The law is pretty clear you may not deny participation in a program like this – that is run by the state – based on the mission and the message of the organization. It’s a free speech issue.ACLU of Georgia Executive Director Debbie Seagraves • In a statement, confirming that the local chapter of the ACLU was researching the facts behind the Ku Klux Klan’s recently denied attempt to adopt a highway in the northern part of the state. She went on to note that, based on comments made by authorities when the decision was announced, it seemed that “the decision makers of the state thought that this was OK: it’s viewpoint discrimination.” So, who is in the right on this one? source (via • follow)
The impact of erecting a sign naming an organization which has a long-rooted history of civil disturbance would cause a significant public concern. Impacts include safety of the traveling public, potential social unrest, driver distraction or interference with the flow of traffic.Georgia Department of Transportation commissioner Keith Golden • In a letter to a Georgia DOT secretary citing why they chose not to allow a local KKK chapter to “adopt” a highway stretch in the northern part of the state. Oh, there were other reasons too — the area, with its 65mph speed limit, would’ve been an unsafe place to for KKK members to work. But here’s the kicker — the KKK chapter, which says they’re “not racists” and are doing this to “keep the mountains beautiful,” has said they plan to get legal help from the American Civil Liberties Union if their application was denied. Can you get more ironic?
» There’s more: If you include the 41% that’s undecided, you get a whopping 79% of Mississippi Republicans who aren’t quite ready to throw their support behind Abraham Lincoln circa 1861. Also, 9% of African Americans in the state aren’t sure whether they like the NAACP more than the KKK; surely, this is the result of a typo, or some sort of methodological error, or perhaps a psychoactive pollutant in the drinking water. Oh well; at least 54% of the state agrees that interracial marriage shouldn’t be illegal. That’s right, a whole 54%!
His work was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for local reporting, which is a huge honor for a paper of the Concordia Sentinel’s size. He’s been grinding away at this story nearly every week for over four years, which is all the more impressive considering it’s a weekly newspaper.
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