Lawson Bates 2

[TeaELSee]

Doesn’t Kelly have 2 African American sisters? Makes you wonder what they think of the Civil war things in Kellys home.

[VelociRapture]

2 hours ago, TeaELSee said:

Doesn’t Kelly have 2 African American sisters? Makes you wonder what they think of the Civil war things in Kellys home.

I’m guessing the Bateses are just another case of, “I’m not racist! I have a black friend/family member!” 

And yes, Kelly’s younger sisters (Beth and Bekah) are black. Her mother was a divorced empty nester when she adopted Beth - I think I read that she adopted Bekah because she didn’t want Beth to grow up lonely. I have no idea how they may view the room. I’d guess they might be upset and hurt, but we can’t know unless they choose to talk about it. I’d rather not put words in their mouths since they seem to have opted to live more private lives than Kelly has. 

For anyone interested, a bit of googling helped me find the photo in question:

Kind of ironic that they hung a God Bless America sign right beneath portraits of two men who fought to secede from the United States. 

ETA: Personally, I find Nathan Bedford Forrest’s inclusion to be waaaaaaay more problematic than Jackson’s. Both men fought for the Confederacy, but only one became Grand Wizard of the KKK. I doubt they hung Jackson’s portrait because they admire his brilliant military mind or his courage, but you can at least defend hanging his portrait. There’s no excusing hanging Forrest’s portrait up.

[formergothardite]

1 hour ago, VelociRapture said:

I’m guessing the Bateses are just another case of, “I’m not racist! I have a black friend/family member!

Exactly. They are probably the type that also have latched onto an alternative history where slaves were happy and the KKK helped widows and poor people.*

*Either Bob Jones or ABeka actually taught that in their history textbooks up until the 90's, I think. 

[Flossie]

3 hours ago, formergothardite said:

Exactly. They are probably the type that also have latched onto an alternative history where slaves were happy and the KKK helped widows and poor people.*

*Either Bob Jones or ABeka actually taught that in their history textbooks up until the 90's, I think. 

Oh yeah.  I had one ancient American History book in school that said that the slaves were happy and well fed, they'd sing in the cotton fields while they worked, the white and black children played together on the manicured lawns of the plantations while smiling black women checked on them and gave them treats from the kitchen.  In one memorable story, the lady of the manor took soup to a sick slave so she wouldn't miss a meal.

[Audrey2]

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but as I recall, plantation owners were the minority in the south. Most people had smaller farms, and many didn't own slaves. With Gil's grift ethic instead of work ethic, I don't think the Bates's realize that they wouldn't be living the life they think they'd live in the old south. 

[ColeJo]

My ancestors on my mom's side were very prominent in East TN, so they owned slaves. However, my dad always made a joke about his side, "my ancestors were too poor to own slaves."

[nolongerIFBx]

2 hours ago, Audrey2 said:

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but as I recall, plantation owners were the minority in the south. Most people had smaller farms, and many didn't own slaves. With Gil's grift ethic instead of work ethic, I don't think the Bates's realize that they wouldn't be living the life they think they'd live in the old south. 

I believe it was @ 2% who owned slaves. And that could be a single man who lived in the same house, (forced to) working alongside his owner and owner's family to what most people think of (plantation with slave quarters). All slavery is wrong, however what is often discussed/portrayed isn't very historically accurate (which still doesn't make it any better!). 

I think in my county, a very few owned slaves but only one family owned multiple slaves.

[Screamapillar]

My History of the Civil War and Reconstruction knowledge from Sophomore year is rusty, but if I remember correctly Stonewall Jackson had Calvinist beliefs and did not morally oppose slavery. It was in the Bible so it was cool, basically. He did hold that it was OK to educate slaves....about religion.

Historically, there's always been a circle of religious southerners who hero worship Stonewall Jackson. Really was not surprised to see him on the Bates' wall.

And Nathan Bedford Forrest.....well he was just a dick.

