http://tspwiki.com/index.php?title=1964
As always, Alex Shrugged's opinions are his own. Other people's work are their own. I include them here for the sake of completeness and to provide a second method of access to the material for the TSP history segment.
* Non-Violence Can Get You Killed -- Contributed by Alex Shrugged
* The Creation of Deacons for Defense: The side of the Civil Rights Movement You Never Heard About -- Contributed by Southpaw Ben
* The Fight for Civil Rights Dominates -- Contributed by Alex Shrugged
* Notable Births -- See below.
* This Year in Film -- See below.
* This Year in Music -- See below.
* In Other News -- See below.
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Non-Violence Can Get You Killed
Contributed by Alex ShruggedIt's Freedom Summer, the project to register black Mississippi voters. It is led by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC or "Snick"). One might think that a determined black person might find a way to vote, but until a couple of years ago Mrs. Hamer didn't realize she COULD vote. When she tries to register, she loses her job, her home, she is jailed and beaten. "Snick" sets up Freedom Schools to teach the Constitution and register black voters. A young black man named Andrew Goodman joins "Snick" to "fight for freedom" in Mississippi, but when he arrives with his two friends, Deputy Sheriff Price chases them down a lonely road. After they stop, they are shot, taken to a nearby dam, and buried using a bulldozer. Andrew, is still alive, but they bury him anyway. A paid informant tips off the FBI and the suspects are rounded up, but Mississippi officials refuse to prosecute. The Feds have no choice but to indict the suspects for violating Andrew's and his friend's civil rights. (There is no Federal murder statute at this time.) Most of the conspirators will be convicted including Deputy Sheriff Price, but all they will get is 6 years. The Baptist minister who organized the lynching will walk because a single juror could "never convict a preacher." He will finally be convicted of manslaughter in 2005. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
My Take by Alex Shrugged
Well... now you know why the Feds feel justified in intervening with local police on civil rights issues. In the beginning it made sense. (It always does.) Now it makes no sense because black people are running many police departments, but like Broadway musicals, government is not required to make sense as long as everyone keeps singing along. When the TV miniseries "Roots" came out it was amazingly popular if not very good history. After Deputy Price saw the miniseries he realized the KKK had lost. His boss, the sheriff, was acquitted because he had been at the hospital with his wife during the murders. Nevertheless, he lost his reelection bid, and never worked in law enforcement again. (I'm calling that a good thing on general principle. He should have known.) Hollywood made a movie about the murders entitled "Mississippi Burning." It stars Gene Hackman, and it covers the murders in the first 5 minutes. What they do after that is pure fiction as far as I can tell. [6] [7]
Well... now you know why the Feds feel justified in intervening with local police on civil rights issues. In the beginning it made sense. (It always does.) Now it makes no sense because black people are running many police departments, but like Broadway musicals, government is not required to make sense as long as everyone keeps singing along. When the TV miniseries "Roots" came out it was amazingly popular if not very good history. After Deputy Price saw the miniseries he realized the KKK had lost. His boss, the sheriff, was acquitted because he had been at the hospital with his wife during the murders. Nevertheless, he lost his reelection bid, and never worked in law enforcement again. (I'm calling that a good thing on general principle. He should have known.) Hollywood made a movie about the murders entitled "Mississippi Burning." It stars Gene Hackman, and it covers the murders in the first 5 minutes. What they do after that is pure fiction as far as I can tell. [6] [7]
The Creation of Deacons for Defense: The side of the Civil Rights Movement You Never Heard About
Contributed by Southpaw BenOriginally called the "Justice and Defense Club", this organization was formed in Jonesboro, Louisiana to protect a freedoms house run by Congress of Racial Equality that was being threatened by the KKK. The guards would carry concealed guns during the day and openly during the night to dissuade the Klan from attempting anything against the house. According to one former Deacon, in a song lyric, "the term 'deacons' was selected to beguile local whites by portraying the organization as an innocent church group...."[8] The Deacons were used by non-violent groups such as the NAACP and CORE as low-key armed guards, allowing them to keep their appearance as non-violent while still being ably to defend themselves, should the need arise and the police not intervene. One such example was in early 1965 when some black student picketing a high school were confronted by police and fire trucks. A car of Deacons appeared and started peacefully loading their shotguns, causing the fire trucks to withdraw. They also caused the Louisiana governor John McKeithen to intervene in Jonesboro's civil rights crisis, which was the first victory over a Deep South governor by the civil rights movement. [9]
My Take by Southpaw Ben
When looking at how the Deacons conducted themselves, as far as I have read, seem to have been a great example of how to use force to help make change. They were able to not escalate situations, and their presence made anyone considering attacking protesters think twice before starting a conflict. Their presence helped allow peaceful protests to remain peaceful and for places that were supporting the civil rights movement to avoid being vandalized or destroyed by the KKK. The Deacons had lost prominence, and gave way to the [1] by 1968, who took the Deacons agenda and added an extremist and racist twist to it. This can also be seen as more proof that a revolution rarely, if ever, leads to further freedoms. While not truly a revolution, these groups are a interesting microcosm of how revolutionary groups go from moderate to extreme and end up as bad, or worse, than what they are replacing.
