# The latest Racist Fire to be fanned? Black Panther charges dropped. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 8, 2010, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-racist-fire-to-be-fanned-black-panther-charges-dropped/545957 "2010-07-08T14:10:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-racist-fire-to-be-fanned-black-panther-charges-dropped/545957/81 "2010-07-09T21:32:20Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > Those scary looking black guys wearing paramilitary uniforms could have easily avoided this whole mess if only they’d worn suits and ties. And been white. Yeah no way any white guys with a weapon could get away with that crap,…wait! ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-racist-fire-to-be-fanned-black-panther-charges-dropped/545957/82 "2010-07-09T21:33:45Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Morse code? he was tapping out VOTE OBAMA OR IT"S YOUR ASS for all the ex navy voters coming to that spot. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-racist-fire-to-be-fanned-black-panther-charges-dropped/545957/83 "2010-07-09T21:40:56Z")
First thing I thought was these guys were trying to cop a bit of glory earned by the original Panthers before the organization totally went off the rails, back when they stood for defending black voters from racially based intimidation. Of course, that was before the FBI came in and fixed all that. Saw it on TV. ---
**Author:** ![Peanut\_Gallery](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/838e76/32.png) [@Peanut\_Gallery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanut_Gallery)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-racist-fire-to-be-fanned-black-panther-charges-dropped/545957/84 "2010-07-09T21:45:42Z")
> [@cosmosdan](#): > > What shocked me was the extent of the stupidity on Fox and friends (I think you are much too easily shocked.) And thanks to The Dope and **Dirk Dastardly** in particular for smashing this bullshit story, and stopping certain posters from spreading ignorance. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-racist-fire-to-be-fanned-black-panther-charges-dropped/545957/85 "2010-07-09T21:46:12Z")
> [@LonesomePolecat](#): > > So, if a couple of clowns in Klan robes, one of them carrying a night stick, stood outside of a polling place saying things like “You’d better get used to having a white president, colored boy,” to black voters entering and leaving, you wouldn’t regard that as harassment or intimidation. No i would not. They’re not threatening anyone or telling anyone who to vote for, and neither did this guy. Just because white conservatives piss down their legs at the sight of a black man with a stick doesn’t mean there’s any voter intimidation going on. There was no voter intimidation in this case. It’s just the latest, manufactured, Fox News, race baiting non-scandal. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-racist-fire-to-be-fanned-black-panther-charges-dropped/545957/86 "2010-07-09T21:54:43Z")
> [@G-SE](#): > > For all you liberals who think that your “gotcha” moment is the lack of actual voters filing complaints - > > The Voting Rights Act of 1965 Sec. 11b states it is illegal to even **ATTEMPT** to intimidate, regardless of success in such attempt. There was no attempt to intimidate. No threats were made, and no one was told who to vote for. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-racist-fire-to-be-fanned-black-panther-charges-dropped/545957/87 "2010-07-09T21:57:54Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > No i would not. They’re not threatening anyone or telling anyone who to vote for, and neither did this guy. Just because white conservatives piss down their legs at the sight of a black man with a stick doesn’t mean there’s any voter intimidation going on. There was no voter intimidation in this case. It’s just the latest, manufactured, Fox News, race baiting non-scandal. Black. White. may I suggest exploring a few shades of gray? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-racist-fire-to-be-fanned-black-panther-charges-dropped/545957/88 "2010-07-09T22:01:35Z")
> [@Ogre](#): > > It’s absolutely insane that this place is so nakedly partisan that you guys can’t even agree that it was, in fact, intimidation. OF COURSE it was. Are you out of your goddamned minds? Two aggressive guys standing in front of a polling place, one tapping a weapon meaningfully? It was a stick, and there is no evidence they tried to intimidate anybody know. Nothing on the videotape constitutes voter intimidation. Hate speech, in itself, is not intimidation. Voter intimidation requires some attempt to coerce or discourage voters. No such attempt was made. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-racist-fire-to-be-fanned-black-panther-charges-dropped/545957/89 "2010-07-09T22:02:42Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > Black. White. may I suggest exploring a few shades of gray? I would suggest that to Fox News first. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-racist-fire-to-be-fanned-black-panther-charges-dropped/545957/90 "2010-07-09T22:06:45Z")
> [@G-SE](#): > > :smack: Wow. Just wow. > > That exact reasoning was used by racists in the 60’s to intimidate blacks from voting & registering, to help elect their white candidates. “Outsiders” or not, there is a long history of black voters being harrassed an intimidated at the plls in this country. There is zero history of black people doing it to white people. I don’t have a problem with the Panthers posting people to watch the polls and be a presence in case some teabaggers types get out of hand. ---
**Author:** ![straight\_man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/straight_man/32/3027_2.png) [@straight\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/straight_man)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-racist-fire-to-be-fanned-black-panther-charges-dropped/545957/91 "2010-07-09T22:23:37Z")
> [@Ogre](#): > > It’s absolutely insane that this place is so nakedly partisan that you guys can’t even agree that it was, in fact, intimidation. OF COURSE it was. Are you out of your goddamned minds? Two aggressive guys standing in front of a polling place, one tapping a weapon meaningfully? > > Look, I’m as lefty as most of you people, but to say that’s not intimidation (or attempted intimidation, which is also illegal), is irrational. My reading of this debate is that **cosmosdan** et al. aren’t saying that it _wasn’t_ intimidation/attempted intimidation, but merely that the evidence wasn’t strong enough to get a conviction, i.e. it _wasn’t prosecutable_ intimidation. There’s a clear difference between these positions, and while I am not a lefty, I suspect that the latter is indeed correct. ETA: …which is presumably why the Bush justice department chose not to prosecute it in a criminal court… ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-racist-fire-to-be-fanned-black-panther-charges-dropped/545957/92 "2010-07-09T22:38:35Z")
