6/22/2005 6:00:00 PM
EDITORIAL/ Our true character
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Neshoba County faced one of its greatest challenges with the triple murder trial of Edgar Ray Killen, but the character of the good and decent people here won the day.
Many have called the conviction monumental, a watershed in Mississippi civil rights history, the trial of the century. Others have asked, “why stir it up,” saying it was pointless to open old wounds that had long since healed over.
The trial, which ended Tuesday with Killen’s conviction on three counts of felony manslaughter, did stoke old wounds, but the verdict was a great day for Mississippi, for Philadelphia, Neshoba County and for justice.
Murder is murder and for good and obvious reasons there is no statute of limitations on murder.
Prosecutors proved that Killen masterminded the execution of the three young men who had come to Mississippi to help blacks register to vote.
The crime four decades ago branded Philadelphia as a hotbed of racism, but the jury this week has helped us take a first and necessary step in excising an old evil that a majority of the people here never condoned in the first place.
It can be said that justice reigns in Neshoba County today, not the lawlessness of the 1960s under the tyranny of Edgar Ray Killen and his thugs who for 40 years have defined not only Neshoba County but the state of Mississippi.
We pronounce a new dawn in Mississippi, one in which the chains of cynicism and racism have been broken and we are free, free at last, thank God Almighty we are free at last!
Neshoba County District Attorney Mark Duncan said after the verdict that our county has begun to rewrite that virulently racist chapter of our history, which received a renewal of national attention through the 1988 movie “Mississippi Burning.”
“I’m one of you all, too. For too long, we’ve borne the burden of what was done here by a handful of people 41 years ago,” Duncan said. “We’ve shown the rest of the world the true character of the people of Neshoba County.”
Georgia Graham, 41, a lifelong resident of Philadelphia, tempered her satisfaction with caution. Watching as Killen was wheeled into a sheriff’s car after the verdict, she echoed the reaction of many other black townspeople here, The New York Times reported.
“It’s a step forward,” Graham said. “But there still are a lot of people who are guilty of this. This is letting them know they’ve been put on notice.”
Finally holding Edgar Ray Killen accountable for this horrendous crime is a powerful and necessary part of acknowledging and correcting the past.
To ignore evil is a complicit sin and for 40 years we have been in denial.
The jury had a difficult task. The evidence was weak, but the state met its burden of proof. As weak as the prosecution was — mainly because of the passage of time — the defense was even weaker.
We are pleased and yet disappointed with manslaughter, but Edgar Ray Killen deserves the maximum sentence and no less.
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Posted: Monday, October 30, 2006
Article comment by:
Jarred Schwandt
I, the same as many other people are happy for the developments that transpired in the Killen case last June. I will say the thing that I admire the most if that all steps were taken to secure an honest verdict. I appreciate the steps taken by the Mississippi Attorney General. The fact he interviewed witnesses personally, and was able to swallow his pride to ask for the aid of the federal government is commendable. It shows that this was not just a half-hearted effort for publicity. But, in going back and reading several of the articles written before, during, and as long as a year after the trial, a few recurring trends worry me: Firstly, it still confuses me to a degree why it took 40 years for action to be taken. If it was such an outrage, and was so widely condemned, then why wait so long to act? It seems harsh that it took a 40-year anniversary of the event to spark action in the community.
And, next, it honestly seemed that many of the writers of articles and editorials were simply more concerned with the image of the town and community over everything else. I lost count of how many times people mentioned “healing the image of the community”, “rewriting the past”, or “gaining respect” back for Mississippi. Only on rare occasion did it seem any of the writers decided to focus on the element of true, fair, and impartial justice. People have complained over Killen’s age, his status as a preachers, etc. Even jurors let that sway whether they could even sit on the case. I feel the most important factor is forgotten: That justice was finally served. Forget the innuendos, stigma, or history of the incident. I feel what should be realized more than anything is that a bad man (who was defiant and ignorant to the end), even if it was way overdue, finally reaped what he sowed. People need to realize the best tribute the civil rights movement can be given, is the acknowledgement that justice was finally served to a man who committed an appalling crime, and that age and race played no part in the decision. That is the best tribute and most important factor of this case, is, that for once, justice was truly blind; and is that not the entire Civil Rights Movement was all about?
