Southern Freedom Movement = Operation Iraqi Freedom??

If you have not been following the trial of Edgar Ray Killan in Philadelphia, Mississippi, I recommend HungryBlues as an excellent source of day-to-day information.  Benjamin also links to other bloggers who are documenting developments in the case. 

Today, he provided some rather illuminating quotes from the Mississippi Attorney General:

In his closing statements yesterday, Mississippi AG Jim Hood revealed his overt insensitivity to the Chaney, Schwerner and Goodman families.

Some of you have asked why I am here. . . Because this is where justice is done.

I wish some of my predecessors had done their duty. I wouldn't have to be here, to have missed my daughter’s second birthday.

It would be extremely unprofessional for Jim Hood to complain about missing his daughter's second birthday during his closing statements in any court case. But does he hear himself?! There's been 41 missed birthdays for the families of the victims.

Jim Hood also went so far as to desecrate what Chaney, Schwerner and Goodman stood for, by comparing the Southern Freedom Movement to Bush's war in Iraq:

They came down here doing God's work. They were here in peace. They weren’t troublemakers. They were doing the same things that we are doing in Iraq — fighting for people's freedoms. They showed a lot of courage. They were heroes for being here to grant people the freedom to vote.

And, the verdict is in:  manslaughter, not murder.  The victims families have called the verdict important in that someone is being held responsible for the murders.  As is so often the case, however, the penalty is more like a slap on the wrist.  And, as James Chaney's brother Ben stated:  "'I really feel that there is more to be done.'' He said there were still no black businesses downtown."

Yes, much much more to be done.