[Vision2020] Journalistic integrity--Dees link

amy smoucha asmoucha@hotmail.com
Tue, 28 Oct 2003 00:04:52 -0600


Understood, Deacon, we all google badly sometimes.

I read the Harper's article. A relted criticism was written in an article a 
couple of years ago in The Nation ( I know, no moderate publication either). 
  I couldn't find the archive, but the article was critical not only of the 
SPLC's money-making, direct mail bent, but also of whether SPLC was 
listening to contemporary minority communities about the issues that are 
important to them, issues that should be served by the money collected for 
SPLC in their names.

However, it can be complicated business to dismiss or discredit important 
work because the leaders have flaws, greed or pride (or worse).  I think 
carefully about donating to SPLC because of those criticisms, but still I am 
grateful for their work and have educated myself with their Klanwatch 
materials and other publications.  I am grateful for what they did to 
bankrupt the Aryan Nation right next door.  Surely amassing a lot of assets 
is part of what keeps the organization powerful.  How many non-profits can 
afford to launch a lawsuit against the Klan, and front the cost of 
litigation?  Will we be happy those monies are there when we next need to 
fund a civil case against an extremist group?

Also, the Teaching Tolerance curriculum (which I've seen, though some time 
ago) is so worthwhile.  Isnt' it good that someone created something with 
such a broad-reaching influence that can still make money for a good 
organization?

We let CEOs of not-for-profit health organizations make millions;  we let 
the chairman of the publicly funded stock exchange make how much?  Although 
I personally think it's obscene for someone like Dees to amass a lot of 
personal wealth, it seems hypocritical for us to expect that a lawyer of his 
caliber would not be about making money along with doing good work.  I am 
far more concerned about allegations that the SPLC is no longer responsive 
to the emerging civil rights issues of minority communities.

Amy Smoucha


----Original Message Follows----
From: "Deacon James" <ddjames@moscow.com>
To: <asmoucha@hotmail.com>, <vision2020@moscow.com>
Subject: RE: [Vision2020] Journalistic integrity--Dees link
Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2003 17:57:12 -0800

Amy,

As I mentioned earlier, I agree that they seem to be less than reputable. I
was looking for an article that I read a month or two ago, and this looked
like it was it. I think, retrospect, it was the Harper's article. Anyway, it
was poor googling on my part, and I am willing to admit that.

Deacon

-----Original Message-----
From: vision2020-admin@moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-admin@moscow.com]On
Behalf Of amy smoucha
Sent: Monday, October 27, 2003 5:45 PM
To: ddjames@moscow.com; vision2020@moscow.com
Subject: RE: [Vision2020] Journalistic integrity--Dees link


Hmm.  Anyone who relies on the link below about Dees should take another
step and examine the website where it is posted www.patriotist.com .  Be
sure to scroll down to the column titled "The Outraged Negro Gambit," and
peruse some of the other enlightening links.  The article on "cultural
genocide" (That's where southern, white, confederate peoples are being
violated when the confederate flag is not allowed as a symbol in public
places, for those of you who wonder.)

Thanks, Deacon, for demonstrating to us exactly who discredits Morris Dees,
with a little insight into why.

Amy Smoucha


----Original Message Follows----
From: "Deacon James" <ddjames@moscow.com>
To: <vision2020@moscow.com>
Subject: RE: [Vision2020] Journalistic integrity
Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2003 11:07:08 -0800

Tom,

You seem to know a good bit about the situation. Here is my question. How
does the Southern Poverty Law Center make their money and earn recognition
as one of the most profitable non-profit organizations in the U.S.? (Here's
a hint: http://www.patriotist.com/dees.htm)

Deacon

-----Original Message-----
From: vision2020-admin@moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-admin@moscow.com]On
Behalf Of Thomas Hansen
Sent: Monday, October 27, 2003 10:38 AM
To: vision2020@moscow.com
Subject: RE: [Vision2020] Journalistic integrity


Simple:  Follow the links.  Wilson to Wilkins to the League of the South.
The Southern Poverty Law Center has exposed the League of the South to be
white supremacist in nature.  Or are they lying, too?

It is truly that simple.

Tom Hansen


-----Original Message-----
From: bill london [mailto:london@moscow.com]
Sent: Monday, October 27, 2003 10:25 AM
To: Douglas
Cc: vision2020@moscow.com
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Journalistic integrity


      I am not representing the Daily News, but I think it is clear that
Doug Wilson and his various buddies are trying to kill the messenger
since they really do not enjoy the message.
      The message is that Doug has been exposed as clearly and directly
supporting the abhorrent practice of human slavery.  Wilson has lately
been stepping carefully away from what he co-wrote in that booklet
("Southern Slavery: As It Was").  He now says he really meant that
slavery should have been ended without the Civil War, but the book is
quite obvious.  Wilson said that human slavery was justified in the
Bible and justified historically by the wonderfully humane system of
slavery developed in the South.  Wilson has been exposed writing
blatantly untrue assessments about the nature of Southern slavery (ask
any historian).
      Since Wilson is worried about this message getting out, he is
sending out the troops to attack the Daily News as the messenger.
      The topic of Wilson's February conference is "Revolution and
Modernity."  However,  it is accurate for the Daily News to indicate
that a discussion of Southern slavery will be incorporated into the
conference.  Wilson and his co-author (Steve Wilkins) from the slavery
book are both featured speakers.  In previous years, these annual
conferences sponsored by Wilson's church have included discussions of
slavery whatever the stated focus of that year's conference.   Wilson
acknowledged that he expected the topic of slavery to arise at the
February conference as well.
      I thought the Daily News article was more than fair to Wilson,
giving him plenty of space to define his views.
      Looking back at the published article, I was amused to read again
the subtitle: "Debate, emotions already stirred as preface to February
conference at UI."   Yup, that about sums it up.
BL

Douglas wrote:

  > Visionaries,
  >
  > Ambrose Bierce once defined ink as a "villainous compound of
  > tanno-gallate of iron, gum-arabic and water, chiefly used to
  > facilitate the infection of idiocy and promote intellectual crime."
  >
  > On Friday, The Idaho Statesman picked up the article which had
  > previously run in the Daily News. They ran it with this by-line: "Pair
  > to give their "biblical" defense of practice at U of I conference."
  >
  > 1. The conference is not on slavery. Never has been. The Daily News
  > really needs to quit relying on anonymous flyers as part of their
  > crackerjack reporting team. The savings in payroll are not really
  > worth the embarrassment.
  > 2. No, we are not going to give a defense of slavery at the conference.
  > 3. It is not a U of I conference.
  > 4. Having shouted their error on the front page, the Daily News had
  > whispered a teeny correction later on. The Statesman must have missed
  > it somehow.
  >
  > I would like to ask Nathan Alford to respond, or someone at the Daily
  > News. Who is responsible for misrepresenting our history conference in
  > this egregious way? What are you going to do about it?
  >
  > Cordially,
  >
  > Douglas Wilson
  >
  > _____________________________________________________
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