* For Immediate Release*
Contact: Ronald Herd II/R2C2H2 Tha Artivist
W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News
http://www.weallbe.blogspot.com
e-mail: r2c2h2@gmail.com
phone: 901-299-4355
On August 20, 2009, Lawyer Organizes Lynch Mob & Uses Machine Guns, Dogs & Tanks To Hunt Down A Black Man Where The Lynching Of Emmett Till Took Place…
"The people must know before they can act, and there is no educator to compare with the press."
“Nowhere in the civilized worlds save the United States of America, do men, possessing all civil and political power, go out in bands of 50 to 5,000 to hunt down, shoot, hang or burn to death an individual unarmed and absolutely powerless.”
~Ida B. Wells-Barnett
Mississippi God Damn…Again
Mississippi Burning…Again
Ghosts Of Mississippi Ain’t Dead…
Nearly 54 years after the traumatic lynching of Emmett Till which shocked the nation and galvanized the Modern American Civil Rights Movement, the son of one of the lawyers who defended Till’s murderers organizes another lynch mob in Tallahatchie County out for blood…
This isn’t a Hollywood movie…Nor is this Wilmington, NC, 1898; Elaine, Arkansas, 1919; Tulsa, Ok, 1921; Rosewood, Fl, 1923…This happened Thursday, August 20, 2009 in Sumner, Ms, in Tallahatchie County…Yes the same county where a young Black boy named Emmett Till met his doom/destiny some 54 years ago this week…This time a young Black man named Will Pittman,28 years old, of Tutwiler, MS, was the target of an unauthorized manhunt by a law official and his posse of “deputized” gun toting thugs…
Sometime Thursday, August 20, 2009, Pittman & his friend McKeel Scott (at the time of this writing his whereabouts is still unknown) were accused by John Whitten III, the County Attorney of Tallahatchie County, of burglarizing the home of a neighbor and quite possible a relative…According to several sources, the boys were not actually caught in anybody’s home at that time, but were still accused. This supposed act infuriated Mr. Whitten, whose father, John Whitten Jr., was the defense attorney for the killers of Emmett Till (the brothers J.W. Milam & Roy Bryant), and so instead of going through the proper channels he decided to seek his own brand of vigilante justice, southern style.
He organized a militia of what could best be described as a lynch mob. Some of these men were actual law enforcement officers while others such as the case of an unidentified white maintenance man from Tutwiler, MS, simply wore a police uniform and was given a police car along with plenty of booze, guns and ammunition. Even the K-9 unit from the Department of Corrections at the notorious Parchman State Penitentiary was alerted for this mission. In addition to the man, fire and canine power, Whitten deployed two military tanks for the purpose of hunting down Mr. Will Pittman as well.
Around 5pm on Thursday evening, Will Pittman was Public Enemy # 1 of the Magnolia State as far as Whitten was concerned. Whitten proceeded to chase Pittman with his posse of dogs, firepower and tanks for what seem to be several hours and a hauntingly surreal event for anybody who witnessed the spectacle…As bullets were whistling all around him, Will Pittman had the presence of mind to run into a field and drop to the ground to cover himself in mud and grass.
Not knowing where Pittman was hiding with the only visible evidence being footprints that seemed to lead to nowhere, by this time the would-be executioners, literally drunken with sadistic power as well as large quantities of alcohol, out of frustration of not being able to find the wily Pittman, began to shoot wildly into and around the field with their 50 caliber machine guns, assault rifles and tank.
Several law officials in the area were well aware of as well as disturbed by what was going on in Sumner. Sheriff Deputy Willie Booker of Tallahatchie County was at the scene and called Sheriff William Brewer about what was taking place to stop the potential lynching and reinforce law and order, but was told not to get involved and leave. Not wanting the death of Will Pittman on his conscience, Sheriff Deputy Booker alerted Attorney Ellis Pittman of Clarksdale, MS, the father of Will Pittman, about the mayhem taking place up in Sumner. Once he became aware that his son was the target of lynch mob justice by a man, John Whitten III, who is a sworn mortal enemy of his from their confrontations in the judicial arena, Attorney Pittman immediately alerted the appropriate authorities and shortly thereafter got into his car in a literal race of life and death to Sumner, Ms.
However, it was the very courageous gesture from the younger brother of Will Pittman, Cornelius Pittman,24, that stopped a true tragedy from happening that day. Without a hesitating thought for his own safety and life, Cornelius went into to field to talk down the lynch mob from doing the unthinkable. Through a true act of God, Cornelius’ words of mercy resonated with one of the law enforcement officials at the gathering, K-9 Officer Michael Davies who then pleaded with the others to back off as well…
Once they find out who Will’s father was many more heeded the call…Some of the law officials then negotiated a peaceful surrender of Will Pittman to law enforcement officers and he was placed in Sumner jail without any further incident or bodily harm. John Whitten frustrated and enraged in coming up short of his intentions then allegedly told Cornelius Pittman in the field the following:
“I am going to kill Will and his whole goddamn family if I have to!”
