News-Record.com

this was a chicago tribune article reported from Louisiana, it would have been more relevant if it was reported from here, somewhere close to Greensboro N.C. not the capital of the KKK Louisiana

I don't understand why some people think any coverage of an event equals positive publicity. There's a difference between showering a group with attention and just letting the public know they're out there and active. We still have people in our communities who would like to believe that racism is dead and who insist that "paranoid liberals" are blowing the threat of hate groups out of proportion. I'm glad these Klan "demonstrations" were covered, because such coverage forces people to either acknowledge that racism and hatred are still pressing issues, or deliberately choose ignorance.

Keith and Kitty both make very good points.

Based on my average daily experiences, it would be easy for me to assume that such activity doesn't exist any more. If it is out there, I want to be made aware of that so that I'm not blindsided by hateful, even deadly activity. I'd like to think that such thinking and activity is all but extinct in the United States, so if it's happening anywhere, I want to know about it. If it's happening even closer to home, I'm even more interested in knowing as much as possible.

It also caught my attention that on the same front page that announced an apparent "Revival of the Klan," we were also served notice that a "New gang law takes effect across state." I hope the new law will be applied as vigorously against any Klan activity in our state as it is against any activity by Crips, Bloods, MS-13s, and others. If murder, violence, intimidation, and other criminal activities are a part of their existences, members of all such gangs deserve to be targeted as strongly as we target international terrorists, all of whom unwittingly are joined in a common brotherhood of human ugliness.

JR-
Where is the front page article on all the thugs in Greensboro who are robbing and killing people every single day?
I pop in to your online paper a few times a day and every single day there are black males robbing a Greensboro business or a Greensboro resident - EVERY SINGLE DAY.
I'm not talking about something that's happening in Louisiana or Boone, it's happening here and it's happening every single day.
I know, I know - it's just the economy, right? No story here folks. Move along.

And while I'm at it, when are you going to cover the Mitch story - or I should say Mitch's new story - on the black book?
What's that you say? You CAN'T cover it because it proves everything you and your paper have written for the last few years to be wrong?
What a joke.

Being made aware of a situation is perfectly fine, but i believe a word like "Revival" (which is used positively in many other contexts in our english language), isnt the proper wording to spread warning. Im not going to pull up actual dates, but i believe the klan has been around long enough and performed quite a few ignorant acts on innocent minorities that it would be safe to say that we are all quite aware. If i wanted to spread fear amongst the people about the fact that my murderous gang is strengthening, i would want nothing more than front page newspaper coverage.

Thats just my opinion on the matter...

With headlines on the front page reading center, right, top and down, " Revival of the Klan" ( with pictures of images offensive to many ) , " Liberals to keep heat on Obama" ( with picture of our president elect ) and " New gang law takes effect across the state". There are some that might wonder if it was written as informational, a subscription booster or to inflame racial tensions in a struggling community. Is this gotcha journalism or stories that should deliberately be grouped together? Perhaps a sampling of other front pages around the state will provide some insight. I'll get back to you.

Tommy, how do you think they got the nickname "News & Racial"?
It's the very nucleus of their existence. It's their bread and water. It's the air they breathe. It's the blood in their veins. It's the "Alien" fetus in their bellies awaiting expulsion. They salivate and drool at the very mention of the word. Marketing racism to the community is the first item on their mission statement. octjmo.
Did I mention I like their "Most Wanted" feature and how much it's helped the community?

"Marketing racism to the community is the first item on their mission statement. "

Given the N&R's propensity to keep fanning the flames of the "Intolerable Racism" meme in it's coverage (and non-coverage,as appropriate), why are we not surprised?

Yet when we tell JR and others that the N&R is part of the problem, the standard reply is "Who, us?"

OK, if you guys would quit yelling at me and calling us names for a minute, let's have a reasonable discussion. You could help us.

Publishing a story about "a spasm of noose hangings, racist graffiti, vandalism and death threats" occurring across the country inflames racial tensions how?

It is more than just the publishing of individual stories. It is the selection, placement, grouping of stories and images used to convey the information.

It is impossible to yell on the Internet and only one commenter has used any type of name. It seems paranoia has taken over your logic.

So this particular story in isolation didn't bother you?

No. However as the most important story of the day for Greensboro to read with the accompanying front page stories appears sensationalist.

Thank you for running this story.

Thanks, Tommy.

You are welcome. John

I'm so accustomed to local photos on the front page these days that for a split second I feared the photos were taken here. I'm glad they weren't.