That response just floors me. Because I’ve actually lived in places where klansmen and white power types did a good bit of marching. And in those cases, even the normal garden-variety bigots had the good sense to say, “Uh, those guys aren’t with me.”

How screwed up is this place that people have no shame at all about identifying themselves with white supremacists?

A big shout-out to those peaceful counter-protesters who showed that the bigots don’t speak for all of us.

Let’s see–reasons to delete the comments:

1) Factually incorrect
2) Racist talking points–literally your comment sections read worse than the white supremacist e-mail listservs I monitor much of the time
3) unless you embrace the plight of the poor Negro slaves

You have created a board where there isn’t intelligent discussion. You have created a site that caters to white supremacists who watch their language a bit.

So, yes, I would delete them. As has been pointed out to you before, it’s impossible to have a discussion with the mentally ill. Not only are you providing them a venue, but you are validating them as reasonable human beings when they are not. They are racists–movement racists at that.

It is certainly true that the crazy preachers on the quad at many state universities have free speech rights, however that doesn’t mean the campus newspaper prints them when they show up on a campus. Apparently you think they should because it is exactly what you are doing.

And I would encourage the Post-Dispatch to do some original reporting on white supremacists in the area. Did you know there is a big retreat now out by Six Flags? Or that Bridgeton has an active group? I certainly wouldn’t from reading the Post-Dispatch.

Or where was the Post-Dispatch when Frank Weltner–a nationally known White Supremacist and anti-Semite was actively campaigning for Tom Bauer–a candidate long accused of race baiting?

Where is the Post-Dispatch in covering Anthony Boor of the Council of Concerned Citizens and his active effort in the White Supremacist movement?

Before you have any credibility to rebutting White Supremacists you have to do something besides letting them post on your web site.

Its absolutely disgusting that 90% of the comments on nearly every story on the P-D website are racist/sexist, many times without relation to the actual story. One story in the past that got me especially stirred up and livid was the small report on the African American contractors protest downtown during Obama’s visit for the All Star Game. One comment from some hick, probably in southwest Missouri, essentially said “I want to know every bridge, road built by a colored group so I can avoid it.”

Sighs.

I have to remind myself while most of the country is in the 21st century, most of Missouri is still stuck in George Wallace America.

It speaks volumes about the lack of oversight, and I can only think its because they’ve cut so many jobs…or they don’t really care. I no longer post comments there, I know many more who are like me, we just don’t want to sign onto something that endorses racist behavior.

Some of us didn’t take our ball and go home to never be seen in politics again, Mark. Losing a race isn’t an invitation to disappear–at least if you actually care.

As far as Jeff, I think Tony Messenger has the best pieces on the situation so far. He’s obviously in a lot of trouble.

I am mentioned in the initial report and Lilliard’ response, but if you notice there is no allegation of wrong doing. Brian Herman and I tried to figure out who was behind it. It’s fairly well described in the report other than Brian was the person who made the call–thus we used Joe’s name since Brian was calling from his residence hall and both he and I had our names tied to Jeff pretty closely.

Turns out, Lilliard was even dumber than we thought and took $300 in cash from some random guy–probably from Ohlsen ultimately. I told this to the FEC in 2006 and they didn’t seem to have any problem with it. However, they should have asked me if I knew who Steve Brown was because I would have given them his phone number–I am baffled that they couldn’t find him. They never asked me–and if I had read the FEC report before last weekend, I would have figured out what was going on.

I really don’t know what happened so I’m okay with waiting for everyone to figure out exactly what happened.