Attorney Pittman successfully made it to the Sumner town jail to bail his son out later that evening. His son currently is being housed in a safe place and has not been publicly seen since his horrifying brush with death. Attorney Pittman was also successful in interviewing and recording several law enforcement officials about last Thursday’s incident…Surprisingly all interviewed were refreshingly honest with Attorney Pittman about the details of the manhunt confirming 'the fact is stranger than fiction tale' without hesitation.
As far as the behavior of lynch mob leader John Whitten is concerned, Attorney Pittman told W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News that Whitten “is supposed to be enforcing laws and not breaking them.” From what I was able to find online, Whitten was a municipal court judge for the towns of Charleston, Tutwiler, Webb and Okland, Ms. Ironically, in addition to his duties as county prosecuting attorney for Tallahatchie County he is also the city attorney for Tutwiler, a predominantly Black town with a Black mayor and 100% Black town council. Attorney Harvey Henderson was Tutwiler’s attorney before John Whitten. Harvey Henderson was also one of the actual attorneys that defended Till’s killers with John Whitten, Jr.
W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News was made aware by several sources that the FBI have just started an investigation this past Sunday August 23, 2009, working closely with several state officials to get to the bottom of this incident. And on Weds. August 26, 2009 @ 9PM Central/10PM Eastern, W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio will be interviewing Attorney Ellis Pittman & longtime Mississippi Civil Rights activist and artist Sis. Margaret Block for an update about the case. Please call 646-652-4593 and join the conversation as well as tune in online at the following link:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2009/08/27/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-News-Radio
Help Bring Awareness About What Happened In Sumner, MS, By Doing The Following…
Although WABG CH 6 in Greenville,MS interviewed some principle players in this story last week, currently there is a media blackout on this story. However, there are some things you great citizens can do to bring some truth and light to this horrible case of true human rights violations in a supposedly post-racial country supposedly governed by laws and not men. Remember we have the power of the information highway (internet) let’s use it for the power of good. The best weapon in any arsenal and war is knowledge!
Remember:
“The Revolution Won’t Be Televised, But It Will Be Blogged, Podcasted, Twitted & Broadcasted Online!!!”
Keep this story circulating in cyberspace and beyond by all means necessary!!! You can do it!!!
Remember you heard this story first on W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News http://www.weallbe.blogspot.com , the home of 21st Century citizen journalism!!!
Contacts:
Whitten, John (The Would-Be Lynch Mob Leader)
Tallahatchie County Prosecuting Attorney 662-375-8726
P. O. Box 369
Sumner, MS 38957
U.S. Department Of Justice
BY MAIL:
Correspondence to the Department, including the Attorney General, may be sent to:
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001
BY E-MAIL:
Before sending e-mail, please read our Privacy Policy for details about how we handle personal information.
E-mails to the Department of Justice, including the Attorney General, may be sent to AskDOJ@usdoj.gov. THIS E-MAIL ACCOUNT IS NOT AVAILABLE FOR SERVICE OF OFFICIAL, CASE-RELATED OR LEGAL DOCUMENTS AND IS NOT MONITORED FOR SUCH SUBMISSIONS OR FOR OTHER TIME-SENSITIVE COMMUNICATIONS. E-mails with attachments will be deleted because they may contain viruses.
E-mails will be forwarded to the responsible Department of Justice component for appropriate handling.
If you know the specific organization or official you wish to contact, please indicate such in your message or check the Component Contact Information Page to contact them directly.
Please include your mailing address in the event that the Department replies via United States Postal Service.
To comment on the USDOJ Web site, please e-mail webmaster@usdoj.gov . THIS E-MAIL ACCOUNT IS NOT AVAILABLE FOR SERVICE OF OFFICIAL, CASE-RELATED OR LEGAL DOCUMENTS AND IS NOT MONITORED FOR SUCH SUBMISSIONS OR FOR OTHER TIME-SENSITIVE COMMUNICATIONS. E-mails with attachments will be deleted because they may contain viruses.
BY PHONE:
Department of Justice Main Switchboard - 202-514-2000
Office of the Attorney General - 202-353-1555
U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D, District 2, MS)
Washington, D.C. Webmail:
http://benniethompson.house.go ...
Washington, D.C. Website:
http://benniethompson.house.go ...
