Preacher jailed over KKK killings.



Edgar Ray Killen has been held in Neshoba County Jail since his conviction.



One-time Ku Klux Klan leader Edgar Ray Killen has been jailed for 60 years for masterminding the 1964 murders of three civil rights workers in Mississippi.

Killen, 80, was convicted of three counts of manslaughter on Tuesday - 41 years after the men were killed.

Judge Marcus Gordon sentenced the preacher to 20 years for each killing.

The murders helped spur passage of the 1964 US Civil Rights Act and the search for evidence was dramatised in the 1988 movie Mississippi Burning.

Killen, a Baptist, will appeal against the convictions on Monday, arguing the jury should not have been able to consider manslaughter charges as an alternative to murder.

He has been held at Neshoba County Jail since his conviction and arrived at the Philadelphia court in a wheelchair, dressed in a bright yellow prison jump suit.

Killed and buried

The activists were two white men from New York and a local black colleague, who were killed while campaigning for the registration of black voters.

The victims became martyrs to the cause of civil rights

They were arrested for a dubious traffic violation, and attacked by a gang of Klansmen and police after being released in the middle of the night.

They were abducted as they drove out of the Mississippi town and shot dead.

Their bodies, riddled with bullets and badly beaten, were buried at a dam and only found 44 days later after an extensive search.

Killen, who was a suspect in the original investigation but never convicted, was re-arrested after new evidence emerged.

Ghosts of the Deep South

Judge Gordon anticipated criticism of his decision to hand Killen what is in effect a life sentence, but said the law made no distinction for a defendant's age.

He told Killen: "The three gentlemen who were killed, each life has value, and each life is equal as valuable as the other life and I have taken that into consideration...".

The preacher had denied taking any part in the killings of Michael Schwerner, 24, Andy Goodman, 20, and James Chaney, 21.

Killen was tried in 1967 on federal charges of violating the victims' civil rights. But the all-white jury was deadlocked. Seven others were convicted, but none served more than six years.

Judge Gordon, was able to consider a presentencing report on Killen's finances, and a health report that the judge requested from Killen's doctors.

Killen uses a wheelchair because of a logging accident that broke both his legs in March.

Gee, not only was Mr Killen a murder and member of the KKK, but he was a REPUBLICAN! As if that's the worst of it. I could remind you that, as a percentage, more Republicans than Democrats voted for the Civil Rights Act. I could also point out that staunch Democrat Robert Byrd WAS a member of the KKK.


But the real issue here is racism and murder. Racism and murder do NOT reside exclusively with Republicans or Democrats, but can be found in both parties. The real issue is getting rid of it, rather than saying which party houses the most bigots.

Dammit.

Originally posted by Darth Be'lal
I could also point out that staunch Democrat Robert Byrd WAS a member of the KKK.

Just as I could point out that Senator Robert Byrd ---quite UNLIKE Edgar Ray Killen-- has publically professed that his past involvement with the KKK was one of the most regrettable and detestable chapters of his young life.

Stick THAT in your fucking pipe and smoke it, Mr. Be'lal.

I never read the part about Byrd "regretting" being part of the KKK. It's amazing, apologize and you are forgiven if you are a democrat. Of course, had Bush been a member of the KKK, no amount of apologizing would save HIM from losing the Presidency and possibly being impeached and lynched. But the Dems do operate under different rules.

Also, I've noted that you failed to address the bit about more Republicans than Democrats voted for the Civil Rights Act, that racism doesn't know polictical sides and the real problem is ending racism.

BTW, how those Iraqi terrorists doing? Will you celebrate when they win?

Originally posted by Darth Be'lal
I never read the part about Byrd "regretting" being part of the KKK.

(gasp!!!)

How could the "liiiiibruuuuul" Media have overlooked it?!?!?!?!

Originally posted by Darth Be'lal
It's amazing, apologize and you are forgiven if you are a democrat. Of course, had Bush been a member of the KKK, no amount of apologizing would save HIM from losing the Presidency and possibly being impeached and lynched. But the Dems do operate under different rules.


Fucking puuuuuuuuuleeeeze.

Bush has committed attrocites (actively conspiring to allow the 9/11 attacks to proceed unimpeded comes to mind) a hundred times worse that anything Robert Byrd ever IMAGINED, and still rightwing fuckwads sing his praises.

Per your example.

Originally posted by Darth Be'lal
Also, I've noted that you failed to address the bit about more Republicans than Democrats voted for the Civil Rights Act, that racism doesn't know polictical sides and the real problem is ending racism.

