Woman Faces 15 Years for Cutting Line at Walmart, KKK Involved

"Racism recently entered in to the story when Ellis was handed KKK cards from a Kennett police officer warning her about her actions. The cards stated, "You've just been paid a social visit by the Ku Klux Klan; the next visit will not be social." The officer claims that he only showed the family the cards to make them aware of the situation."

I find this very hard to swallow. I can believe there are police officers who may be KKK, but to walk around with a card in your pocket identifying yourself as KKK? And then giving that card to someone as a threat? And then admitting you gave them the card? Just imagine:

"Hi, I'm officer Rivera and I'm MS-13. If you testify about the drug dealers on your street corner you'll be visited by another member of MS-13 and it won't be pretty. See my MS-13 tattoo? Here let me give you my card so you'll know I'm MS-13 and I mean business. If you tell anyone about this and show them the card I'll just have to admit it and tell them I was just making you aware of your situation. Have a nice day."

Honestly, does anybody really buy that?

reply to post by VictorVonDoom


Stranger things have happened. People robbing banks and writing the note on their own withdrawl slips, cops allowing women to pose naked on their squad cars, home burglars breaking into homes, rating, taking a nap and playing video games.

He probably did give it to them to show them, but I need to hear/see more before I accuse him of being a Klan member.



[edit on 16-10-2009 by EMPIRE]

reply to post by jdmjam

Do they user "Ultra White" washing powder on those suits they wear, why don't my shirts look that good :-)

This is sorta off topic, but a snicker is needed.

My foster mom did something to her dad's KKK uniform- she HATED the man- She tie dyed it. And he had a meeting that night, full dress.

Imagine how he felt, in fruity groovy colors.....

Originally posted by MegaCurious
Second of all, you don't know a crap about what it's like to be black in America.

Originally posted by MegaCurious

I didn't see any "Militant blacks". When did asking for equal and fair treatment cause you to be labeled as a "Militant black"?

You have a massive chip on your shoulder. Instead of holding your head high and avoiding race issues you drag people down to this and as soon as someone disagrees you start saying they don't know anything. You ignorantly support militant black groups by saying they're just asking for equal rights. Well you know what, lots of those groups are militant, they threaten violence, they are equally as bad as the KKK.

I believe you are blinded by race and therefore are a racist. You need to grow up, lose that huge chip on your shoulder and rise above the pettiness of some people. Racism may be endemic but it will only remain that way if people like yourself treat all white people as if they were racists.

EDIT

Originally posted by wylekat
This is sorta off topic, but a snicker is needed.

My foster mom did something to her dad's KKK uniform- she HATED the man- She tie dyed it. And he had a meeting that night, full dress.

Imagine how he felt, in fruity groovy colors.....

If that is true then your foster mom is epic! lol

[edit on 17-10-2009 by ImaginaryReality1984]

reply to post by ModernAcademia


Very wise, and very true words. Refreshing to read such an informed, and well said post. Thank you.

reply to post by wylekat


You reminded me of a time when a local bar that me and my co workers tended to go to after work, at night it was a pretty popular place. I got to know the owner and had opened an account, that was a pretty big deal apparently to some people, because not everyone was allowed to do that. Anyway, he revealed to us (me and my ex) that he was in the KKK, of course I was not impressed, he also said that they were going to have a meeting there that night in the back. I was pretty tipsy when I saw one guy come in wearing a red kkk 'uniform?' and started laughing at him, I couldn't stop laughing, and a couple of more guys came in dressed in the silly things only their's were white, and I kept laughing and cracking jokes about how stupid they looked. Needless to say, I was not only kicked out that night, I was banned, and the owner sent a copy of my bill to me and a note saying not to bother to come out and pay it, he didn't want my money. Oh well, didn't hurt my feeling at all, but I still think they looked like a bunch of tall garden gnomes.

edit to fix silly spelling error

[edit on 17-10-2009 by space cadet]

If this woman commited a crime, she should be held accountable. The action of cutting in line is not a crime, her actions after that are at issue. Did she become verbal or violent to store employees? Did she refuse to leave the store when asked? We don't know, but something prompted the store to involve law enforcement.

Now, if the officer gave her a card from the KKK, one that made a veiled threat, then he/she needs to be held accountable for that action by having his/her butt canned. There is no place for that type of ignorance in any job, let alone law enforcement.

Should she sue everyone and their mother?...... Sorry, but my answer is no.

IMO, the officer being fired would be recourse enough. Walmart has no control over the officers behavior, he is not their employee and they should not have to pay for his/her mistake. I also believe the police department itself would have to have prior knowledge of this officer using his/her little card or using his/her membership in the KKK previously for them to be held accountable.