Washington, D.C. Address
2432 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202-225-5876
Fax: 202-225-5898
District Address
107 West Madison Street
Bolton, MS 39041
Phone: 601-866-9003
Toll Free: 800-355-9003
Fax: 601-866-9036
District Address
910 Courthouse Lane
Greenville, MS 38701
Phone: 662-335-9003
Fax: 662-334-1304
District Address
Post Office Box 356
263 East Main Street
Marks, MS 38646
Phone: 662-326-9003
District Address
3607 Medgar Evers Boulevard
Jackson, MS 39213
Phone: 601-946-9003
Fax: 601-982-5337
District Address
Post Office Box 679
106 Green Avenue
Suite 106
Mound Bayou, MS 38762
Phone: 662-741-9003
Fax: 662-741-9002
District Address
509 Highway 82 West
Greenwood, MS 38930
Phone: 662-455-9003
Fax: 662-453-0118
Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour Contact Info
http://www.governorbarbour.com/
Capitol Address
Post Office Box 139
Jackson, MS 39205
Phone: 601-359-3150
Toll Free: 877-405-0733
Fax: 601-359-3741
Key Staff Address
Dan Turner
Press Secretary
Phone: 601-359-3150
Fax: 601-359-3741
Key Staff Address
Paul Hurst
Chief of Staff
Phone: 601-359-3150
Fax: 601-359-3741
Key Staff Address
Kay Troxler
Director of Scheduling
Phone: 601-359-3150
Fax: 601-359-3741,
Mississippi 39205.
bbryant@governor.state.ms.us
Contact: Ronald Herd II/R2C2H2 Tha Artivist
W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News
http://www.weallbe.blogspot.com
e-mail: r2c2h2@gmail.com
phone: 901-299-4355
On August 20, 2009, Lawyer Organizes Lynch Mob & Uses Machine Guns, Dogs & Tanks To Hunt Down A Black Man Where The Lynching Of Emmett Till Took Place…
"The people must know before they can act, and there is no educator to compare with the press."
“Nowhere in the civilized worlds save the United States of America, do men, possessing all civil and political power, go out in bands of 50 to 5,000 to hunt down, shoot, hang or burn to death an individual unarmed and absolutely powerless.”
~Ida B. Wells-Barnett
Mississippi God Damn…Again
Mississippi Burning…Again
Ghosts Of Mississippi Ain’t Dead…
Nearly 54 years after the traumatic lynching of Emmett Till which shocked the nation and galvanized the Modern American Civil Rights Movement, the son of one of the lawyers who defended Till’s murderers organizes another lynch mob in Tallahatchie County out for blood…
This isn’t a Hollywood movie…Nor is this Wilmington, NC, 1898; Elaine, Arkansas, 1919; Tulsa, Ok, 1921; Rosewood, Fl, 1923…This happened Thursday, August 20, 2009 in Sumner, Ms, in Tallahatchie County…Yes the same county where a young Black boy named Emmett Till met his doom/destiny some 54 years ago this week…This time a young Black man named Will Pittman,28 years old, of Tutwiler, MS, was the target of an unauthorized manhunt by a law official and his posse of “deputized” gun toting thugs…
Sometime Thursday, August 20, 2009, Pittman & his friend McKeel Scott (at the time of this writing his whereabouts is still unknown) were accused by John Whitten III, the County Attorney of Tallahatchie County, of burglarizing the home of a neighbor and quite possible a relative…According to several sources, the boys were not actually caught in anybody’s home at that time, but were still accused. This supposed act infuriated Mr. Whitten, whose father, John Whitten Jr., was the defense attorney for the killers of Emmett Till (the brothers J.W. Milam & Roy Bryant), and so instead of going through the proper channels he decided to seek his own brand of vigilante justice, southern style.
He organized a militia of what could best be described as a lynch mob. Some of these men were actual law enforcement officers while others such as the case of an unidentified white maintenance man from Tutwiler, MS, simply wore a police uniform and was given a police car along with plenty of booze, guns and ammunition. Even the K-9 unit from the Department of Corrections at the notorious Parchman State Penitentiary was alerted for this mission. In addition to the man, fire and canine power, Whitten deployed two military tanks for the purpose of hunting down Mr. Will Pittman as well.
Around 5pm on Thursday evening, Will Pittman was Public Enemy # 1 of the Magnolia State as far as Whitten was concerned. Whitten proceeded to chase Pittman with his posse of dogs, firepower and tanks for what seem to be several hours and a hauntingly surreal event for anybody who witnessed the spectacle…As bullets were whistling all around him, Will Pittman had the presence of mind to run into a field and drop to the ground to cover himself in mud and grass.
Not knowing where Pittman was hiding with the only visible evidence being footprints that seemed to lead to nowhere, by this time the would-be executioners, literally drunken with sadistic power as well as large quantities of alcohol, out of frustration of not being able to find the wily Pittman, began to shoot wildly into and around the field with their 50 caliber machine guns, assault rifles and tank.
