This clip from MSNBC tells us about Charles Tyson, the ex-mayor of South Harrison Township in New Jersey. Tyson was the first ever black mayor of the town — and he recently stepped down due to racist harassment and threats.
My “favorite” part of the video is where white supremacist Bill White’s lawyer claims that White’s communications fall under free speech, and were not in any way threating. That sounds great, until you look at the actual letter that was allegedly sent to Tyson (taken from a white supremacist website where I’m not linking). It’s below the jump, as it could be very upsetting.
Dear Mayor Charles Tyson:
I recently read of the racism you’ve faced in Harrisonville, New Jersey, and I wanted to make something perfectly clear:
a) You are a nigger unworthy to govern over any white man; and,
b) Fuck you. You’ve gotten exactly what you deserve from your constituents.
Unfortunately, the days when white men would simply burn the local newspaper and run nigger officials out with tar and feathers are past. However, your incidents give me hope that perhaps we shall see them again.
Bill White, Commander
American National Socialist Workers Party
PS: We know you live at [ADDRESS REDACTED] [PHONE NUMBER REDACTED]. I just spoke to your wife Carolyn. I hope you got my message.
Yes, clearly, nothing in there is constitutes a threat. After all, White didn’t say that he was going to run Tyson out of town with tar and feathers, right? Just that he wishes he could and hopes someone else does. And I’m sure that informing Tyson that he knew his address wasn’t intended as the oldest threat in the book of “we know where you live,” he only meant “so whenever you want to have me over for coffee, I’m available!”
Clearly, some residents are delusional enough to think so:
Some residents said he was wrong. They said the real problem in the town is political, not racial, and that Campbell was playing the race card to advance an agenda and deflect criticism.
“Everything that’s gone wrong has been racially motivated?” Michelle McCall asked at a Dec. 10 meeting after Campbell said many of the recent controversies have racial overtones.
McCall, the wife of former Mayor Jim McCall, said the accusation was unfounded. “You have a lot of people very upset,” she said.
Oh yeah, we’re “post-racial” alright.
Read more over at Renee’s.