> [@cosmosdan](#): > > The point being that the BP without the baton lived in that neighborhood and was a registered Poll watcher. As I just said, voter intimidation would mean either they were trying to stop people from voting, sway their vote, or as Bull accuses, help bogus voters registered by ACORN to cast bogus votes. As Bull suggest, _hundreds_ of _thousands_ of fraudulent voters, _were coming to that one polling station_ to be aided by _two enforcers_ in fraudulent voting (for someone he just happened to think is fraud, by the way). And the _DOJ_ is _involved in a nefarious plan_, no an administrative mandate, _to register millions more fraudulent voters_ before the next presidential election, to be enabled to vote by one guy who will be sure to be given back his baton by then. And by whom will all of those fraudulent voters be registered. Why, by Bull’s implication, _ACORN_, _of course_. Oh, wait. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-racist-fire-to-be-fanned-black-panther-charges-dropped/545957/93 "2010-07-09T22:38:57Z")
> [@straight\_man](#): > > My reading of this debate is that **cosmosdan** et al. aren’t saying that it _wasn’t_ intimidation/attempted intimidation, but merely that the evidence wasn’t strong enough to get a conviction, i.e. it _wasn’t prosecutable_ intimidation. There’s a clear difference between these positions, and while I am not a lefty, I suspect that the latter is indeed correct. > > ETA: …which is presumably why the Bush justice department chose not to prosecute it in a criminal court… thank you. I don’t see any strong evidence of voter intimidation and evidently there wasn’t enough to prosecute criminal charges. Maybe that was their intent and maybe not, it isn’t a slam dunk for me without other pertinent info. Bull, the former civil rights lawyer made very strong specific charges without a shred of evidence that anyone has presented. It’s the typiucal piss poor excuse for journalism and irresponsible citizenship to air these charges without one shred of evidence and incite racial tension with accusations of voter fraud among the black community. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-racist-fire-to-be-fanned-black-panther-charges-dropped/545957/94 "2010-07-09T22:43:29Z")
I imagine these kinds of accusations only convince King what’s his name with the baton that his hatred for whites and ongoing oppresion is right on. Be afraid white people be afraid. People of color are trying to steal your country. What disgusting irresponsible crap. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-racist-fire-to-be-fanned-black-panther-charges-dropped/545957/95 "2010-07-09T23:35:52Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > It was a stick, and there is no evidence they tried to intimidate anybody know. Nothing on the videotape constitutes voter intimidation. Hate speech, in itself, is not intimidation. Voter intimidation requires some attempt to coerce or discourage voters. No such attempt was made. Bullshit. You’d be singing a different song if it were two good ol’ boys standing there in shitkickers, talking about “niggers” and tapping their Louisville Sluggers against their palms. You’d be the first one talking about voter intimidation. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-racist-fire-to-be-fanned-black-panther-charges-dropped/545957/96 "2010-07-09T23:41:07Z")
> [@cosmosdan](#): > > I imagine these kinds of accusations only convince King what’s his name with the baton that his hatred for whites and ongoing oppresion is right on. > > Be afraid white people be afraid. People of color are trying to steal your country. What disgusting irresponsible crap. What a strange little world you must live in. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-racist-fire-to-be-fanned-black-panther-charges-dropped/545957/97 "2010-07-09T23:48:18Z")
> [@Ogre](#): > > Bullshit. You’d be singing a different song if it were two good ol’ boys standing there in shitkickers, talking about “niggers” and tapping their Louisville Sluggers against their palms. You’d be the first one talking about voter intimidation. Hell, wouldn’t even call the cops. Might call the hospital, tell them to get an operating room ready to remove massive foreign objects from a couple of peckerwood rectums. Maybe go fetch some popcorn. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-racist-fire-to-be-fanned-black-panther-charges-dropped/545957/98 "2010-07-09T23:53:52Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Hell, wouldn’t even call the cops. Might call the hospital, tell them to get an operating room ready to remove massive foreign objects from a couple of peckerwood rectums. Maybe go fetch some popcorn. See, where does this attitude come from? You’d enjoy watching a couple of rednecks getting their comeuppance, but you have no problems with a couple of guys who happen to have different skin tone doing the EXACT SAME THING? Utterly, completely bizarre. There’s another word for it, but we’re not in the Pit. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-racist-fire-to-be-fanned-black-panther-charges-dropped/545957/99 "2010-07-09T23:56:03Z")
Oh, and: > [@](#): > > do you mean menacingly? No. I mean “meaningfully”, as in, they mean to give the impression that they are willing to use the clubs. It’s a perfectly appropriate construction. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-racist-fire-to-be-fanned-black-panther-charges-dropped/545957/100 "2010-07-10T00:29:31Z")
> [@Ogre](#): > > Bullshit. You’d be singing a different song if it were two good ol’ boys standing there in shitkickers, talking about “niggers” and tapping their Louisville Sluggers against their palms. You’d be the first one talking about voter intimidation. Those of you who keep using this same analogy should get together and form a chorus. If two good ole boys were standing outside the polling place in their own neighborhood, one likely to vote as they would, how would that be intimidation? If some black man poll watcher came into their neighborhood and questioned their right to stand outside their polling place and one of them made a racist comment towards that man it wouldn’t be voter intimidation since that person is not a voter. GET IT?? That doesn’t mean I approve of the racist comment or think it’s okay to stand outside a polling place with a weapon. I don’t approve of either,however, that doesn’t make it the specific crime of voter intimidation. And it sure as hell doesn’t add any weight to the outrageous charges brought by Bull on Fox. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-racist-fire-to-be-fanned-black-panther-charges-dropped/545957.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-racist-fire-to-be-fanned-black-panther-charges-dropped/545957.md?page=6)