Several law officials in the area were well aware of as well as disturbed by what was going on in Sumner. Sheriff Deputy Willie Booker of Tallahatchie County was at the scene and called Sheriff William Brewer about what was taking place to stop the potential lynching and reinforce law and order, but was told not to get involved and leave. Not wanting the death of Will Pittman on his conscience, Sheriff Deputy Booker alerted Attorney Ellis Pittman of Clarksdale, MS, the father of Will Pittman, about the mayhem taking place up in Sumner. Once he became aware that his son was the target of lynch mob justice by a man, John Whitten III, who is a sworn mortal enemy of his from their confrontations in the judicial arena, Attorney Pittman immediately alerted the appropriate authorities and shortly thereafter got into his car in a literal race of life and death to Sumner, Ms.
However, it was the very courageous gesture from the younger brother of Will Pittman, Cornelius Pittman,24, that stopped a true tragedy from happening that day. Without a hesitating thought for his own safety and life, Cornelius went into to field to talk down the lynch mob from doing the unthinkable. Through a true act of God, Cornelius’ words of mercy resonated with one of the law enforcement officials at the gathering, K-9 Officer Michael Davies who then pleaded with the others to back off as well…
Once they find out who Will’s father was many more heeded the call…Some of the law officials then negotiated a peaceful surrender of Will Pittman to law enforcement officers and he was placed in Sumner jail without any further incident or bodily harm. John Whitten frustrated and enraged in coming up short of his intentions then allegedly told Cornelius Pittman in the field the following:
“I am going to kill Will and his whole goddamn family if I have to!”
Attorney Pittman successfully made it to the Sumner town jail to bail his son out later that evening. His son currently is being housed in a safe place and has not been publicly seen since his horrifying brush with death. Attorney Pittman was also successful in interviewing and recording several law enforcement officials about last Thursday’s incident…Surprisingly all interviewed were refreshingly honest with Attorney Pittman about the details of the manhunt confirming 'the fact is stranger than fiction tale' without hesitation.
W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News was made aware by several sources that the FBI have just started an investigation this past Sunday August 23, 2009, working closely with several state officials to get to the bottom of this incident. And on Weds. August 26, 2009 @ 9PM Central/10PM Eastern, W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio will be interviewing Attorney Ellis Pittman & longtime Mississippi Civil Rights activist and artist Sis. Margaret Block for an update about the case. Please call 646-652-4593 and join the conversation as well as tune in online at the following link:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/
Help Bring Awareness About What Happened In Sumner, MS, By Doing The Following…
Although WABG CH 6 in Greenville,MS interviewed some principle players in this story last week, currently there is a media blackout on this story. However, there are some things you great citizens can do to bring some truth and light to this horrible case of true human rights violations in a supposedly post-racial country supposedly governed by laws and not men. Remember we have the power of the information highway (internet) let’s use it for the power of good. The best weapon in any arsenal and war is knowledge!
Remember:
“The Revolution Won’t Be Televised, But It Will Be Blogged, Podcasted, Twitted & Broadcasted Online!!!”
Keep this story circulating in cyberspace and beyond by all means necessary!!! You can do it!!!
Remember you heard this story first on W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News http://www.weallbe.blogspot.
Contacts:
Whitten, John (The Would-Be Lynch Mob Leader)
Tallahatchie County Prosecuting Attorney 662-375-8726
P. O. Box 369
Sumner, MS 38957
U.S. Department Of Justice
BY MAIL:
Correspondence to the Department, including the Attorney General, may be sent to:
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001
BY E-MAIL:
Before sending e-mail, please read our Privacy Policy for details about how we handle personal information.
E-mails to the Department of Justice, including the Attorney General, may be sent to AskDOJ@usdoj.gov. THIS E-MAIL ACCOUNT IS NOT AVAILABLE FOR SERVICE OF OFFICIAL, CASE-RELATED OR LEGAL DOCUMENTS AND IS NOT MONITORED FOR SUCH SUBMISSIONS OR FOR OTHER TIME-SENSITIVE COMMUNICATIONS. E-mails with attachments will be deleted because they may contain viruses.
E-mails will be forwarded to the responsible Department of Justice component for appropriate handling.
If you know the specific organization or official you wish to contact, please indicate such in your message or check the Component Contact Information Page to contact them directly.
Please include your mailing address in the event that the Department replies via United States Postal Service.
To comment on the USDOJ Web site, please e-mail webmaster@usdoj.gov . THIS E-MAIL ACCOUNT IS NOT AVAILABLE FOR SERVICE OF OFFICIAL, CASE-RELATED OR LEGAL DOCUMENTS AND IS NOT MONITORED FOR SUCH SUBMISSIONS OR FOR OTHER TIME-SENSITIVE COMMUNICATIONS. E-mails with attachments will be deleted because they may contain viruses.
BY PHONE:
Department of Justice Main Switchboard - 202-514-2000
Office of the Attorney General - 202-353-1555
U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D, District 2, MS)
Washington, D.C. Webmail:
http://benniethompson.house.go ...
Washington, D.C. Website:
http://benniethompson.house.go ...
