Sunday, July 31, 2016

Mark Brewer freely defended the Klu Klux Klan. He should apologize for defending America's first home-grown terrorist organization!

Mark Brewer defended the Klu Klux Klan.  He is running for public office.  It does not matter when or why.  He knew it was a terrorist organization when he defended them.  He knows what they did to black people and to progressive whites.  Why would he voluntarily don that?

I sent a column about this to the Macomb Daily on Thursday, July 21, 2016. They chose not to run it.  Instead, Jeff Payne, the managing editor of the Macomb Daily, chose to write a column himself, about my column and Mark Brewer's response.

Below you will see what I wrote in my column.  While I do not agree with the Macomb Daily's decision to withhold my column, and understanding they have the right to do so, I think Brewer had enough notice and time to fashion a rebuttal, which could have been printed along side my column.

Here is the column I sent to them:

Former Macomb County Commissioner Bobby Hill surely must be twirling in his grave at the thought that a man who once defended the Klu Klux Klan might inhabit the commission seat Hill served in for 16 years. Yet, Mark Brewer, who is poised to have that seat handed off to him by outgoing, current 9th District County Commissioner Fred Miller, may just get a pass for his work on behalf of America’s first home-grown terrorist organization

Recent events have forced Americans to pay attention to terrorist organizations.  Most of those events involved terrorists on foreign soil.  Within the last two years or so, cowardly acts of terrorism have been conducted on our own shores.  With all these incidents of despicable behavior, reviews of our country’s history with sometimes state-sanctioned terrorism have been refreshed.

It is a matter of record that Brewer helped defend the Klu Klux Klan’s plan to conduct a march in Lansing in 1994.  Brewer was an American Civil Liberties Union lawyer who vigorously argued for the Klan’s right to rally. Better yet, the defense was provided pro bono—without cost to the KKK.  Brewer and the ACLU failed.

The Klu Klux Klan was founded on Christmas Eve in 1865 by disgruntled Christian Democrats upset with the technical ending of slavery.  It was designed to strike fear and terror into the hearts of newly “emancipated” slaves who they believed needed to be kept in check, lest they think of themselves as Americans.

The Klu Klux Klan, with the help of like-minded citizens, brought forth an era of ungodly and deadly terrorist campaigns that cost the lives of thousands of American blacks and some whites.  Murdering and lynching was the order of the day, with little consequence to those who hid behind their white hoods and gowns.

They had a lot of help back then, and some of that help came in the form of cover through the American criminal and justice system.  Somehow, they could never catch, arrest, prosecute, and imprison KKK members.  In some instances the police were KKK, the district attorney was KKK, the prosecutor was KKK, the judge was KKK and the lawyers were KKK.

I am not saying that Mark Brewer is a member of the Klu Klux Klan; however, the lawyer who would go on to become the Chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party surely knew of the Klu Klux Klan’s murderous past.  He, personally, did not have to defend the Klu Klux Klan.  Yet he did.  Even if he was opposed to giving an assist to a terrorist organization, he could have declined out of moral indignation.  He did not.

Matthew Davis, a political columnist for MLive.com, wrote this about Mark Brewer in 2013 in reference to the 1994 Michigan Democratic Convention and Brewer:

“What made the convention intriguing was that, up to that point, my only knowledge of Brewer was his notoriety for serving as the ACLU-funded attorney for the Ku Klux Klan -- pro bono, mind you -- in that terror organization's failed attempt to hold a rally in 1994 on the Capitol steps.

Remember: The convention was in the heart of downtown Detroit, and this attorney for the most racist, anti-black, anti-Jewish, and anti-Catholic organization was seeking to become the leader of a party made up largely of blacks, Jews, and working-class Catholics.”

The Klu Klux Klan is not a diverse organization, but it an enduring one.  To this very day, the KKK has sometimes shed it robe and hood for business suits (see David Duke).  Even recent statements by Iowan Republican Representative Steve King have re-ignited concerns regarding whether the KKK has hidden inside our body politic. 

There is also a false narrative that the KKK has infiltrated the nation’s law enforcement agencies.  The overwhelming majority of police officers in this country do try to “protect and serve” everyone, regardless of race.  The acts of the few should not condemn the many.

Mark Brewer should at least apologize for giving aid and comfort to an American terrorist organization.  While not on the scale of Republican Party presidential nominee Donald Trump, he should make it known that he dis-avows any support or endorsement by that group. 

Further, he should clarify whether his indefensible defense would ever be repeated, and he should look into his soul to seek forgiveness and repentance for enabling terrorists to walk American streets and spew hatred for this country, its citizens, and for institutions that have bravely curtailed cowardly public displays of violence and hatred.



Here is a link to what Mr. Payne wrote in the Macomb Daily:

http://www.macombdaily.com/opinion/20160731/payne-duty-and-morale-indignation-collide-in-macomb-county-race


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