June 21, 2005

Ex-KKK Member Convicted in 1964 Killings Sorry for the NewsFilter, but I thought it was important. Yahoo!News, may require registration (or not).
  • good news: convicted. not so good news: not of murder, but lesser charge of manslaughter.
  • Well, at least justice has seen to be done, even after so long a time. Let's see more of justice.
  • You should have seen the old guy getting wheeled out of the courthouse on TV. He was shoving every camera within reach as they pushed him passed the jeering crowd. Preacher Killen's first name should be IreckonIneed
  • Manslaughter or not, at least he's facing some prison time. How sad that it has taken this long - but better late than never they say...
  • I recall a story on Morning Edition a couple days ago: a former voting rights worker recounted how in the early 60's he was approached by a good ol' boy, who told him "you know, the Talahachee river ain't full yet."
  • He was tried by Mississippi, not by the Feds - much more important for closure.
  • yep
  • Mickey Schwerner, one of the 3 victims, was a member of my fraternity back in the 1950's. (Not the same time as me, of course, I'm waaaaay younger than that.) Every new class of pledges was shown the movie "Mississippi Burning" and then taken to the university chapel, where Schwerner's image is memorialized in a stained-glass window. I know many of us have been following this trial intently, and that there will be much bittersweet celebration tonight.