Author Topic: Vick's case spawns hate mail, racism in rural Surry County  (Read 1174 times)

Dos Equis

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Vick's case spawns hate mail, racism in rural Surry County
« on: August 02, 2007, 08:51:56 AM »
How did this turn into a race issue? 

Vick's case spawns hate mail, racism in rural Surry County
Thursday, August 02, 2007

By Sonja Barisic, The Associated Press

SURRY, Va. -- Gail Clayton was talking to yet another reporter about the Michael Vick dogfighting case when a co-worker handed her a letter that had just arrived at the Surry County courthouse.

"Blacks -- no matter how much money and education will always be of a jungle race!" read the handwritten, unsigned letter, postmarked Richmond and addressed to courthouse "Managers."

"Why dont the White Race in Surry take back their town from the ones that cant act civilized and obey the White laws as we do?"

The missive was the latest bit of unwelcome attention for this rural county of 7,000 people, thrust into the spotlight when federal authorities accused the Atlanta Falcons' quarterback of sponsoring dogfighting at a local property he owns.

The letter shocked the county Circuit Court clerk, who said it "crossed the line" with its racism.

"I feel the letter had to be from someone who had knowledge of me being a black clerk in this office," Clayton said. "Whoever this [writer] is, I'm not planning on going anywhere."

She said she has received about a dozen e-mails and calls about the Vick case, mostly from strangers accusing county authorities of acting too slowly in its own dogfighting investigation.

Surry County Sheriff Harold Brown said the county investigation remains open.

"I can't reveal everything that's happening in the case," Brown said. "People don't understand that. Because it's not going the way they want it to go, as fast as they want it to move, then they say 'You're dragging your feet.' "

Brown said he has received one or two calls about the case and more than 30 e-mails from as far as Australia. About half the e-mails have been negative, he said. And he could not recall another case in his 28 years on the force, including 16 years as sheriff, that has attracted such attention.

Both he and prosecutor Gerald Poindexter are black as is Vick.

The local case began in late April, when a drug raid at Vick's property turned up evidence of dogfighting. With a second search warrant, county authorities confiscated 66 dogs and equipment typically associated with a dogfighting operation.

In May, county authorities secured a third search warrant for the property after an informant said up to 30 dogs were buried there. But the search warrant never was executed because Poindexter didn't like the way it was worded.

On the day the county search warrant expired unexecuted, federal authorities moved in. They searched the property twice and indicted Vick on July 17.

Vick and two other men have pleaded not guilty to the federal charges and face a Nov. 2 trial; a fourth defendant pleaded guilty Monday to dogfighting conspiracy charges as part of a plea agreement.

"You should all be ashamed of yourselves," one correspondent wrote in a May 30 e-mail to Clayton, Brown and Poindexter. "Doing nothing about an obvious crime because it's linked to a hometown hero is disgusting. You people are just as bad as every person involved in this case by choosing to do nothing about it, and I hope you all burn in hell for this!"

Poindexter did not return messages left for him in person at his office and by telephone.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07214/806295-66.stm

Colossus_500

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Re: Vick's case spawns hate mail, racism in rural Surry County
« Reply #1 on: August 02, 2007, 09:35:22 AM »
How did this turn into a race issue? 

Vick's case spawns hate mail, racism in rural Surry County
Thursday, August 02, 2007

By Sonja Barisic, The Associated Press

SURRY, Va. -- Gail Clayton was talking to yet another reporter about the Michael Vick dogfighting case when a co-worker handed her a letter that had just arrived at the Surry County courthouse.

"Blacks -- no matter how much money and education will always be of a jungle race!" read the handwritten, unsigned letter, postmarked Richmond and addressed to courthouse "Managers."

"Why dont the White Race in Surry take back their town from the ones that cant act civilized and obey the White laws as we do?"

The missive was the latest bit of unwelcome attention for this rural county of 7,000 people, thrust into the spotlight when federal authorities accused the Atlanta Falcons' quarterback of sponsoring dogfighting at a local property he owns.

The letter shocked the county Circuit Court clerk, who said it "crossed the line" with its racism.

"I feel the letter had to be from someone who had knowledge of me being a black clerk in this office," Clayton said. "Whoever this [writer] is, I'm not planning on going anywhere."

She said she has received about a dozen e-mails and calls about the Vick case, mostly from strangers accusing county authorities of acting too slowly in its own dogfighting investigation.

Surry County Sheriff Harold Brown said the county investigation remains open.

"I can't reveal everything that's happening in the case," Brown said. "People don't understand that. Because it's not going the way they want it to go, as fast as they want it to move, then they say 'You're dragging your feet.' "

Brown said he has received one or two calls about the case and more than 30 e-mails from as far as Australia. About half the e-mails have been negative, he said. And he could not recall another case in his 28 years on the force, including 16 years as sheriff, that has attracted such attention.

