It has always driven me nuts to hear people wax nostalgic for the 1950s. I guess the 1950s were pretty great, except if you were poor and/or old (no Medicare or Medicaid), a woman, or, above all black in America. That would account for, hmmm, about 75% of the population of 1950s America. It sure wasn't great for them. This is the lesson I try to teach my U.S. History classes (mostly adults above 30) at my college. Most of them (mostly the white ones but even non-whites as well) have this built in nostalgia, passed down from their parents, about that time period. We all know the generalities of it, no need to repeat those myths. Well Jena has, at least for me and hopefully for many Americans who have generally progressive views on racial equality (i.e., they're in favor of it), reminded people about the inequities and crimes and discrimination still faced by blacks today, issues that many thought or perhaps hoped were relegated to the past. My thoughts in this diary were prompted by a report on CNN about another incident, from yesterday, where a noose was, once again, hung in public view in that part of Louisiana. Join me after the jump for more.
The article on CNN appears here.
The long and short of it is as follows:
Authorities in Alexandria, Louisiana, arrested two people after nooses were seen hanging from the back of a red pickup Thursday night, the city's mayor told CNN. snip Police say the 18-year-old driver of the truck was charged with driving while intoxicated and inciting to riot and also may be charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor -- the 16-year-old passenger.
As police were questioning the driver, he said he had an unloaded rifle in the back, which police found. They also found a set of brass knuckles in the cup holder on the dashboard, according to the police report.
The passenger told police he and his family are in the Ku Klux Klan, the police report said. He also said he had tied the nooses and that the brass knuckles belonged to him, the report said.
At least one of the nooses was made out of an extension cord, according to the police report.
Alexandria Mayor Jacques Roy said those arrested were "from around Jena" and not in the same parish as his city.
Alexandria is an hour away from Jena, and was a "staging area" for yesterday's Jena protests.
A brave person photographed the noose and sent it to CNN.
A photograph of the truck was sent to CNN by Casanova Love, 26, who said he's in the U.S. Navy. He's visiting his family in Alexandria.
Love said he was standing outside a club with some friends Thursday night when he saw the red pickup drive by slowly with two nooses hanging from it.
He said the truck continued up the street and passed by a large group of Jena 6 protesters standing outside a bus stop. Police then pulled over the vehicle.
Love explained why he sent the photo to CNN: "People need to see this. It's 2007, and we still have fools acting like it's 1960."
Love's quote just above was what got me thinking about the 1950's, and specifically about Jim Crow America. So, whenever you hear a dumbass conservative talk about how great things were back then, before the 'goddamned hippies screwed things up,' or some other like-minded drivel about liberals and the 1960s, just remind them of this. And make sure that their right-wing myths about how great things were don't go unchallenged.