Originally posted by DaTruth
I find it intresting that post that have to do with race on ATS get the most replies. As far as the neo-nazi "protesting" in Toledo, they knew exactly what they were doing. Toledo (Ohio for that matter) has a lot of underlying tension between black and white. Wasn't it a couple of years ago their was a racial riot their?

I think the topic may get alot of replies, because racial tensions are high all across the country, not just Ohio. It's an emotional topic, and everybody has an opinion about it. Hopefully there will be a day when the way somebody's skin reflects light will have no bearing whatsoever. But as has been discussed, the powers that be want us busy not trusting each other, and divided. It makes their agenda easier to achieve when we're focused on other things.

[edit on 20-10-2005 by 27jd]

I live in Toledo, OH and although I wasn't in the thick of things, I only live 10 mins or so from that part of town. I have 3 fellow employees that live in that area and some of them couldn't even come to work the next day. There was a bar burnt up, a gas station and 7-11 looted, cars tipped over, assaults, and just random senseless violence.

Nothing can justify rioting like this, however it's very clear to me why these people were pissed, I mean this NSM "organization" pretty much picked a mostly black neighborhood to demonstrate and stood surrounded by cops shouting racial slurs in a blatant attempt to start #, well they got it. The most ridiculous part, they are supposed to be coming back any day now and there is not much the Mayor can do to stop it, he is trying to find loopholes and ways around the law but its not that easy. Rumor is that some of the nazi's may still be here hiding out in shops whose owners offered as protection from the rioters :puz

Toledo does have a good amount of racial tension in its recent history, but I'm not real sure how it would compare to similiar cities as I have never lived anywhere else. There have been race riots here before, only a few I can think of though, one incident I'm sure of was 1995 I think at Rogers High School, mass violence broke out and tons of police were called in. I went to Rogers as a Freshman the year after that and heard all the stories, and it didn't suprise me either because I had been the victim of at the very least racist comments from people for no apparent reason. A few years back there was a KKK rally here and similiar but not as intense violence broke out then too.

I am white and lived in a 95% black neighborhood on the southside of Toledo for 17 years and I dealt with my fair share of unprovoked racism and violence in one way or another, but I didn't let it turn me into a bigot myself, that is not the answer.

Groups like NSM and the KKK are immoral and evil and should not be allowed to incite chaos like this, but I dont see the laws changing anytime soon to prevent it, not many politicians seem to care about blacks enough to do that.


[edit on 10/20/2005 by JKersteJr]

Originally posted by JKersteJr
Groups like NSM and the KKK are immoral and evil and should not be allowed to incite chaos like this, but I dont see the laws changing anytime soon to prevent it, not many politicians seem to care about blacks enough to do that.

Again I ask, where would the line be drawn? There's always somebody who doesn't like what somebody else has to say. You can say laws should change but not many politicians care about blacks, but you can also say laws should change to ban "born again" Christians from congregating with signs in public areas where they think alot of "sinners" are and harrassing people as they walk by, telling them they are going to hell, etc. But I guess politicians don't care about agnostics, atheists, buddhists, muslims, jews, satanists, wiccans, etc. It happens all the time here in Phoenix, and none of us felt it neccesary to riot, we just ignore them.

It's ridiculous to make excuses for the rioters, like you said, you've been subject to plenty of racism, but you didn't become a bigot or direct violence at somebody who had nothing to do with the racism directed at you. However, I do feel one way to avoid this happening again, is to deny taxpayer funded protection to any organization. That way free speech is not compromised, but if you choose to demonstrate somewhere just to cause problems, you'd better have enough cash to buy some really good security or just hope help arrives in time to save you from whatever mob you've angered. I highly doubt if that was the case, those twelve morons would have chosen that location.