withoutsanctuary.org

[JLeigh]

I was born in Rock Castle County, Kentucky in 1945. I grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio. I am white. I know what James says is the truth. Shame on you folks who are not willing to face the truth and at least apologize for what was done to black folks in this country.

My stepfather, Tobe, was born in Huntington, West Virginia in 1918. He told me once, when I was still a child about his involvement in a lynching. Tobe was an alcoholic, and he was pretty loaded when he told me this story. At the time of this incident, Tobe was 18 years old. The two men he was with were older, and one was a professional fighter. Tobe said that the three of them were out drinking at one of the many local bootleggers in Huntington. They left the bootlegger's joint to party elsewhere. The driver of the taxi they took was black. Evidently, after taking them to a number of different places, the taxi driver demanded to be paid. Tobe said the other two men beat the driver and hung him from a tree. The black taxi driver survive and was able to identify Tobe and his two friends. All three were found guilty of attempted murder and sentence to the West Virginia penitenary. Tobe was a racist, but I loved him. One important thing, Tobe was ashamed of his involvement in this crime. He said to me, "Jerry, don't ever be like me." Tobe is dead, his daughter, my half-sister, married a black man and has two children. Bless them all.

When I was a boy growing up in Cincinnati, my best friend was a black boy by the name of John Tanner. He died when he was only 16 years old. His birth certificate probably says he died of heart failure. I know that he was a victem of poverty and racism.

We all can and need to do better for all the children's sake.

Jerry Leigh, Austin, TX.

[Barry]

I recently watched in horror, when two Iranians were lynched for adultery.
I thought how barbaric it was. Now after seeing this, I have a knot in my stomach. We as a nation of laws allowed this to happen?
To the Blacks of the world, I am truely sorry this happened.
Barry

[dn1362]

[quote="Barry"]I recently watched in horror, when two Iranians were lynched for adultery.
I thought how barbaric it was. Now after seeing this, I have a knot in my stomach. We as a nation of laws allowed this to happen?
To the Blacks of the world, I am truely sorry this happened.
Barry[/quote]

Barry I know that is shocking because as a American you SHOULD have been taught this in your school curriculum, but what do you expect when this nation was founded by racist? The United Snakes of America's fore fathers were slave owners and hypocrites! America's school system STILL doesn't teach the truth about it's founding fathers. In fact they were all criminals defecting from England! Their laws were not intended to include the African slave. The African was not even considered to be a human, we were considered to be less than human, considered to be animals and savages...uncivialized.
So the laws you speak of didn't protect the Afircan, thats how it could happen.