Washington, D.C. Address
2432 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202-225-5876
Fax: 202-225-5898
District Address
107 West Madison Street
Bolton, MS 39041
Phone: 601-866-9003
Toll Free: 800-355-9003
Fax: 601-866-9036
District Address
910 Courthouse Lane
Greenville, MS 38701
Phone: 662-335-9003
Fax: 662-334-1304
District Address
Post Office Box 356
263 East Main Street
Marks, MS 38646
Phone: 662-326-9003
District Address
3607 Medgar Evers Boulevard
Jackson, MS 39213
Phone: 601-946-9003
Fax: 601-982-5337
District Address
Post Office Box 679
106 Green Avenue
Suite 106
Mound Bayou, MS 38762
Phone: 662-741-9003
Fax: 662-741-9002
District Address
509 Highway 82 West
Greenwood, MS 38930
Phone: 662-455-9003
Fax: 662-453-0118
Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour Contact Info
http://www.governorbarbour.
Capitol Address
Post Office Box 139
Jackson, MS 39205
Phone: 601-359-3150
Toll Free: 877-405-0733
Fax: 601-359-3741
Key Staff Address
Dan Turner
Press Secretary
Phone: 601-359-3150
Fax: 601-359-3741
Key Staff Address
Paul Hurst
Chief of Staff
Phone: 601-359-3150
Fax: 601-359-3741
Key Staff Address
Kay Troxler
Director of Scheduling
Phone: 601-359-3150
Fax: 601-359-3741,
Mississippi 39205.
bbryant@governor.state.ms.us
Well, that's quite a story. This is the only thing I've found about it from the news.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.wxvt.com/Global/story.asp?S=10989564
I daresay if this rubbish was true, it would have been mentioned in the the Clarion Ledger or the Sun Sentinel.
ReplyDeleteIt's not rubbish and it is very true. Call the Sun Sentinel...they are doing a story and it probably will be slanted because it is a Tallahacthie newspaper.
ReplyDeleteI would like to say that i personally live in Sumner, Mississippi and all that happened was: a normal home was robbed, the owner of the home walked in on the burgarly, the car driver fled and was chased down, the male fled to the woods and could not be found. John Whitten and some of his friends decided that they would look for the burgalar aslo and went to look for him but he was not found so they simply let it be. The next day the burgalar went to a home on the outskirts of Sumner and ask for the phone. He was shoeless and covered in mud so the owners of the home called the law enforcers and he was arrested. No lynching or racism whatsoever. This blog is wrong. Sumner is not a racist town at all. African Americans and white people work, talk, and get along fine.
ReplyDeleteOh yes...it was in the CL. Sun Sentinel only comes out once a week, hopefully it will be there too.
ReplyDelete@ anonymous that posted after me:
ReplyDeleteHow do you figure that?
Have you not ever looked at the population's statistics?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tallahatchie_County,_Mississippi#Demographics
"The racial makeup of the county was 39.62% White, 59.43% Black or African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.05% from other races, and 0.46% from two or more races. 0.92% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race."
So you see, the African-Americans nearly double the Caucasian population in Tallahatchie County.
So how do you get "slanted" from these stats?
It's very much true!!! I personally saw a Army Tanker last Thursday "riding" in Sumner. All of this undercover racism has to end.
ReplyDeleteYou are ALL forgetting what actually started all of this!!!!! These two guys BROKE into a home and were surprised when the owner came home!! they took off running into a field... Law Officials (African American and White) were IN CHARGE of the situation and did a great job in bringing the suspect to justice!!! Oh, and by the way, was not one of these guys just released from prison??? One man does NOT run this county nor does he run Sumner, MS!!! You are all forgetting that these boys were committing a crime!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteMr. Pittman, since you stated earlier that you were not present at the scene of the incident, you do not know how many officials were there!!!! There were MANY police officers present!! City and County!! Not just Booker!!!
ReplyDeleteA comment was made on the broadcast that a person could could not use daeadly force to protect their property. The last time I checked, in the state of Mississippi, if a person felt threatened by someone breaking in their home, and feared for their life(no one knows this, of course, but the home owner), then they are justified in the use of deadly force. This law even extends to one's yard and vehicle.
ReplyDeleteI was raised to like or dislike someone based on their person.. not the color of their skin, but I am disgusted by the fact that there are groups like you that want to downplay the actual crime committed and concentrate on the color of the criminal. I suppose if this were a white person who broke into someones home.. that would simply be justice served. I certainly hope that in this country of free speech.. more people who see the ignorance of this spectacle you are creating to hide the reason why people were searching for him in the beginning will speak out! I for one hope that if anyone breaks into my home that my friends and neighbors would come together and help protect me like these people have done. Good Job!!!
