As of yesterday, there had been 37 suspicious fires at black churches in the last 18 months, including two in Mississippi late Monday night. During about the same time frame, according to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), there have been 23 suspicious fires at predominantly white churches, which far outnumber black churches. Just this week, another white church, in suburban Atlanta, was heavily damaged by fire that investigators are examining for possible arson.
Responding to the wave of church burnings, the House yesterday overwhelmingly approved legislation to make it easier for federal officials to prosecute those involved in church burnings and to make it a federal crime to damage religious property because of its "racial or ethnic character."
At first glance one would assume that this quote was referring to the civil rights 1960s era when the South responded with violence to the Civil Rights Movement
Surprisingly the quote refers to a number of Church burnings in 1996 when Clinton was president. So racism did not end during his two terms in office.
And in fact there have been such racist motivated acts up until the present.
The civilized Israelis whom we are told represent the ideals and values Western Civilization have a policy of shooting unarmed civilians and beating , abusing and torturing prisoners especially those who are Palestinian or Arab.
Israel backed by the Obama administration are still upset that one Israeli soldier is in the hands of Hamas . Yet they do not mention the thousands of Palestinians who are being held as political prisoners in Israel who are abused & terrorized by Israeli guards.
The Americans who also believe that international laws do not apply to them abuse, beat and torture Prisoners.
Due to American exceptionalism, Manifest Destiny & God's Chosen Nation the rest of the world's nations and peoples and religions have no right to question American policies.
Israel has shown itself to have an arrogant delusional view of itself as the Chosen of God or of History.
Beating & kicking even the wounded
Shot Australian: "They were kicking my wounds, strapping me up..."
June 08, 2010 — Australian Ahmed Luqman speaks about his treatment by Israeli troops after being shot during last week's raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla.
Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2010...
USA Homegrown terrorists:
Department of Justice Press ReleaseAh the good old days of the 1990s - Racism was alive and well then and with Obama as president the racism continues in the guise of rhetorical flourishes and dog whistle coded words ie socialist , not a real American, Not one of us etc.
June 16, 2010 U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Public Affairs
(202) 514-2007/TDD (202) 514-1888
Springfield, Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Church Arson
WASHINGTON—The Justice Department today announced that Benjamin Haskell, 23, of Springfield, Mass., pleaded guilty to a superseding information charging him with two crimes related to the burning of the Macedonia Church of God in Christ, a predominantly African-American church, in Springfield on the morning after President Barack Obama was elected as the first African-American president of the United States.
The superseding information charged that in the early morning hours of Nov. 5, 2008, within hours of President Obama being elected, Haskell and his co-conspirators agreed to burn, and succeeded in burning, the Macedonia Church of God in Christ’s newly constructed building where religious services were to be held for its predominantly African-American congregation. The building was 75 percent completed at the time of the fire, which destroyed the entire structure leaving only the metal superstructure and a small portion of the front corner intact. Investigators determined the fire to be incendiary in nature and caused by an unknown quantity of gasoline applied to the exterior and interior of the building.
Haskell damaged religious property and obstructed the free exercise of religious because of the race, color, or ethnic characteristics of any individual associated with that religious property. Haskell conspired to injure, oppress, threaten, and intimidate the parishioners of the Macedonia Church of God in Christ in the free exercise or enjoyment of the right to hold and use real property, a right which is secured in the Constitution and laws of the United States.
“The freedom to practice the religion that we choose in a safe environment without being subjected to discrimination or hateful acts is among our nation’s most cherished rights,” said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Anyone who violates that right will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz of the District of Massachusetts said, “Today's conviction should send a strong message that hate crimes will be vigorously investigated and prosecuted in Massachusetts. When I announced my civil rights initiative earlier this month, I made it clear that the U.S. Attorney’s Office will be reinvigorating it's efforts in this area, and making it one our top priorities.”
In Church Fires, a Pattern but No Conspiracy
By William Booth
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, June 19, 1996; Page A01
The people burning down black churches in the South are generally white, male and young, usually economically marginalized or poorly educated, frequently drunk or high on drugs, rarely affiliated with hate groups, but often deeply driven by racism, according to investigators and a review of those arrested or convicted in the burnings.
Little evidence has emerged to suggest a national or regional conspiracy, according to investigators. But they point to a climate of underlying racism that encourages the arsonists to strike at African American churches.
Noah Chandler at the Center for Democratic Renewal, a civil rights watchdog group in Atlanta, put it this way: "The conspiracy is racism itself."
At the same time, the burnings of predominantly African American churches occur against what investigators said is a backdrop of widespread arson against houses of religion of all kinds, including white churches, mosques and synagogues.