With that said, I'm sorry, but every time a topic is posted here that has any racial undertones, it becomes a free for all of people insulting each other. I'm tired of all these woes me statements about how hard it is to be a minority in America when it's hard to be ANYONE in America in these troubling times. Maybe we should try to stop picking fights with each other over nonsense and confront the truth of the situation, we are all in this together and if we don't stand together, we certainly will fall together.

And before anyone says it, I'm mixed race. Yes, there are racists still around, they come in all colors & they are the true minority. Don't give them the power & they don't win. Simple as that.

IMO;

If there was no racism, there would be no 'race card' to be played...

That's what it comes down to.

As a person of 'ethnic minority', the fact is, there is racism. And when something turns sour, the first thing that comes to mind is, 'WAIT, that's RACISM!' It's not an act designed to garner sympathy, it's simply an automatic response that happens in the mind of the 'victim' because it's how we are 'conditioned' to think as a result of the society we live in. For example, the other day, I was approaching a laneway. There was a 'white' woman ahead of me; a car was pulling into the laneway, saw the other woman and stopped. By the time the woman was halfway across the laneway, I was at the curb; the driver of the car looked at me, and drove on, not allowing me to cross. In my mind, it shouted 'RACISM'. But it probably wasn't. Maybe it was. Who knows. Maybe it was because I was younger, respect your elders and all that. Maybe no-one else thinks about it this much and considers how it will appear to someone else and simply responds to the situation at the time.

Editing to add:

Basically, I think the woman should have just responded as a 'human' and not brought the whole race thing into it, even if it was a factor.

We are never going to abolish racism if the issue is used again and again as an excuse for behaviour. The more it becomes as unacceptable to use race as an excuse against racists the more it becomes unacceptable to be racist as it's basically a non issue. I understand that humans are human and want to get ahead of other humans; why make something like race, which is something the person that is born into it, unable to change, a part of it? Don't we all have a big enough struggle in life to not need to make that an added factor?

Yeah, we look different. Big deal. So they speak a different language or have an accent. Are we going to start whaling on people who understand HTML?

[edit on 17-10-2009 by SerialLurker]

Originally posted by gimme_some_truth

Originally posted by mikerussellus
reply to post by MegaCurious

 

Equal and fair is fine. Developing a race issue out of thin air makes it millitant.

The KKK threatened physical harm to this black family via a card that said " This was a social visit... The next one will not be social"

If this is not a race issue than My name is not Scott... and my name IS Scott....

If a black person standing up against injustices that were trespassed upon this is "Militant" then you must really hate people such as Martin Luther King JR. You know how militant those peaceful protests were....

They were about as militant as a black woman fighting for her rights as an American citizen..... In other words... Militant is not a word that should be used to describe this woman or the people defending her... Do you know why? Because this is reality... That's why....

To reply.

First off, a wise adult once told me that in order to have a fight, both sides have to participate. To generate such a mountain out of an obvious molehill is outlandish! The KKK is an anachronism, a disgusting reminder that we aren't there yet by any means, but as they are relegated to a far corner of our history, it might be wise to keep one or two "tokens" on a shelf somewhere so we never forget how stupid humanity can be.

As for the other side. If they truely emulated Dr. King, perhaps this all would have never happened in the first place. I find that people who are too quick to refer to the content of melanin in their skin, are bereft of the intellect to justify their actions in any other way.

Originally posted by Miraj
reply to post by JIMC5499

 

Still. I wouldn't expect to see an armed guard in a Walmart.

And I would hope so. Almost all the security guards I see (not armed) are pretty incompetent.

Depending on the store's location, they are there, just not uniformed.

reply to post by EMPIRE


I couldn't help but notice that the CNN video said nothing about the KKK card. It seems to me that if that card actually exists they would not only have talked about it, they would have shown it. The whole card thing seems to be in there just to make a race issue out of it. So let's see the video and let's see the card.

I'm still trying to picture going to OfficeMax and ordering a batch. "Let's see, I want an intimidating font. Should I use a logo or a picture of me in my hood? Which card stock should I select? Something waterproof and tear resistant, maybe? Getting 1000 is more cost efficient than 500, but I don't know if I'll be trying to intimidate that many people. Excuse me, ma'am, but you're black; does this card say 'I would burn a cross in your yard but I'm just too busy right now' to you?"

reply to post by MegaCurious


This is interesting. On the Jane Velez Mitchell clip from CNN, she states that this has been ongoing for 3 years now. I find it very interesting that her attorney wasn't able to obtain an order for Walmart to turn over a copy the security tape to the defense. The prosecution is claiming that they have a copy of the tape. At the very least it needs to be turned over to the defense as part of discovery.