ReplyDeleteI am from Tutwiler, MS and I know both the Whittens as well as the Pittmans. To say that this is rubbish is just another way of people not realizing that Racism is alive and kicking. Whether or not William and his friend broke into this house became secondary the minute the prosecuting attorney and juvenile judge put a "hit" out on this young man. I'm not saying that William shouldn't be punished, IF he was convicted for the crime he is being accused of. He should be given due process just as any other American citizen and the punishment must fit the crime. This Judge should be stripped of all his titles. No one caught William in the house!! There were several witnesses who has spoken out against the Judge, who is also the organizer of this unfortunate event. It is heartbreaking to know the very person to enforce the law and have so much power in determining one's guilt would go and pull a stunt like this. This is outrageous and those responsible for and participated in this SHOULD be held accountable. To answer the previous; while I understand it is the law that if someone breaks into your house you can use a firearm to stop the intruder. It is NOT the law for you to call in a small army, chase the accused down and commence to start lynching proceedings. Once the intruder has stepped foot off your property... you are no longer covered. It is up to the justice system.. With the ammo they had, they certainly weren't going to ask him IF he broke into the home. They were going to take actions into their own hands like some backwood bandits. Say what you may, but know that this is wrong. I don't care which way you look at it. Even if he was caught in the house, it would be wrong for him to be lynched in the fields of Sumner Mississippi. Do you seriously think this is not about race?? It stop being about a home invasion the second the Judge organized a Lynch Mob to kill William. It is going to be slanted if Tallahatchie County newspapers report it, who do you think own the newspapers... I see you have the demographics down but I'm guessing you had to google it to get them... While it may be predominately Black, it is the Whites who are in powerful positions.. If my home is broken into, I too would like for my neighbors to speak to law officials about what they saw.. It is not my hope or want that they go out with machine guns and search dogs with the intent to kill and destroy the person "accused" of the intrusion.. If you think for ONE millisecond that the "Delta" is colorblind... THINK again because I KNOW that it isn't..... This needs to be nationalized.... This is not something I would have ever thought would happen during my lifetime... With the accounts of the incident, the only item missing was the WHITE SHEET!!!!!!
ReplyDelete@ sick of the LIES... Were you at the incident? If not only Booker was there, who else was there??? Both City and County.... The names would be very helpful in deteremining what really went on.. The fact that you refer to them as boys is really crazy... Did you check the ages of the accused??? Once again, the True color of the "Dirty South" is brought to fruition.... It's incidents like this that will leave a bitter taste in your mouth!!!!
ReplyDeleteI have known Mr John for my whole life and am friends with him and his entire family. I have spent numerous days at his house in Sumner, MS and was not far from the scene of this incident. Telling you that, I can tell you this: There was nothing racial going on. There were no tanks. No machine guns. The dogs were called in by law enforcement, used by law enforcement. Mr John was there in an antique military jeep with no mounted gun. He collects military vehicles but none have mounted guns. The entire truth is that Mr John is a man of his community who was trying to help his neighbor in a time of need along with others from the community. There were no "lynch mobs". In the south people come together in a time of need. We help our friends and neighbors. You are a racist. Not this man. Just because he is a white male who collects antique military memorabilia and tried to assist his friend, you call him racist. He never fired a shot. The criminal here is the guy that robbed a nice hard working man. But of course you take his side. Why? Is it because he's black? That makes you a racist!
ReplyDeleteHere's something new from the CL:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.clarionledger.com/article/20090827/NEWS/90827019/Thompson-seeks-AG-probe-in-Sumner-
I will believe what the Department of Justice finds. I'm sure they will investigate very thoroughly.
ReplyDeleteIf the posse used 50 caliber machine guns the investigators will find the truth. a 50 caliber bullet travels about 2.5 miles. How many houses or people were hit down range by these ignorant, bigoted, fools. Lynch mobs are used by people that absolute power hascorrupted absolutely .
It is STORIES like this one printed on line that keep the racism issue going! The person who wrote this should be ashamed of themselves for writing all these lies and upsetting people who are too quick to believe everything they read on the internet! I mean come on shooting missles at the "victim"????? Don't you think it is odd how no one else in the town heard these missles and machine guns firing.... I know I live here! Dont belive everything you read folks!
ReplyDeleteThe true victims are the homeowners whose house got broken into! Not this thief who got caught running out the back door when the homeowner pulled up in his driveway!!!!!
Thank you Mr. Baerlocher!!! You said it exactly right!! The big word IF...IF there was shooting and since there ARE houses all around the field where Will was hiding a house had to be hit, but guess what?? No house was hit because there was NO shooting! And what I don't understand is what exactly Will and his "friend" were doing? Why were they running to start with?? Usually if you are in someone's yard then you have business with that person.. So why did Will and his "friend" take off running when the homeowner drove up? If they were there for a reason then why did they not just talk to the homeowner when he drove up alone? Too many unanswered questions to believe a story like this..
