Posted on 12/23/2008 8:15:24 AM PST by SmithL
A Memphis-area businessman who served 12 years in prison for torching a Kentucky church for the Ku Klux Klan in 1991 said Monday he has been unfairly excluded from a major contract in Coahoma County, Miss., because of his criminal past.
Brian Tackett, president of Memphis-based Tackett Excavating Inc., called his crime a mistake and disavowed the KKK. He said he plans to sue Coahoma County officials and is now negotiating with a lawyer.
His company was formerly based in Southaven, but it moved to Memphis about a year ago.
"It was stupid. ... I got caught up in the middle of it," Tackett said of his earlier actions.
Tackett, who as grand dragon of the Kentucky Knights of the KKK was the group's second in command, burned down the Barren River Baptist Church in Bowling Green, Ky., in 1991. The burning resulted from an ongoing feud between the pastor of the predominantly white church and the leader of the Kentucky Klan.
"I'm not a bigot or racist in any way," Tackett said. "I have to live with this for the rest of my life. I'm trying hard to make up for it."
(Excerpt) Read more at commercialappeal.com ...
Maybe he should run for “Dean of the Senate”.
I’m willing to give anyone a second chance but making Grand Dragon doesn’t sound like he got “caught up” in it.
It looks like he was 22 years old when he committed his crime. A lot of people tend to do stupid stuff and believe stupid things when they are young.
And they CAN change, and they CAN learn from their mistakes.
If he was, say, in his 30s when he burned that church then I would NOT be at all inclined to believe he is a “different person” now.
22? That’s borderline, in my opinion. And he HAS served his sentence.
Those folks scrape the botom of the barrel just to get members. He may have gotten “promoted” at his second meeting just because no one else was there to take the title.
I equate arson with attempted murder. F him.
Do you know how old Harry “the Bigot” Byrd was when he “quit” the Klan?
Arson's a very serious matter.People can die in arson fires.Did I do stupid stuff at 22? You betcha.But arson wasn't among those stupid things.OK,so he served his time.If he refrains from committing crimes in the future he never has to worry about the police or the courts again.
But he can't expect people to forget what he did and he can't expect them to ever assume that he's "cured" and,therefore,is OK to deal with...personally or in business.
Being a "white nigger" myself I wouldn't know such things.
OTOH, he claims that he didn’t get the contract because of his Klan history. However, the County never brought up the Klan issue. They say there were other reasons for him not to win the contract.
I’m partial to the term “Cracker” myself.
Stop calling them “Knights”. There is only one fraternal order that are.
You want to make up for it? Your a contractor, build some black churches. Your not a bigot? Become a member of one of those churches.
I am an ex-felon and have no sympathy for this man. I was young, fell into a bad crowd and did some stupid things. Sound familiar? The difference is I take responsibility for the things I have done and accept the consequences. I earned the consequences, so I own them. They are the fruit I harvest for the things that I have sown.
He went to jail, paid his debt to society - had to eat the harvest of the things he had done and now, does he have to continue or can he not move on.
So... he’s claiming that he was a victim of his own stupidity? Maybe he qualifies for bailout cash.
I tend to agree with your points.
Also see post#7, this thread.
Double standards, nah.
Meantime, Bill Ayers prospers in Chicago.
“Stop calling them “Knights”. There is only one fraternal order that are.”
I’m no masonic expert, by any means, but could you explain what you mean. There are/were several masonic groups who referred to themselves as ‘Knights’ that I know of.
Why not? Yes, arson is a serious crime. And people CAN die in arson fires. But, fortunately, nobody died in HIS arson fire, so he is not guilty of murder. And he went to prison, and served his sentence, for the crime he actually committed; arson.
In your view, is a person EVER allowed to make good of themselves after they become a felon (say, by becoming successful in business), or should they forever be relegated to menial jobs and the low income associated with them?
This person has apparently served his time and has NOT gotten into any trouble in the last 17-18 years. When is he allowed to rejoin society?
PS - Please keep in mind that I am NOT taking his side in this dispute. It is still incumbent upon him to PROVE that his firm lost this job because of "prejudice" against him due to his past. There are ALL kinds of reasons why companies lose bids. it happens all the time.
I too went to prison (9 years) and paid my debt to society. I got out of prison 30 years ago and have been straight ever since. But that does not mean the the seeds I sowed do not still produce bad fruit. Just because I have "changed" doesn't mean that everyone else has to.
Hey, AP, didja hear that a couple of weeks ago Sarah Palin’s church was set afire and that an accelerant was put at the entrances so as to injure or kill as many escaping people as possible? I know your trying to keep it a secret.Just thought I’d jostle your little left brain bias memory.
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