Posted: Sunday, June 26, 2005
Article comment by:
Don R. Whitworth
I am writing this on Sunday June 26. I have waited this long to think about the foolish chatter that Geo.Willis wrote that was posted June 23. He seems to be trying to make a case of racial discrimination by the entire state of Mississippi but completely ignoring the fact that his personal discrimination seems just as ignorant to me as he seems to be trying to make Mississippi seem. He didn’t mention where he lives and it really doesn’t matter very much. I would be very surprised if where ever that is, there isn’t just as much, no more or no less discrimination than he is trying to make Philadelphia seem to have. Doesn’t he understand that there is discrimination of some sort everywhere? I live in Texas and I know that discrimination is alive and well here. Not only racial, but of every kind you can have and sadly I say that it will always exist. Why does he seem to think that the entire state of Mississippi, or the city of Philadelphia, shows more prejudice than he seems to have himself? Maybe he lives there, I don’t know, but I have spent time in different parts of Mississippi, including Philadelphia, and I do not believe that it is any more so there than other places. Yes I know that back in the “Civil Rights Era” the south fought hard against integration, but I also remember reading that Dr. King made the statement that he felt more fear in Chicago than any city that he visited. We all know now that wasn’t where the tragedy took place but apparently he felt it. I am white and was in my early 20’s at that time and was as much a WASP as a lot of southerners were. There are still many, but I no longer have those prejudice feelings and I know there are many, many people in Mississippi and Philadelphia think the same. But there are just as many “Geo. Willis’” and for that reason I sadly say that there will always be Prejudice and hate.
Posted: Friday, June 24, 2005
Article comment by:
Stephen James
I am from Western North Carolina, but was born and bred in Upstate NY. The murder of the 3 civil rights workers happened 3 years before I was born, however this case has always interested me. I even did a report on it in high school. Being raised up north did not mean I did not come into contact with racism. My own grandfather often espoused his racist views. Racism is a cancer on society, and whether it be as blatant as it was in 1964, or as hidden as a one liner joke in the office: it is evil. I commend Mississippi and the people of Neshoba county for having the courage to open old wounds and settle the issue of these murders. I only urge you to also convict anyone else who is still alive and guilty of being involved in the murders. I love southern culture, and southern life... this is why I reside in North Carolina now. The culture is rich and fertile. It is possible for Neshoba county to move forward, and I believe now that the county is taking a hard look in the mirror of history and reconciling itself with the past, it will move forward. I wish I could add to my old high school report. I would add this latest chapter to it. However, to complete that report from 20 years ago I would need to visit Neshoba county and the town of Philadelphia, MS. Ya know what? I think I will do just that! I will make that visit, and meet the fine people of you town... white, black, brown, etc. I want to meet the people who were courageous and honorable in bringing the past to justice. I also want to honor the memories of those 3 young men who did so much to bring equality not just to Mississippi, but to the entire nation. Congratulations, Neshoba.
Posted: Friday, June 24, 2005
Article comment by:
Laura Byars
I moved away years ago but Philadelphia is my hometown. I have family there and miss it (on occasion).
I do not believe that justice was served but I do see where it is a step in the right direction.
As far as I am concerned, there is no justice for socially acceptable, goverment sanctioned racism towards your fellow man.
It was and is rampant in our society by all races in various degrees, for various reasons.
We need a reminder that we are all human despite our differences.
Putting a man in prison who is practically on his death bed, who has gotten to live a full, long life is no justice.
It has gotten some spotlight and media attention for some up and coming bigwigs, who I shall look to run for office in the coming years.
Posted: Thursday, June 23, 2005
Article comment by:
Bill Joanis
God bless this newspaper for its grace.
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