Update on the racist beatdown of Tasha Hill at Georgia Cracker Barrel by Troy Dale West

That makes me so sad and angry

The first thing the little girl does is blame herself. I'm so fucking angry I can't see straight. That child is going to remember this for the rest of her life. An angry, entitled redneck twice her mother's size beat her up for the crime of being black, a woman, and expecting common courtesy from a white man on her behalf, and her first reaction is to blame herself for suggesting the restaurant. That's so horrible. Tasha Hill had the right response, "That man has the devil in him."

God save ornery old queens! - kevinchi

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by: Keori @ Wed Sep 16, 2009 at 20:25:06 PM CDT

seconded

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by: Lurleen @ Wed Sep 16, 2009 at 20:27:13 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I feel so sad for that little girl!

To have to witness this kind of blatant RACISM at her age!

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by: PSzymeczek @ Wed Sep 16, 2009 at 22:49:18 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I call bullshit on the charges.

If this were about a black man attacking a white woman, he would be facing attempted murder charges. Assuming of course that he even got away from the scene alive after the witnesses were through with him.

I am the lizard queen!

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by: RainbowPhoenix @ Wed Sep 16, 2009 at 20:40:56 PM CDT

I can put money on it..

with all those witnesses, the black man wouldn't live to be charged with anything.

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by: Pam Spaulding @ Wed Sep 16, 2009 at 20:42:46 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

reminds me of the Jena hypocrisy

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by: Lurleen @ Wed Sep 16, 2009 at 20:51:59 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

That's what I was thinking of.

Granted the latter part of Jena case was more violent than was first reported. There's nothing they can about the disconnect between;

whites attack blacks = misdemeanor

blacks attack whites = attempted murder.

I am the lizard queen!

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by: RainbowPhoenix @ Wed Sep 16, 2009 at 21:12:50 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

read this thread at a site called ar15armory

http://www.ar15armory.com/foru...

The posters there are desperately trying to find a way to blame the victim or that the "race angle" is being played up. WTF? Gee "You're an fucking black nigger bitch" -nothing to see, move along...

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by: Pam Spaulding @ Wed Sep 16, 2009 at 21:16:50 PM CDT

No shit

the victim doesn't strike me as the demanding welfare type

I think my eardrums are bleeding from the pitch of that dog whistle.

this is a reparation for slavery issue

Just come out and fucking drop the N-bomb already! Christ, my little sister heard it every day in high school from nice white mormon kids, what's stopping you?

God save ornery old queens! - kevinchi

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by: Keori @ Wed Sep 16, 2009 at 21:25:31 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

it's on the tips of their tongues, Keori

It's taking every ounce of self-control not to drop the N-bomb. It's going to blow any day now.

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by: Pam Spaulding @ Wed Sep 16, 2009 at 21:27:33 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I'm trying to decide

if it will be a good thing when that happens.  On the one hand, all pretenses will be dropped and certain people will be seen for what they are (or what they believe, anyway) and they won't be able to hide behind thinly veiled rhetoric any more.  On the other hand, I'm afraid loss of verbal inhibition will come together with loss of other inhibitions.  But can society face up to the problem and hopefully plow through it until people on all sides are willing to talk openly about what they're really thinking?  

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by: Lurleen @ Wed Sep 16, 2009 at 21:53:50 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Seeking to eradicat liberalism one round at a time

That's right below psywarriors avatar, you know, the one with the reperation for slavery comment...

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by: BlahTCT @ Wed Sep 16, 2009 at 22:03:15 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Yeah, I almost want to do a Blend poll

on the question to see which pol that we all know is going to drop it first!

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by: kevinchi @ Thu Sep 17, 2009 at 09:50:00 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

And he repeated it!!

He said it at least twice!!  And she's an officer in the National Guard!!

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by: PSzymeczek @ Wed Sep 16, 2009 at 22:51:10 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Such a sad ....

but not unbelievable story.

When I lived in North Atlanta in the late 80's, the Klan, yes dear friends, the Klan, held a rally in Norcross, Ga in Gwinett County (where MARTA light rail/bus service is still not allowed to enter for "fear the darkies will come and rape our white women and pillage our property") where I worked, on a Sunday in a park by the churches in the "old village" part of Norcross near the railroad station.

A hundred of us were there to protest the pointy headed dumb bastards.

Bigotry is still alive and well in the "New South" all these years after the Civil War.  

Just because your voice reaches halfway around the world doesn't mean you are wiser than when it reached only to the end of the bar. - Edward R Murrow

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by: Lyndon @ Wed Sep 16, 2009 at 21:34:06 PM CDT

Yep

At the National 4-H Congress in Atlanta in 1996, I had the good fortune to meet another person who was a political wonk at an early age.  Fred was African-American and hailed from a first-ring suburb of Atlanta.  After we'd been talking for a while, I just had to know first-hand, from someone who'd lived it, whether the racial tension in the South was as bad as I'd heard.  (I'm from MN).

His response?  "Atlanta's pretty decent, but get half an hour outside of town and they still have regular Klan meetings, right in public."

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by: CubPaws2008 @ Thu Sep 17, 2009 at 13:15:52 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Disgusting...

