USA Restoration Of Ku Klux Klan Leader’s Monument Riles Up Debate

[namjiwankaur]

Restoration of Ku Klux Klan Leader’s Monument story:

http://www.care2.com/causes/restoration-of-ku-klux-klan-leaders-monument-riles-up-debate.html

This article brings up lots of questions for me & I'm wondering what your opinions are:

1. Should it be legal for a monument of a KKK leader to exist?
2. Should we ban through laws the existence of KKK, neo-nazi and white supremacist groups?
3. How much do groups like these feed into hate crimes and terrorist activities?
4. If we outlawed these types of groups, would their numbers diminish? Would it reduce hate crimes?
5. Another big question this gets me asking: should America face its past of intolerance and really take a close look at how we ignore the parts of our history where we stole land from Native Americans and kept slaves from Africa, forbid African Americans from sitting at the front of the bus or segregation? How much would it effect the current climate where intolerance leads to hate crimes against Muslims, Sikhs and others who have been discriminated against since 9/11?

Nam Jiwan

 

[Joginder Singh Foley]

WJKKWJKF


This is going to open up a whole new can of worms in the humble opinon of this Sikh and is an issue that will need serious intellectual discussion I forward to following this thread with interest to see how it developes


:happysingh:

 

[namjiwankaur]

Joginder ji

It is hard for me when I grow up in a country where we cherish freedom of speech, freedom of religion, etc.. But, imho, we need to start addressing hate speech as a violation and abuse of freedom of speech. Just as we acknowledge someone can be abused verbally, we might need to consider what is verbal bashing of someone. There were once many gay bashings and it was necessary to create laws to protect gays from being attacked. We also made laws that forbid discrimination. And the US is recently addressing bullying and its effects on children.

Perhaps it can't become a law to prevent hateful speech, but our society (I speak of the US since that is where I'm from) can treat it in a way that causes us to frown on anything which grows from hate and discrimination.

Maybe we are allowing our society to get away with this.

And if an entire culture would look down all together on those who engage in hate speech, then things like statues of KKK leaders would automatically become inappropriate. Free speech is one thing, but does that mean a husband has the right to verbally abuse his wife? Does it mean a group of people can use hate speech to abuse another group of people?

Prejudice is tolerated by societies, but if societies refused to allow it, every problem would be solved. Just my humble opinion.

peacesignkaurpeacesignpeacesignpeacesignkaurNam Jiwan

WJKKWJKF


This is going to open up a whole new can of worms in the humble opinon of this Sikh and is an issue that will need serious intellectual discussion I forward to following this thread with interest to see how it developes


:happysingh:

 

[linzer]

I've been away from the states for about 16 years now but from watching from outside it seems like things are spinning out of control. It's perfectly okay to say whatever hateful thing that you want to about Muslims and no one says a word, Witness Michele Bachman and countless others. They a stoking the fires of hated for political gain. It's time people said "shut the f*** up" instead of "oh you really should't talk that way". (by the way I'm speaking figuratively) You can't catch these type of flys with honey. They need to be told that their behaviour is completely unacceptable in a civilied society. People have been avoiding confrontation for too long.

 

[namjiwankaur]

Linzer ji,

There is always some group being bashed, if not physically then verbally or emotionally.

I think everyone tried to be sympathetic about the Islamophobia, etc., that came after 9/11. But it was 11 years ago and I think that now is the time for people to stop treating innocent Muslims like they are terrorists or trying to enforce sharia in the US. I've run into so much bigotry online, ppl who have the same ideas about Muslims that Michele Bachman has. Its scary!

The fear was understandable to a point, but it is, like you said, Linzerji, out of control. I think we need to confront the issue now assertively as you suggested.

Nam Jiwan

I've been away from the states for about 16 years now but from watching from outside it seems like things are spinning out of control. It's perfectly okay to say whatever hateful thing that you want to about Muslims and no one says a word, Witness Michele Bachman and countless others. They a stoking the fires of hated for political gain. It's time people said "shut the f*** up" instead of "oh you really should't talk that way". (by the way I'm speaking figuratively) You can't catch these type of flys with honey. They need to be told that their behaviour is completely unacceptable in a civilied society. People have been avoiding confrontation for too long.