I got a note from my old pal today, asking for some help with a righteous cause. Thought I’d pass it on to everybody here, because I happen to agree with it and will be sending my buddy John a few dollars.
If you feel so moved by the following, I’ll be taking up a collection to send all at once. If you’re interested in pitching in, let me know here on the blog and you can send me a check or hand me some cash the next time you see me. Then I’ll send them all in together.
What Johnny Wrote:
I’m writing to you about Morris Dees, an Alabama lawyer and a friend, who needs your help in his fight to put dangerous hate groups out of business.
Much like myself, Morris grew up on a small cotton farm and went to law school in the Deep South. Soon after her graduated, Klansmen bombed a Birmingham church, killing four little black girls. It was a tragedy that would eventually change Morris’ life.
Leaving behind a successful business career, Morris began taking on highly unpopular cases—the kind of cases I’ve written about in my books. In 1971, he founded the renowned Southern Poverty Law Center to carry on his fight for justice.
Since then, Morris and his colleagues have filed a series of lawsuits that have put dangerous hate groups out of business. More than two dozen people have been convicted in connection with plots to kill Morris or blow up his offices because of his courageous work.
A recent Ted Koppel documentary highlighted the $7 million verdict Morris won against the United Klans for lynching a black youth. This was the same Klan group that was responsible for the church bombing that killed the four little girls in Birmingham. Morris’ case bankrupted the group.
Morris and the Law Center have an impressive track record. But their work is far from over. That’s why they need your help.
Since 2000, the number of hate groups has increased by more than 50 percent. The backlash against Obama’s election in certain quarters and the tough economic times create a perfect storm for their continued growth.
Just last year, Morris won $2.5 million verdict against the leader of the Imperial Klans of America (IKA) and one of his lieutenants for the brutal beating of a teenager in Kentucky. Just days before Morris took the IKA to court, federal agents arrested a member of an IKA splinter group for plotting to assassinate Obama.
Law enforcement agencies, including the Secret Service, depend upon the Law Center for up-to-date information about the hate groups. CBS News has reported that the Center has “cracked cases that even the FBI couldn’t solve.”
In addition to suing hate groups, the Law Center supplies schools across the country with free education material through its Teaching Tolerance project. It’s a reflection of Morris’ belief that it’s as important to teach acceptance in the classroom as it is to fight hate in the courtroom.
Bill Moyers has called Teaching Tolerance “a bold move into America’s classrooms to curb the rising tide of racial hatred.” As school budgets are slashed during the economic downturn, teachers in increasing numbers will look to the Center for its free, award-winning teaching resources.
Morris and the Southern Poverty Law Center are doing vital work in our nation’s courtrooms and classrooms. As long as hate groups seek to divide us, their work will be crucial to our nation’s health.
Morris and the Law Center never charge their clients any legal fees, and they accept no government money. I urge you to support them in whatever way you can. Just as importantly, I urge you to promote justice and tolerance in your community. Standing together, we can make a difference in our great country.
John
These guys really do have an impressive record (I looked), and I believe their work is indeed vital to our national health. If anyone else agrees, let me know and you can contribute as well. Or, if you’re interested in sending a donation on your own, let me know and I’ll email you the proper info.
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