When looking at how the Deacons conducted themselves, as far as I have read, seem to have been a great example of how to use force to help make change. They were able to not escalate situations, and their presence made anyone considering attacking protesters think twice before starting a conflict. Their presence helped allow peaceful protests to remain peaceful and for places that were supporting the civil rights movement to avoid being vandalized or destroyed by the KKK. The Deacons had lost prominence, and gave way to the [1] by 1968, who took the Deacons agenda and added an extremist and racist twist to it. This can also be seen as more proof that a revolution rarely, if ever, leads to further freedoms. While not truly a revolution, these groups are a interesting microcosm of how revolutionary groups go from moderate to extreme and end up as bad, or worse, than what they are replacing.
The Fight for Civil Rights Dominates
Contributed by Alex ShruggedIn the next few years the fight for civil rights for minorities will dominate. Assassination, murder, and general mayhem are on the agenda. The politicians opposing civil rights are generally the Democrats, but their leadership is trying desperately to change that. At this time the Republicans have taken their traditional role as the defenders of blacks and other minorities. How this came to be switched around in the mind of the public must have George Orwell spinning in his grave. (Please read his book 1984.) But this is why Condoleezza Rice will become a Republican and not a Democrat. President LBJ is a bigot, but he can see the political handwriting on the wall. He begins his War on Poverty which will expand on Kennedy's successful (but limited) social welfare programs. The USA will spend trillions to get exactly the same number of impoverished that it had before... which will be the excuse to spend even more, and anyone who says "NAY" will be called a racist. [10] [11]
Notable Births
- Jeff Bezos: CEO of Amazon.com and 5th richest person in the world. [12]
- Robert Duncan McNeill: Lt. Tom Paris on Star Trek: Voyager. [12]
- Michelle Obama: First Lady of the United States. (I hope she is proud of America now.--alexshrugged) [12]
- Anthony Weiner: Congressman (D) who tweets pics of his manhood. (There is a rumor that his wife, Huma, and Hillary are in the clutch, so maybe Mr. Weiner is lonely.--alexshrugged) [12]
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- -- In talk: Adam Curry, Laura Ingram, Glenn Beck, and Adam Carolla. [12]
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- -- In comedy: Stephen Colbert, David Spade and Chris Farley (died 1997, age 33 from a drug overdose). [12]
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- -- In music: Trisha Yearwood and Wynonna Judd. [12]
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- -- In movies: Sandra Bullock, Nicolas Cage and Keanu Reeves (Neo in The Matrix). [12]
This Year in Film
- Disney's Mary Poppins : Starring Julie Andrews. (Saving Mr. Banks is also good.--alexshrugged) [13]
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: Stop-action puppet animation. (They had no idea it would become so popular.--alexshrugged) [13]
This Year in Music
- The Beatles are dominating: I Want to Hold Your Hand, I Feel Fine, and A Hard Day's Night (with a movie). [15]
- House of the Rising Sun: The Animals. [15]
- Oh, Pretty Woman: Roy Orbison. [15]
In Other News
- Bourbon is recognized as a distinctive product of the United States: This means that only US produced bourbon whiskey can be legally called "bourbon whiskey" in the United States. [16]
- The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is passed: It ends segregation and discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin both in public facilities and the workplace, and equalizes voter registration requirements. [16]
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