that the problems in the South come from the Christian Taliban, White Trash, and Black Crackheads. Some people are just trouble.

I lived all over the country, I came back, for the same reason Blacks are returning. New Orleans is the most European city in America, the most Creole, and twice as old as America. The quality of life is good.

I think all Governments are corrupt. Back when we could meet in a phone booth I was a Conserative Republican. Sound money, limited government, since it is an evil and always has been, and few but stricty enforced laws.

We were overrun by the Religious Right, who wanted Government jobs, no taxes, Corporate welfare, Defense Spending, Debt, More laws, selectivly enforced, more police and jails, and to Rule For God.

Intergration brought the American Taliban to power. set education back fifty years, and the rich have gotten much richer, and the poor poorer, and more common.

We all share the same future. It is never easy.

Now from my IWW Song Book,

I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night, alive as you or I,
Joe said I your long years dead, oh no said Joe not I, no said Joe not I,
The copper bosses killed you Joe, they shot you dead said I,
No said Joe I didn't die, I went on to Organize, on to Organize.
Where working men fight for their rights, in every mine and mill.
It's there you'll find Joe Hill, it's there you'll find Joe Hill.

I also do, Union Maid.

Don't let the bosses tell you what to think.

Anyone notice that ex-Gov. Barbour looks like Benny Hill?

They should have made Yakkity Sax the state song during his time as governor (and showed videos of him running really fast).

Jim Garrison, brings back memories. Shows what happens when the Offical Cover Story is blown. Oswald and Ruby both had ties to Carlos Marcello, who Bobby Kennedy deported. They were also tied to the FBI, and J. Edgar's other Mob friends.

So the Kennedys get wacked, and Carlos Marcello moves back to New Orleans, and was never questioned about the hits, or why someone Deported and Barred from Reentry, was living large in New Orleans.

Ruby who was dying wacks Oswald, because of his love for JFK?

Jacki O says LBJ was in on it,

Another Texan is reading a book to school children when the Saudis get a free pass to hit New York, oil was $13 a barrel, and The Lone Gunman is identified as OBL, Once Opium production is restored, he gets wacked at his retirement home, after being captured, because he knew too much to be tried.

Viet Nam ends with a deal, we get the Laos and Cambodian parts of the Golden Triangle, and the Army of Viet Nam clears out the Kemer Rouge for us.

The Contras get a free pass to bring in Coke, set up gangs, and guns are traded to Iran financed on the drug income.

The Zetas were Special Forces trained by Americans. NAFTA was to consolidate trade across the border, and marketing in the US.

We are half way to the number killed in Iraq, at next to no expense, for they pay us for the guns out of the profits.

Jimmy Carter gave Guatamala HUEY gunships to machinegun the Mayans of the Petan, and clear title to the potential oil reserves, it was a dry hole,

To the World, Public Enemy Number One is The Government of the United States, and their Friends.

Your Tax Dollars at work.

The IWW, One Big Union, is coming back as OWS and the 99%.

We Own the Vote, so we Own the Country.

One Nation, by, for, and of the People.

A one time $20 Trillion Tax on Assets, we are in the Black, then new dollars for old, if you can prove a legal source. Domestic Dollars, not good outside the country, and International Dollars good everywhere.

It will end the illegal trades, tax the legal ones, and protect us from a future of endless debt servitude.

Vote for The Future, not The Past.