ReplyDeleteEven if what is being said is true about Mr. John being such a good neighbor, how often has he called in a k9 unit to find someone who has broken into someone's home? Did he abuse his power as a public figure and throw around his name to get a k9 unit called in. I agree, there are questions that should be answered on both sides... The question for Will would be why were you there? Did you break into this home? The other party would need to answer questions as well... The first being.. Who called in a k9 unit to search for an accused home intruder? In what capacity was John Whitten acting in while riding around in a "military jeep with no mounted guns" when he was involved in the incident? While I certainly agree that all guilty parties must be punished but again I say the punishment must fit the crime...But first a foremost, the accused should be afforded their day in court... This is what the justice system is about.. We could go back and forth until all are blue in the face, but what will that have solved.. Until the people in this community as well as surrounding communities stand up for what's right regardless of who is on the other side of the trigger, these type incidents will continue.... They will never get it that this incident is just one of many that still happens today... Face it people, Racism is there. I am disgusted that anyone would think that the punishment of an accused intruder would be death... Riddle me this, is every response to a home invasion going to be rounding up the troops and sending out the dogs???? Because if it is not, then the whole "John was being a good neighbor" goes out the window...Wake up Sumner and call this for what it is.....
ReplyDeleteFirst I would like to say that I have traveled all over this country. I have met and socialized with all races. I have also lived in this county. There are racial issues on both sides. The african americans are raised that the "White Man" wants to keep them down. The white people are raised that the "Black Man" hates them.
ReplyDeleteEveryone in this country has a right to an education. It is their choice if they chose to take it.
In any town in Tallahatchie county on the beginning of the month you cannot get into a bank because of the people cashing thier government checks" welfare" I have personally spoken with some of those people in the line and when I asked them why they are their they actually stated to me "I have to feed my kids" I asked them why they have 3, 4, 5 children they stated that the more children they have the more money they make. I have known John for a long time and he is a little crazy, but trust me it would not matter if the criminal was whit, black or red. If they broke the law he would try to catch him if he could. One more note, John does not have a tank with a barrel on it so how could they shoot over the field.
Breaking and entering a house is a very personal crime. You are going into someones home. The place where they are supposed to be safe. Dont think for a moment that if I was at my house and someone broke into it that I would not hesitate to take their life in fear for my children. and so would anyone else.
Quit making this about black and white. If this adult male had no respect for this other mans home then he needs to go to Parchman and stay there a while, Maybe he would think twice before doing it agian. This goes for any race
Well, it seems the truth is something the Pittmans and the Author of this story have a problem with. Maybe charges of filing a false report to Law Enforcement and a slander suit would get the Pittman's attention.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in South Africa and I am WHITE, many of the same things are happening here. Everything a White does is racist, everything whites have they stole. You must do as the South African whites who remain have done, stop hiring them, stop shopping with them, do not support them in anyway. Let me leave you with this white South African saying, If you give a black a hand they will take your arm! TO THE BLACKS, THE BACKLASH IS COMING!!!!!
To the small minded ANONYMOUS idiot who posted the comment @ 8:18.pm. It obvious that you are racist, b/c your focus got side tracked. You started talking about people standing in line on the first of the month. We are not dumb, b/c white people make statements like this all the time. It is just as many white women having black babies to get welfare, so don't go there, Sugar!.
ReplyDeletePlus, you don't have enough nerves to ask a black person why they have so many children. On top of that, it ain't your business no way. White people get strung out on crystal meth, stink, teeth fall out, children get burned due to exploding chemicals, kids removed from the home, then they want to go and apply for disability cause the meth has eaten their brain matter up. Now comment on that, since you want to focus on something else.
OH MY GOODNESS!!! I can not believe this has come to these kind of comments. These last few comments are what's wrong with the United States today! I was reared in a Christian home and I am a Christian. I belive that I am to show love to everyone - not just white people - since I am white. I live in Sumner and there are a lot of Christians here in our very small town - all different races! Most all of us get along and are friends. There are only a FEW that think they are better than anyone else. This story is about ONE man that happens to live in Sumner. IF he did the things he is being accused of, then the FBI will certainly find out and he will have to pay for his actions. But his actions do NOT reflect the actions of others here in Sumner. And the people who robbed the home will have to pay for their actions.
ReplyDeleteWill's father is a man who has tries to take care of is son when needed, I respect hime for that. But I would like too know one thing "Where was Emmit Till"s father when all of his troubles were happening?" Can anyone tell the citzens of Tallahatchie County the truth about him?
ReplyDeleteONE THING ABOUT YOU GOOD OLE BOYS YOU REALLY STICK TOGETHER!!!THAT WHITE RACIST BASTARD TRIED TO KILL THAT MAN AND IF SOMEONE HADN'T INTERVENED HE WOULD BE DEAD RIGHT NOW. I WANT TO PUT "YOU PEOPLE" ON NOTICE WE ARE NOT GOING TO TOLERATE THIS ANY LONGER AND WE ARE NOT OUR ANCESTORS, WE WILL NOT ROLL OVER WE WILL FIGHT BACK,, BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY!!!!!