Both he and prosecutor Gerald Poindexter are black as is Vick.

The local case began in late April, when a drug raid at Vick's property turned up evidence of dogfighting. With a second search warrant, county authorities confiscated 66 dogs and equipment typically associated with a dogfighting operation.

In May, county authorities secured a third search warrant for the property after an informant said up to 30 dogs were buried there. But the search warrant never was executed because Poindexter didn't like the way it was worded.

On the day the county search warrant expired unexecuted, federal authorities moved in. They searched the property twice and indicted Vick on July 17.

Vick and two other men have pleaded not guilty to the federal charges and face a Nov. 2 trial; a fourth defendant pleaded guilty Monday to dogfighting conspiracy charges as part of a plea agreement.

"You should all be ashamed of yourselves," one correspondent wrote in a May 30 e-mail to Clayton, Brown and Poindexter. "Doing nothing about an obvious crime because it's linked to a hometown hero is disgusting. You people are just as bad as every person involved in this case by choosing to do nothing about it, and I hope you all burn in hell for this!"

Poindexter did not return messages left for him in person at his office and by telephone.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07214/806295-66.stm
Sad, isn't it?   It can never be just about the action.  :-\ 

rockyfortune

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Re: Vick's case spawns hate mail, racism in rural Surry County
« Reply #2 on: August 02, 2007, 09:42:07 AM »
"You should all be ashamed of yourselves," one correspondent wrote in a May 30 e-mail to Clayton, Brown and Poindexter. "Doing nothing about an obvious crime because it's linked to a hometown hero is disgusting. You people are just as bad as every person involved in this case by choosing to do nothing about it, and I hope you all burn in hell for this!"


what's so horrible about this comment? you are just as guilty as the guy committing the crime if you ignore it...
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Al Doggity

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Re: Vick's case spawns hate mail, racism in rural Surry County
« Reply #3 on: August 02, 2007, 09:54:23 AM »
Not surprising that there would be people who would do things like this. Take a look at Vick threads on some of the other sub-boards. Certain posters have tried to make the claim that Vick has played the race card (even though he really hasn't) and have no compunction about using blatantly racist language because he "started it."


But if you take a look at the numbers, it's not really so bad. They got like 12 emails? This is one of the most provocative stories in the headlines right now.

Dos Equis

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Re: Vick's case spawns hate mail, racism in rural Surry County
« Reply #4 on: August 02, 2007, 10:37:54 AM »
"You should all be ashamed of yourselves," one correspondent wrote in a May 30 e-mail to Clayton, Brown and Poindexter. "Doing nothing about an obvious crime because it's linked to a hometown hero is disgusting. You people are just as bad as every person involved in this case by choosing to do nothing about it, and I hope you all burn in hell for this!"


what's so horrible about this comment? you are just as guilty as the guy committing the crime if you ignore it...

Nothing is horrible about that comment, except the "burn in hell."  That's silly. 

These kinds of comments are a problem:

"Blacks -- no matter how much money and education will always be of a jungle race!" read the handwritten, unsigned letter, postmarked Richmond and addressed to courthouse "Managers."

rockyfortune

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Re: Vick's case spawns hate mail, racism in rural Surry County
« Reply #5 on: August 02, 2007, 10:44:50 AM »
Nothing is horrible about that comment, except the "burn in hell."  That's silly. 

These kinds of comments are a problem:

"Blacks -- no matter how much money and education will always be of a jungle race!" read the handwritten, unsigned letter, postmarked Richmond and addressed to courthouse "Managers."


yeah..i guess the burn in hell stuff is all that bible thumping they do down there.
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Camel Jockey

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Re: Vick's case spawns hate mail, racism in rural Surry County
« Reply #6 on: August 02, 2007, 03:35:37 PM »
Not surprising that there would be people who would do things like this. Take a look at Vick threads on some of the other sub-boards. Certain posters have tried to make the claim that Vick has played the race card (even though he really hasn't) and have no compunction about using blatantly racist language because he "started it."


But if you take a look at the numbers, it's not really so bad. They got like 12 emails? This is one of the most provocative stories in the headlines right now.

 8)

MB_722

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Re: Vick's case spawns hate mail, racism in rural Surry County
« Reply #7 on: August 02, 2007, 03:40:21 PM »
LOL  ;D

youandme

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Re: Vick's case spawns hate mail, racism in rural Surry County
« Reply #8 on: August 02, 2007, 10:40:58 PM »
Daym were my money bitch gov owes me reporations for my ancestors being slaves and me not having a job, BOOOOOOM

Camel Jockey

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Re: Vick's case spawns hate mail, racism in rural Surry County
« Reply #9 on: August 02, 2007, 11:00:02 PM »
 :D

Camel Jockey

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Re: Vick's case spawns hate mail, racism in rural Surry County
« Reply #10 on: August 02, 2007, 11:17:50 PM »
retribution is certain