I agree with you in one sense; racism in the USA --- politically speaking--- knows no "side".

THAT is because there is exactly ONE "side" ---politically-- in this country;

The side of the Corporations.

IOW, the extremely Conservative (DemoPublican) Corporate Party.

Originally posted by Darth Be'lal
BTW, how those Iraqi terrorists doing? Will you celebrate when they win?

I will ***celebrate*** if the Iraqi people can somehow succeed in keeping the government in the USA from killing every one of them.

What terrible luck the poor people in Iraq had.........being born into a country sitting over that huge resource of oil.

Originally posted by Darth Be'lal
Gee, not only was Mr Killen a murder and member of the KKK, but he was a REPUBLICAN!

Ah, but it doesn't say that anywhere. And a quick search on the internet also reveals no such information (except from a post on Arianna Huffington's forums that assumes that he must be).

See, this is how it works. They assume Republicans are racist. They assume all racists are Republicans. How do you prove one? By bringing up the other, of course!

Originally posted by LionelHutz
.......a quick search on the internet also reveals no such information (except from a post on Arianna Huffington's forums that assumes that he must be).

Why!!!.....what a bizarre conjecture on the part of the Huffington website.

One can easily envision the enlightened and progressive-minded former Ku Klux Klansman Edgar Ray Killen ----born in 1925---- marching in gay pride parades, protesting Corporate polluters and carrying an ACLU card.

Can't you?

How silly of anyone to imagine he would have embraced a right-leaning ideology.

Originally posted by Freethinker
Why!!!.....what a bizarre conjecture on the part of the Huffington website.

One can easily envision the enlightened and progressive-minded former Ku Klux Klansman Edgar Ray Killen ----born in 1925---- marching in gay pride parades, protesting Corporate polluters and carrying an ACLU card.

Can't you?

How silly of anyone to imagine he would have embraced a right-leaning ideology.
He could have been a populist. Or a fascist. Or, yes, a conservative.

Originally posted by BorgHunter
He could have been a populist. Or a fascist. Or, yes, a conservative.

He COULD have been a transvestite and an organizer for the Stalinists.

But my money's on **staunch Rightwing supporter**.

FT.... can you answer me one thing?

Why is it that if someone doesn't hate Bush, they are "singing his praises"?

You always say im some big backer of Bush, and while i voted for him, i know he's far from a great president. But just because i'm not all about a bunch of conspiracy theories about what people think Bush did means i worship his every step?

You know.... there IS a middle ground in all this.

Originally posted by Freethinker
One can easily envision the enlightened and progressive-minded former Ku Klux Klansman Edgar Ray Killen ----born in 1925---- marching in gay pride parades, protesting Corporate polluters and carrying an ACLU card.

Can't you?

How silly of anyone to imagine he would have embraced a right-leaning ideology.

Right, because everyone knows that all of those union guys that are so staunchly Democratic spend all of their spare time organizing pride rallies and marching in war protests. Yes indeed, all left-leaning voters are 100% non-racist, non-violent, all-inclusive models of what a progressive society should be.

Darth said all I wanted in his first post. Thanks Darth.

Originally posted by 500lbguerilla
Darth said all I wanted in his first post. Thanks Darth.
Ditto.

Originally posted by Decka
FT.... can you answer me one thing?

Delighted to.



Originally posted by Decka
Why is it that if someone doesn't hate Bush, they are "singing his praises"?

They are not.

I would not suggest such a thing.

They might not 'hate' the man but simply view him as the lesser of two evils.



Originally posted by Decka
You always say im some big backer of Bush, and while i voted for him, i know he's far from a great president. But just because i'm not all about a bunch of conspiracy theories about what people think Bush did means i worship his every step?

I have not claimed that you *worship* Bush. I didn't know if you voted for him or not. You do, however, very often come to the aid and defense of issues or persons on the Right, whenever they are criticized or exposed forwrongdoing.


Originally posted by Decka
You know.... there IS a middle ground in all this.

True.

While we are talking about removing bigots, I must say the right has done a good job of putting them up on pedistals.

Coulter, Rush and Oreilly are all hate mongers pushing lies to justify bigotry of different ideas. It is not that they speak out against other ideas but that they call for violence against those they disagree with.

you know what this conviction proves dont you? that anyone who is pro bush is a KKK member who wants to kill all blacks and any whites who sympathize with them.