Bully for them
Regarding the article (mentioned last post) about Terri Willingham Thomas, the Republican nominee for Place 3 on the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals, and her family’s ties to white supremacist groups like the KKK and the Council of Conservative Citizens…
Leonard Dixon, CCC Board member, says this about the Southern Poverty Law Center:
“The Southern Poverty Law Center is the biggest hate group in the country,” said Wilson, who has served as the commander of Alabama Sons of Confederate Veterans. “They ought to worry about what we think about them instead of what they think about us.”
Is that supposed to sound threatening? Why would the Southern Poverty Law Center care what his group thinks of them? Why ought they worry?
What mainstream group has board members that talk like that? And to the press?
Illuminating…
Do you mean to say that everyone in Alabama whose parents were racists 20 or more years ago are not fit to hold office? I’m trying to remember those questionnaires the newspapers sent out before the primary. . . What were your qialifications, , , what is your judicial philosophy, , , what do you beleive the most important problem facing Alabama today. . . Don’t remember seeing anything about “tell us about your mama and daddy.” Jow Turnham is scum.
Comment by Anonymous — August 28, 2006 @ 5:48 pm
Baloney. Her family’s connections to the Klan and other right wing groups are much more recent, and we do have the right to know if her family’s connections have impacted on her way of thinking. It’s a fair question — she may have good compelling answers to them, by the way, but she ought to address the matter.
Comment by Anonymous — August 28, 2006 @ 6:02 pm
The CCC is calling the SPLC a “hate group,” much less the “largest hate group,” is about the most laughable thing I’ve read in a while.
Comment by Dan — August 28, 2006 @ 6:37 pm
Dan, don’t laugh to fast, or loud. Numerous respectable people who know the history of the SPLC and its founder Morris Deas agree that it’s a “Hate For Profit” group. In fact, several years ago before it became a left-leaning rag, the Montgomery Advertiser ran a huge expose` on it.
Comment by Anonymous — August 28, 2006 @ 8:33 pm
A look at the Talk Page for Wikipedia’s article on the SCLC might be informative, as its a place where people with a range of views about the group have aired their opinions and been forced to produce documentary evidence for their competing claims.
I don’t believe anyone should be damned on the basis of a litmus test, but they should be willing to explain why the results are not indicative of their own political stance.
Comment by Dystopos — August 28, 2006 @ 9:16 pm
The “sins” of the parent should not be rested on the children…unless the children continue those ways. Judge Thomas, might have 10 years experience on the bench.
But to think she can stand there and say “I never knew my parents were involved in the Klan”??? C’mon people, her mother was arrested in 1979. It reportedly made the national news.
This was in Cullman, Alabama where there we huge billboards at the city limits screaming “don’t let the sun set on yo black ass in Cullman”. What did she think those were?
Come on Judge!!!!
Comment by Anonymous — August 29, 2006 @ 7:07 am
Here’s why Judge Thomas doesn’t have to answer the Advertiser. She has a record as a Judge. If she discriminates on the basis of race it will be reflected in her record. Because there is only a record of fairness and sound decisions by Judge Thomas, her opponent has to try to make this election about her parents. What does that say about his credentials?
Comment by Anonymous — August 29, 2006 @ 9:53 am
How did the “smoking gun” for this article fall at the feet of her opponent? I think his remarks basically said that he knew nothing more about this than what the reporter asked him.
Additionally, I don’t see a lawyer making any comments about a sitting judge. If it were her opponent, I would think he would have sought relief through either the State Bar or whatever vehicle they have to complain about a judge.
Comment by Anonymous — August 29, 2006 @ 1:30 pm
These right wing hate groups are supporting Thomas TODAY. Regardless of what her parents are or aren’t that’s reason enough to vociferously oppose her.
Comment by Anonymous — August 29, 2006 @ 2:07 pm
How many of you hve looked at her campaign cntributions? You will notice the name of Leonard Wilson. For those of you who don’t know, Leonard “Flagpole” Wilson is an old time Klan leader and associate of Judge Thomas’s father.
He go the name “Flagpole” because in 1956 he scaled a flagpole at the University of Alabama, during the desegregation riots there and yelled continuously “Keep ‘Bama White”
Lately he has been and ardent supporter of Chief Justice hopeful Roy Parker. We all have seen the photo’s of Parker flanked by two men. Parker has a little Confederate flag n his and and several in his pocket. The guy to his left is Leonard “flagpole” Wilson!!!
Comment by Anonymous — August 29, 2006 @ 10:11 pm
Well Anonymous, I went and looked at her campaign contributions. She has raised somewhere in the neighborhood of $50,000 this year for her campaign. And you’re right, on her 45-day report there is a contribution from a Leonard Wilson…for (gasp) $100! If you do the math, this is about 0.2 percent of the overall total.
This whole smear is getting nastier by the minute.
Comment by The Sandman — August 29, 2006 @ 10:46 pm
sandman, you are right it is only $100 dollars, but the fact she took it from someone must of use know as a long-time right-wing troublemaker, is the issue here. She should have known who he was and sent the thing back! As you say it was only $100.
Now go to her website. Look at the Photo Album. The last picture is one of her shaking hands with Rev. John Killian, the Past CCC Commander and National Chaplain of the Council of Conservative Citizens. Now this organization, amongst other thing says (and I quote directly from their website) ““We also oppose all efforts to mix the races of mankind, to promote non-white races over the European-American people through so-called “affirmative action” and similar measures, to destroy or denigrate the European-American heritage, including the heritage of the Southern people, and to force the integration of the races.”
And she is proud enough of this association to post a picture on her website?
The original question is still unnswered “will her family ties and background impact on her ability to make unbiased decisions on the Court Of Civil Appeals?”
Comment by Anonymous — August 30, 2006 @ 8:37 am
Thomas claims that she did’nt know that her parents were in the Klan; yet, how does she explain the fact that a confederate flag flies over her father’s business, TODAY, under which a confederate cannon sits; 5 feet away from one of her signs.
Comment by Anonymous — September 2, 2006 @ 9:20 am
Does she think we are that stupid as to believe she didn’t know her parents were involved in the klan? Come on.
Comment by B P — January 9, 2007 @ 12:27 am