AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Ambergris Caye RE: BIll

Doubt it, you old white guys. Katie deserves a pass . . .

What makes you think I'm white?

What I don't understand, Katie, is why you are going to such lengths to bash someone who has been a good member of the San Pedro community for decades... you dig into his past and now gossiping to the Amandala crew - WHY? You live in Belize City - do you even know Bill? Strange that you are making a huge display of something that is way outside of your business. What's next, tar and feathers and running him out of town? Geeze Louise.

Sorry to buck what seems to be the prevailing attitude on this forum, but I'm with Katie on this. Bill Wilkinson was the national leader of one of the most militant subgroups of the KKK. He was constantly on television during the early 80's advocating the KKK's message of hatred. He bragged about beatings and shootings he and his Invisible Empire committed against civil rights protestors. To quote from the book The Klu Klux Klan in Mississippi: A History by Michael Newton(page 191), "We hurt some niggers. We shot up Gunn's car and we're not ashamed of it." His group was linked to arson of the Southern Poverty Law Center, which was suing his the Invisible Empire to close down its paramilitary camp near Birmingham Alabama.

As for the argument that this was merely a "youthful indiscretion," to me a youthful indiscretion is getting busted for smoking pot at a Grateful Dead concert, not running a national hate group through a pattern of violence and intimidation.

He also wasn't youthful. Bill Wilkinson was 42 when he stepped down from his role as Imperial Wizard.http://www.nytimes.com/1984/09/02/us/a-klan-imperial-wizard-says-he-will-resign-post-this-year.html

By comparison, Hitler was 43 when the Nazis burned down the Reichstag. Teddy Roosevelt was 43 when he took office as President of the U.S. John Wilkes Booth was 26 when he assassinated Lincoln. Charles Manson was 35 when he killed Sharon Tate and others.

I do not know Mr. Wilkinson, and I am willing to accept that he is well-liked by many on San Pedro. I would guess that Gustav Franz Wagner was well liked in Brazil too before his past was exposed.

From my perspective, Mr. Wilkinson willfully and intentionally thrust himself into the public light in order to promote his vile view of Aryan supremacy. It is only fitting that his past be exposed in the same manner.

We'll said.

Thank you BelmopanGringo for putting this into perspective.

when I was in grade school in the 60's, my parents moved to a small town outside Houston, to Pasadena (Texas). I remember there was a big KKK building on one of the main streets. no one seemed too upset...

do I have to do any community service to come back to San Pedro?

some things change faster than others...

and talk about change, I was lucky enough to graduate from both UT and Texas A&M in the 70's, so don't get me started on head football coaches - smile -

Just curious, How is Bill dealing with all this? I truly hope he is tossing the negativeness aside, but it is dangerous talk.

So we just should forget about searching for and -when we found them- prosecuting criminals of war, murderers, sex offenders, etc. when their acts are in the past, they fled their country and changed their lives. No need for them to say they're sorry or something like that, just move somewhere abroad, set up a business and make friends and everything is forgotten. It'll save us a lot of work and money. And the victims? Aw, just forget about them too. It's a lot easier.

It seems to be that you folks, at least some of you, have convicted this man of a crime so serious that he should be pursued and harassed to the ends of the earth. Has he actually committed a crime or has he simply made some statements and professed to believe in something that you find reprehensible? We are all, at least so far, free to believe and say whatever we want and if you don't like someones beliefs and statements you are free to condemn them but there is nothing criminal about it and you shouldn't try to make it so. Thoughts are not crimes - at least not yet (or unless you are Eric Holder).

Maybe some day you will insist that the world try the bunch of oil rich, warmongering US politicians who have raped and pillaged the US taxpayers, supported then annihilated dictators around the world.