ReplyDeleteYou can take this with a grain of salt, but... What happened was that burglary was walked in on. Pittman fled in a white car. The law was called and a manhunt began. The group consisted of a few citizens and mostly police and some off duty police. No squad cars or guns were issued to citizens. Whitten was in his armored personnel transport because frankly he's a little out there, but it was not a tank. There were no machine guns or assault rifles or surface to air missles. The objective was to find Pittman and arrest him before he tried to swim the bayou because he could have been tangled in one of the lines and drowned.
ReplyDeleteOMG! Reguardless of what happened, why are you relating it to Emmit Till? First of all, Emmit till was NOT killed in Sumner. He was killed in Money, MS. The only thing that happened in Sumner was the trial.
ReplyDeleteBut it's sad that this article is trying to parallel this story to Emmit Till -- it is nothing alike. Emmit Till did nothing wrong, unlike the man in this story - who let's not forget - robbed a house!
It's sad that instead of focusing on the fact that a crime was commited -ROBBERY - all of this article's writers can focus on is race. Reguardless of his race, he commited a crime! Try not to forget that -- It's a VERY important fact in this story.
See statement from law enforcement at the scene. Deputy Sheriff confirms what took place. THIS IS AMAZING!!!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/a_delta_manhunt_with_booze_and_guns_090209/
Can anyone verify that the Brian Smith mentioned in this article
ReplyDeletehttp://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/a_delta_manhunt_with_booze_and_guns_090209/
Is in fact Brian Talmadge Smith of Sumner, MS?
The Detroit, MI Citizens for Rights supply truck will be here with much needed crack cocain, methamphetamines, marijuana, gin, ripple, malt liquor, food stamps and gangsta rap music CDs to distribute to the citizens who exahausted their supplies while complaining about how two apparent thugs were mistreated. The supplies will be distributed at no cost to the deprived citizens to assist them in returning to their normal activities.
ReplyDeleteAfter having read former President's remarks about racism in this country, I'm inclined to agree with him. This site is proof that African-American racism exists and even in YankeeLand, the land where dear old Obama hails from has racism problems of it's own: http://videos.bnd.com/vmix_hosted_apps/p/media?id=6182600&item_index=&genre_id=00001528
ReplyDeleteThis site is ridiculous. I'm am one of the most open-minded people you will ever meet, and yet this site still is daft in my opinion and this story about that lot in Sumner is still rubbish in my most humblest of opinions.
As I type this, I hear the song "Mississippi Goddamn" playing.
On reflection of this site in it's entirety, (meanwhile, here I go into Jeremiah Wright mode) I say Goddamn this site for hindering racial progress in this state by spewing out lies! Goddamn this site for throwing petrol onto a fire that has long been burning and is now burning at it's lowest level in over 200 years! Lastly, Goddamn all of you racists on here! (white, black, latino, whatever)
Good Day to you all.
For those who defends John Whitten, Please read the following. See:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/delta_manhunt_leaders_guard_disarmed_after_katrina_091809/
From: "Calling it like I see it"
ReplyDelete“I am going to kill Will and his whole goddamn family if I have to!” This is the part that gets me because a man is allowed to say things like this. He is making public threats and neadless to say everyone knows that the racist in sumner has been hidden for a while and it was only a matter of time before the ish hit the fan... Now I personally believe that if it had been a black man shooting at a white man william brewer would have got his ass up and made sure that the black man had his ass a good place in a cold ass jail cell. The mentality of the people these days have not changed. It is in their ancestors and got dammit it is in them. This has been passed on from generation to generation. For whitten to say that he does not have the army tant is a a proof that he is a balled-faced-lie because I have seen those tanks and the very time of the year that they were visible to the public last year had to be around black history month. Now what does that tell you... He is a rasist individual that still has those white supemacy mentality that just wont rest until he can get away with what his ancestors done many and many years ago...
Notice the inflammatory picture used in this article. The hanging did not occur in Sumner, nor did it occur in this millimum. Is this kind of reporting any better than the yellow journalism that led to so much violence in past generations?
ReplyDeleteFacts should be got from a legal deputy. BOOKER IS A PROCESS SERVER. MAYBE A BACKGROUND CHECK SHOULD BE DONE ON MR PITTMAN AND HIS FIRST WIFE. THAT SHOULD BE A GOOD STORY FOR THIS REPORTER.
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that this site is supposedly for the uplifting of the black people, and yet the soundtrack being played on the website contains music that literally has the lyric, "Fuck y'all ho bitches."
ReplyDeleteThat's got to be very uplifting to black women.