Hate Speech



     An excerpt (by Eugene Volokh) from Carlos Campos,
"Racist Tag Used in Fight Over Contracts," Atlanta
Journal and Constitution, July 22, 1999, at 1A:

     "For the second time in 24 hours, a member of the
board of the Southeastern Legal Foundation has resigned,
indicating the city of Atlanta's aggressive
counterassault to save its affirmative action program
[from a Southeastern Legal Foundation lawsuit] is having
an impact. . . .

     "Mayor Bill Campbell and supporters turned up the
heat Wednesday morning with a news conference at which
the foundation was characterized as racist.

     "Campbell encouraged pickets at the homes of
foundation board members, 'so when they're having their
wonderful debutante balls, the participants will not be
able to get by.'

     "[Lou Walker, president of the Georgia Black Chamber
of Commerce] said a threatened boycott of a leading
Georgia producer of baked goods would be extended to
Savannah Foods, makers of Dixie Crystals sugar.

     "A few hours later, William W. Sprague Jr., who
retired as chairman of Savannah Foods & Industries Inc.
in 1994, resigned as a director of the Southeastern Legal
Foundation.  Savannah Foods produces Dixie Crystals sugar
as part of a 3 million-ton sugar conglomerate under
parent company Imperial Sugar.

     "Wednesday morning, Amos McMullian, chairman and CEO
of Flowers Industries of Thomasville, also resigned from
the foundation's board after the Georgia Black Chamber of
Commerce announced a boycott of Flowers products July 14.
. . .

     "The threatened boycotts followed in what supporters
of the affirmative action program have called a street
brawl with the legal foundation. . . .

     "William Sprague III, son of the retired chairman of
Savannah Foods, said he feels his company has been
unfairly targeted.  The company has been sold to Imperial
Sugar since his father retired and does not contribute
money to the foundation, he said.

     "'We find ourselves in the uncomfortable position
where they have announced a boycott, but our company
doesn't have a dog in this fight,' the younger Sprague
said.  'This is absolutely a personal thing my dad is
involved in.' . . .

     "At the news conference, the legal foundation was
repeatedly called racist, extremist and right wing, and
was compared to the Ku Klux Klan.

     "Walker said the boycott will continue against
McMullian's firm because he failed to put in writing his
stated intentions to discontinue contributing money to
the foundation.

     "'One thing about white males in charge --- they can
be so arrogant,' Walker said.  'White folks have been
tricking us a long time,' he said, reminding his audience
of such symbols of segregation as separate water
fountains for blacks and whites. . . .

     "[State Rep. Billy] McKinney called the foundation's
activities 'hatemongering.'  He added:  'We have finally
hit upon somebody to hate.  Matt Glavin [the president of
the Southeastern Legal Foundation] is someone that I
hate.' . . ."


     The Southeastern Legal Foundation is at
http://www.southeasternlegal.org
  

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