And Republicans claim "hate crimes don't happen"? This is just frightening. Is there anything these bigots can't get away with?

Act on Principles and make equality happen.  

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by: atdnext @ Wed Sep 16, 2009 at 22:01:29 PM CDT

An idea

Here's an idea, how about charging this asswipe with violating her civil rights!

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by: amberb_57 @ Wed Sep 16, 2009 at 22:18:17 PM CDT

that's a good idea

That is a crime under Federal law: 2 counts would be good, the harm to both mother and daughter.

Also the mother and daughter can sue, and since he has a business there's money there. A multi-count tort claim is something to consider. Plus, though they tell you in Torts class to tack Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress on any claim regardless, there might be a good case for two counts there:

Defendant acted intentionally or recklessly; and
Defendant's conduct was extreme and outrageous; and
Defendant's act is the cause of the distress; and
Plaintiff suffers severe emotional distress as a result of defendant's conduct.

It shouldn't be double jeopardy, since the criminal and civil counts are different. And let's see whether the DA or the U.S. Attorney brings felony counts. And mother and daughter should seek the nastiest torts attorney they can find. The damages are quantifiable: the counseling they'll need will be considerable, not to mention the medical bills.

Make an example of this creep, for everyone's sake.

Fiat justitia ruat coelum.
Let justice be done, though the heavens fall.

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by: coram nobis @ Wed Sep 16, 2009 at 23:13:39 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

In addition...

A suit against the restaurant, the manager, and a number of employees for allowing the beating to continue!

You can bet there was alot of screaming and shrieking going on, and the cashiers or store-area customers didn't run to the door or windows to see what the hell was going on? Give me a freaking break!

Listen to "TransTalk" every Monday from 4-5pm ET on http://www.falconradio.org beginning January 11th!

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by: Marlene @ Thu Sep 17, 2009 at 07:39:37 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

That was my 1st thought: WITNESSES?

Why the fuck didn't someone kill that bastard? I woulda.

Visit me on The Wild Wild Left dot Com!

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by: Diane Gee @ Thu Sep 17, 2009 at 07:50:58 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

And Rep Virginia Foxx (R-NC) said

"That incident with that black woman in Georgia was a hoax. The videotape was fabricated and the witnesses are all liburals. They are just trying to undermine our Gid-given and Constitutional right to be the superior race."

In other news, Cracker Barrel consistently rates very low on the LGBT equality scales. It is a "Christian" family restaurant. Which means if you're white, straight and pray to Jesus you are welcome - if you are not they'll have the customers who are beat the holy shit out of you.

My heart goes out to this family. The really sad part is that the little girl will grow up hating white people and discrimination will continue to permeate our society. I hope lots of decent white people reach out to this little girl - she needs to know that the bigot is the problem - not race and not her.

Close the GayTM. Only give to candidates who have actually done something other than make promises - most are just pandering for our cash.

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by: JohnVisser @ Wed Sep 16, 2009 at 22:35:33 PM CDT

Income Opportunities

1. Hint to defense lawyers: All West has to do in order for all charges against him to be dropped is to speak out against gay marriage. On the spot, he will have a reserved place on the Carrie Prejean/Patricia Mauceri/Troy Dale West Family Values Speaking Tour, and his next year's rent is all paid for.

2. Several guest spots on Fox News will pay for another six months'.

3. Glenn Beck has a new all-American hero to lionize. Go for it, Glenn! Residuals on Troy Dale West t-shirts and framed portraits will last him until 2011.

4. Any video implicating West in any crime is a fake (but Obama was born in Kenya). A lawsuit against the major media is a certain winner!

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by: Jim @ Thu Sep 17, 2009 at 00:20:50 AM CDT

Does Georgia not have any Hate Crime laws?

Usually, if an incident is determined to be a hate crime, the level of the charge is bumped up a level, which might for example turn a misdemeanor battery case into a felony battery case.  I do not understand why hate crime laws would not apply in this case. At least the FBI has been contacted and provided with a copy of the video footage.

Special contempt should be reserved for the soulless political "leaders" who are stirring up racial hatred on radio, television and Tea Parties, clinging to the idea that they can harness that energy and use it to stop healthcare reform and other items on what they perceive as the liberal agenda.  

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by: h0ipolloi @ Thu Sep 17, 2009 at 00:48:17 AM CDT

Forget Georgia hate crime laws

Even if they have 'em -- and I suppose the Google is our friend in that regard -- I still like the idea of a § 1983 civil rights action.  It's a slam-dunk, I think (although I thought the Christianist criminal contempt case in Pensacola today was a slam dunk, too, and I was so wrong).

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by: Sinfonian @ Thu Sep 17, 2009 at 21:46:34 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

As a white male...

I've been reading this blog for a couple years now, and it has really opened my eyes. I feel like we do need a national discussion on race (as has been talked about before), but I think that those who most need to hear it most are too blind to care.

I think it's all about educating the younger generations.  It's a slow process.  We've come a long way, and we still have a long way to go.

Thoughts?

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by: shaz4005 @ Thu Sep 17, 2009 at 01:28:02 AM CDT

we have a discussion ...

