Several comments on yesterday's post raise important questions, but answers are truly elusive. (And thanks to KnoxViews and Say Uncle for linking to the story.)
I too have heard much about large membership in the area for Klan and "other" extremist groups, but why are they tolerated here??
What type of brutish behavior could a disabled vet have presented to force police to taser him?? Was he threatening anyone? Will the same officials who called for this large deployment be the ones to investigate what occurred?
Other questions remain large - how much will all this deployment cost??
Is this town a smoldering fire awaiting violent eruption over racial issues?
If so, why is there little media attention paid to the issue?
As usual, the Knox media took no interest in the story, other than to report the official line, and no serious investigation or any followup has occurred. There was a brief mention on the FOX News program Hannity & Colmes, but they too simply smirked their way through this event in their "fair and balanced" format.
There are about 17 or 18 different nations which own and operate large companies in this county - Japan, Italy, Germany, and many more. Perhaps local officials wanted to present a fierce and hard opposition to the group who was protesting illegal immigration in order to assure all those investors that local government supports them and not the "others".
We certainly appear to be a community of conflicting viewpoints, and I am not endorsing conflict. But so much remains unspoken, and dissent seems to be forcibly repressed in an instant.
How ironic that a multi-county, state-supplied armed response is present but the most prominent comment is "Nothing to see here! Move along!"
There has allways been the presence of organized racism in this area. I have heard the story recounted to a visit to a Klan Wizard on Liberty Hill road back during the 60's and some of the "refugees" into the area have strong racist leanings.
ReplyDeleteUnless I was lied to, there was a small KKK rally in Sneedville several years ago meant to intimidate black construction workers in town for a construction project who were staying at a local motel.
If I were looking for "undercover" KKK members I wouldn't dismiss looking among the security forces or the onlookers.