KKK store, civil rights activist landlord may go to court.

KKK store, civil rights activist landlord may go to court.

www.cnn.com

LAURENS, South Carolina (AP) -- A black civil rights activist is fighting to close a store that sells KKK robes and T-shirts emblazoned with racial slurs. David Kennedy is confident he can make it happen. After all, he says he owns the building.

Since 1996, the Redneck Shop has operated in an old movie theater that, according to court records, was transferred in 1997 to Kennedy and the Baptist church he leads.

"Our ownership puts an end to that history as far as violence and hatred, racism being practiced in that place and also the recruiting of the Klan," Kennedy said. "This is the same place that we had to go up into the balcony to go to the movies before the Klan took it. So there's a lot of history there."

But legal documents also indicate that the man who runs the store, 62-year-old John Howard, is entitled to operate his business in the building until he dies. Now the dispute may go to court.

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Does the owner of this store have the right to sell overtly racist material which may incite the public to violence? Thats a good question because it appears that the store owner has a clause in his contract that allows him to run his business until he dies....even though the owner of the building is African American.

www.cnn.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Related link: www.foxnews.com...

[edit on 10-3-2008 by realmatrix]

Big deal, the dude sells KKK stuff, are we gonna ban Karl Marx, as I think I can say it incites hatred with 100+ million deaths in the name of communism in Russia, China etc

Originally posted by blueorder
Big deal, the dude sells KKK stuff, are we gonna ban Karl Marx, as I think I can say it incites hatred with 100+ million deaths in the name of communism in Russia, China etc

Indeed, however if thats the case, then the community should be open to those businesses that sell porn, or perhaps maybe NAMBLA material.....I think this is a question of censorship and and when it is appropriate to use it....or not!

I am sure there are legal minds here at ATS that will weigh-in on this matter.

I do believe that the owner is pretty much screwed. It is in the contract. Just because one does not like what is being sold, does not mean it should be closed down. Just my $.02

I think this is actually more a matter of National Security. If there was ever a time to implement some Bush tactics, now would be it. A store would only fund this extremist group. And god knows what they are looking to do.