As of yesterday, there had been 37 suspicious fires at black churches in the last 18 months, including two in Mississippi late Monday night. During about the same time frame, according to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), there have been 23 suspicious fires at predominantly white churches, which far outnumber black churches. Just this week, another white church, in suburban Atlanta, was heavily damaged by fire that investigators are examining for possible arson.
Responding to the wave of church burnings, the House yesterday overwhelmingly approved legislation to make it easier for federal officials to prosecute those involved in church burnings and to make it a federal crime to damage religious property because of its "racial or ethnic character." President Clinton, meanwhile, asked Congress to provide an extra $12 million for investigations; a House Appropriations subcommittee indicated it would go along.
New Details on Church Arson Suspect
Alabama Church Arson Arrests
April 20, 2006
Watch CBS News Videos Online
Watch CBS News Videos Online
Sketches released in Texas church fires probe feb 12, 2010
There have been a total of 11 church fires so far this year, 10 of them found to be deliberately set.
There is no clear theme linking the fires, which have struck churches of different denominations, including Baptist, Methodist and Church of Christ Scientist, on different days of the week and at different times of the day.
Gaza: End of the Siege? by Robert Dreyfuss The Nation Via Common Dreams.org June 22,2010
"This is the beginning of the total collapse of the siege."
So said Hanin Zuabi, an Israeli Arab member of the parliament who was aboard the flotilla that was attacked by Israel on May 31. That judgment may be a bit premature, however, and both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority are being far more cautious in their assessments of the Israeli decision to weaken its blockade of Gaza.
The siege hasn't ended yet, and it's unclear precisely what commodities will be allowed to flow in and out of Gaza. The naval blockade remains, but land crossings are to be reopened, while being carefully controlled by the Israeli armed forces. But Netanyahu himself said that while Israel will prevent "weapons and war-supporting material" from entering Gaza, "All other goods will be allowed into Gaza."
We'll see. There are major questions about how it will work out. Construction materials and equipment, for instance, will be allowed only when tied to projects approved by the Palestinian Authority and carried out under international supervision, i.e., not by Hamas.
Quartet asks Israel to implement easing of Gaza blockade Via M&C,June 21, 2010
New York - The Middle East diplomatic group Monday asked Israel to fully implement its decision to ease the blockade of the Gaza Strip.
A statement issued by the United Nations, the European Union, the United States and Russia - the diplomatic group known as the quartet - called for Israel to elaborate on the details of its new policy, which was announced last week after Israel was criticized for its military intervention to stop a humanitarian flotilla bound for Gaza on May 31. Nine people were killed in the incident.
'Full and effective implementation will comprise a significant shift in strategy towards meeting the needs of Gaza's population for humanitarian and commercials goods,' the statement said.
Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barack, who met with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at UN headquarters, told reporters that crossings into Gaza were being opened to let goods enter. But Barack said commodities like cement and iron remain banned.
'The decision by the Israeli cabinet is being implemented to ease the inflow of goods as long as they are for humanitarian needs and not war materials,' Barack said.
He said the decision to ban cement and iron is applied also to the West Bank in an agreement with the Palestinian Authority. Israel claims cement and iron can be used for defence purposes. The Palestinians in Gaza said they need those items to rebuild destroyed buildings and the infrastructure.
The quartet's statement said other needs include civilian reconstruction and infrastructure, economic activities and Israel's security. The statement asked Israel to carry out its decision 'as quickly as possible.'
The quartet said it will closely monitor the easing of the blockade 'in all its aspects.' Israel closed crossings into Gaza and mounted a sea blockade three years ago after militant Hamas won election to rule Gaza and its 1.5 million inhabitants.
(The quartet in effect denied the legitimacy of the Gaza Flotilla as a means of resistance to Israel & its illegal and inhumane blockade of Gaza- So the Palestinians get to eat or eat a little better because Israel decides from on high being God's chosen nation and whereas they characterize Palestinians as barbaric , blood thirsty fanatics who must be quarantened as the South African Apartheid regime did to Black South Africans as if the Afrakaners treated Black South Africans justly and fairly which would be utter nonsense.)
In a reference to the flotilla incident, the quartet called on organizations that want to deliver goods to Gaza to do so 'through established channels so that their cargo can be inspected and transferred via land crossings into Gaza.'
'The quartet emphasizes that there is no need for unnecessary confrontations and calls on all parties to act responsibly in meeting the needs of the people of Gaza,' the statement said.
The quartet, which has tried to maintain a balance in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, also called for the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who was captured by Hamas militants four years ago on Saturday.
The quartet 'condemns' Hamas' violations of international obligations to let the International Committee of the Red Cross visit Shalit. It called for Hamas to allow such a visit.
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