... unfortunately it's dominated by Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Hugh Dobbs and their ilk. I wonder just how many more such incidents we'll get in this climate.

And, frankly, I'd like to know just which talking heads were favorites of this particular perpetrator. Do the commentators think they can wind up the borderline psychopaths like a bunch of Frankenstein robots, turn them loose and then disclaim them? They themselves might need to be called to account. Torts, anyone?

Do you know how to say "proximate cause"? I KNEW you could!

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by: coram nobis @ Thu Sep 17, 2009 at 11:22:31 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Cracker Barrel

Go figure!

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by: QuickSilver @ Thu Sep 17, 2009 at 01:43:46 AM CDT

Win

"Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion, you must set yourself on fire!"

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by: Reiuji @ Thu Sep 17, 2009 at 01:52:35 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Gah!

But the Republicans assured us that America is now in a "post-racist era." Why would they ever lie???

Find all GLBTQ current events in USA here: www.theglbtactivist.org

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by: wspencer @ Thu Sep 17, 2009 at 01:49:06 AM CDT

indescribable rage

This makes me go to any ugly place, a mommy-pitbull-bitch place where I want to go back in time and jump that m-fer before he could touch her. That poor woman, her now-damaged by-the-racist-asshole, poor daughter. That child should carry no weight about his actions, but thats not the way human minds work, is it? Victims always try & blame themselves.

I cannot tell you the violent thought crimes I am committing on that racist trailer trash.

I cannot help but believe that people like him are walking time bombs that have been triggered by those on Fox, the Becks & Limbaughs who are sending the message that its ok to not only think sick thoughts, but to act on them.

They are fomenting a race war.

The comments are dead on correct about the injustice and bias of the legal system against blacks, too.

This whole rotten system needs tearing down. I'm sure I'm going to anger someone here, but I have said it before: White people are the blight of the planet. Name one place where we have set foot and improved the lot of the indigenous people. One. Where we have not degraded our fellow man and screwed the environment. Fuckers don't know how to live in the World, they think they own it.

Disclaimer: Yeah, I'm white. So? Its not self-loathing, my Irish and Polish ancestors didn't invade anyone. But I can read white-washed history and see the obvious repetition.

/rant.


Visit me on The Wild Wild Left dot Com!

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by: Diane Gee @ Thu Sep 17, 2009 at 05:32:05 AM CDT

and as a trained soldier

had she retaliated, and put the whoop-ass on him, they would have charged HER with assault with a deadly weapon... because any military training supposedly makes one a deadly weapon.

Ok, off to write this up in much angrier terms as my morning post on my tiny blog.


Visit me on The Wild Wild Left dot Com!

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by: Diane Gee @ Thu Sep 17, 2009 at 05:39:10 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

link

Not cross posting it, because its probably too incendiary and blue of language for this classy establishment.

http://thewildwildleft.soapblo...

"White Blight: Time to Take OUT the Whole Barrel of Crackers"

Visit me on The Wild Wild Left dot Com!

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by: Diane Gee @ Thu Sep 17, 2009 at 07:21:07 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

this would be a good opportunity..

..for a national gay group to step up and rally with the lady and her daughter.  i relate to african americans through events like this.  i'm white.  i relate to the pain and incomprehension of being hated by strangers.  to me, pain is pain, and it is such an individual thing in its lasting legacy.  she will always remember this event and he has taken innocence from her.  she could also have the memory of a bunch of gay folks [and the white males that often run them] that sent her love and acceptance so that her memories are more full of loving people and she can see him as mentally deranged.  we can help her not hate in return.  i believe gay groups would do well to help other minority groups; we are all spit on the same and that brings a certain comraderie.  there's more of 'us' if we all work together.

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by: swabby @ Thu Sep 17, 2009 at 08:02:00 AM CDT

I agree with you

This is just the kind of case to say -- enough is enough. Stop the gay bashing, stop the racist beatdowns. You all know this same guy, if given the opportunity, would have smashed an LGBT who looked at him the wrong way.  

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by: Pam Spaulding @ Thu Sep 17, 2009 at 10:36:34 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Really, really good idea

If someone here has contacts with any of the Georgia LGBT groups, it would be excellent to make public statements of support.  

You're exactly right that Troy Dale West is the sort of misanthropist who would have just as quickly attacked a gay man or a lesbian or a trans person, tossing out the slurs while doing so.  

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by: h0ipolloi @ Thu Sep 17, 2009 at 12:17:44 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I'm sad the witnesses didn't help

If I were there I would have wrangled him by his mullet.

Sadly, you would never find me at a Cracker Barrel.

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by: flyerfier @ Thu Sep 17, 2009 at 08:31:04 AM CDT

The cringe

Everytime one of these mommas get on TV especially defending their sons being assholes (and in this case a racist asshole) I just cringe.  

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by: kevinchi @ Thu Sep 17, 2009 at 09:53:02 AM CDT

Can you imagine...

How Rush, Dobbs, and Beck would handle this if a white soldier were beat down by a minority or leftie person?

The ranting and screaming would be unbearable.

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by: SharonB @ Thu Sep 17, 2009 at 16:01:11 PM CDT