Without the tape I doubt the State has a case.

Her father claims that the issue was not cutting in line, but language. I'm going to review the segment again to see if I can find more information on the case.
Sounds fishy to say the least.

(I like your Titor avatar).

reply to post by VictorVonDoom

I'm still trying to picture going to OfficeMax and ordering a batch.

Ummm... I am REALLY quite sure they either have their own printing facilities, or there's a business either friendly to them, or that they set up that prints it. Think about it.... the uniforms, too.... SOMEONE had to have made them... It's not like you can go to the store and buy off the rack, is it? So, they are made, most likely in an industrial method. Which means yet again, they have their own means, or they have a business in their pocket.

reply to post by MegaCurious



College Student's Arrest Leads To Racism Claims

www.wreg.com...

reply to post by VictorVonDoom


College Student's Arrest Leads To Racism Claims

www.wreg.com...

The local story explicitly cites the KKK intimidation claim.

reply to post by VictorVonDoom

I couldn't help but notice that the CNN video said nothing about the KKK card. It seems to me that if that card actually exists they would not only have talked about it, they would have shown it. The whole card thing seems to be in there just to make a race issue out of it. So let's see the video and let's see the card.

The card exists, and according to one of the links, “The officer claims that he only showed the family the cards to make them aware of the situation." Moreover, the CNN video they have now shows the father doing damage control, and there are many things he and the station omit, but I can’t sit hear and say they omitted this or that to play on some race issue.

Finally, click on the link posted by Elfie as it shows the card and provides details about the officers report about the card (it even shows the report.)

I'm still trying to picture going to OfficeMax and ordering a batch. "Let's see, I want an intimidating font. Should I use a logo or a picture of me in my hood? Which card stock should I select? Something waterproof and tear resistant, maybe? Getting 1000 is more cost efficient than 500, but I don't know if I'll be trying to intimidate that many people. Excuse me, ma'am, but you're black; does this card say 'I would burn a cross in your yard but I'm just too busy right now' to you?"

You’re making light of the situation or simply lack the ability to use critical reading and thinking skills. I don’t know which it is, but for now I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt. However, I have two questions for you. Which is easier to print cards or books? The KKK has a history of creating hate literature and propaganda (books, phamplets, leaflets, flyers, compact discs, etc) where did they make all of these things?


[edit on 17-10-2009 by EMPIRE]

reply to post by jdmjam


The voice of reason. Thanks! I can not believe some of these comments.

Its all Wal-Marts fault.

A friend of mine went to Wal-Mart a couple of years ago around christmas time. They were open extended hours and this was around midnight-1AM. She witnessed a fist fight break out in the middle of the store over some sale items.

She said the place erupted and the police came in force, taking away several bloodied people.

Originally posted by EMPIRE
reply to post by VictorVonDoom

 

You’re making light of the situation or simply lack the ability to use critical reading and thinking skills. I don’t know which it is, but for now I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt. However, I have two questions for you. Which is easier to print cards or books? The KKK has a history of creating hate literature and propaganda (books, phamplets, leaflets, flyers, compact discs, etc) where did they make all of these things?

Hey, no harm intended. I just got that picture in my head when I wondered about where the officer got the card. It seemed like a funny image to me and I thought I'd share. Trying to bring a little levity to this discussion didn't seem like a bad thing at the time.

I read the link you provided on the card. That info wasn't available to me when I posted earlier. Now, am I wrong, or is that a klansman standing behind a poodle on that picture. Seriously, that's what it looks like on my monitor. If someone can tell me what that is, I'd like to know. Anyway, that link fills in some gaps.

From the original links, I got the impression that the officer gave her the card at the police station, and later admitted it saying he was just trying to make her aware of her situation. Now, with all the intelligent, unemployed people out there, you can understand why I wouldn't think a police officer that stupid would still have a job. What cop would carry around a card like that, then give it to someone as evidence that he tried to intimidate her? And then admit it? It didn't make sense to me.

The link you provided says that there a march passing by her house, unclear who was marching, and the officer came to the door and showed it to her to make her aware that the card was found near her house. Now if that is a lie, at least it's more believable, depending on who was doing the marching. If the klan had marched by, then yeah, those cards might be laying around, and an officer who had never met the woman might show her one so that she would be aware that the card was found. It probably wouldn't be the only card in the neighborhood, either. But if only one card was found or it was a Girl Scout march or something, it should be looked into a little further.

Thanks for the additional info.