[JMO]

Has anyone seen Lawson's latest post.  It's so cringeworthy I want to vomit.  He's got the GQ pose down with the fundie drivel.  I don't think that he realizes that the constant crap he posts about the true meaning in life explicitly applies to him.  Then again, he's probably wrestling with his conscious.  God help the fundie maiden that he marries.  Unless she is just like him.  Then we will bash them both and they can be more annoying than the Rolloffs. 

[lizzybee]

I'll never forget the day we found out our neighbor was a clansman. I was probably 13ish. He showed us his ring and was going on and on about how the KKK does good things and actually helps people. He had a huge rotweiller dog that kept trying to kill our smaller dog and he kept having to stop talking to put a stop to that. Anyway, I just kept wide-eyed looking at my dad like, "Dad!" "Dad." But he just let the man talk and then we went back in the house and I don't remember if we ever discussed it then. As an adult I've laughed with my dad about that weird conversation so many times and I understand now why we weren't challenging crazy. But still. What a memory. At the time I was like, "aren't we going to call the cops?!" 

[CTRLZero]

On 1/24/2018 at 12:10 PM, Screamapillar said:

And Nathan Bedford Forrest.....well he was just a dick.

We were walking around a well-to-do area outside Nashville, when we saw a street named after Forrest (on the corner of Robert E. Lee Drive, adjacent to Jefferson Davis Drive, in the area of Confederate Drive).  I guess I shouldn't be surprised that these names still exist, but I would find it too difficult to own a house on such a named street.  Gwen Shamblin's church of the holy hungry is just down the way from this neighborhood.

 

[seraaa]

Lawson and a brother (I can't tell Nathan and Trace apart when they're not standing next to one another) have been in the Middle East (country unspecified), bring care and medical supplies to refugees and internally displaced persons. So that's a thing.

 

 

[Kangaroo]

That would be Nathan travelling with Lawson.

Yet again, these boys continue to be far more useful with their mission trips than many other fundies.

I'm going to guess they're in Jordan based on what I know about Syrria refuges in particular.i understand Jordan has set up many refugee camps in recent years.

[neurogirl]

To me, Trace has darker hair and usually has a wider smile. That's totally Lawson and Nathan. As much as we cringe about Lawson....and he was still posting fundie porn while in the Middle East...they do actually "have a heart for missions" and seem to do real good as compared to say, banana-bread-making Dillards and bug-eating Rods. Plus they announce matter-of-factly after the work is done not "God has laid it on my heart to travel to dangerous, dark Jordan. #lawsoninthelionsden #Jesuslovesthemall #heyladies"

So yay Lawson (and Nathan too with his missions and LACK of insta presence)

[formergothardite]

Yet they will still vote for politicians who give no shits about refugees. Taking a trip over there to snap some pictures and take some medical supplies only offers very, very short term help. I would respect them more if they admitted that politicians who treat all refugees like terrorists are wrong and that America needs to be more welcoming because not all Muslims are terrorists. 

I wonder what organization they went with. 

[formergothardite]

This was his reply when someone commented that they hoped this experience helped him see how America should be more welcoming to refugees. 

Quote

Of course we should do our absolute best to help the hurting, but things aren’t always cut and dry. They want to go back to to there own country and homeland (Just like you would yours.) Aside from humanitarian aid, the best thing the U.S can do is to work hard to create stability over there, that way getting back home can become a possibility.

He will go there, take some pictures and drop off supplies, but he doesn't want them here and he will almost certainly continue voting for people who do everything in their power to keep refugees from be able to find safety in America. 

[ophelia]

Came here to say exactly what @formergothardite already posted.

It is good that they are helping and I hope this experience gives them a new perspective, but as for now they remain hypocrites in my eyes.

And since Lawson is so into bible quotes:

And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? (Matthew 7:3)

[HarleyQuinn]

Lawson lost any credibility with his mission when he took that painfully posed photo. He has so be the most superficial fundie out there. 

[formergothardite]

I really don't see a huge difference between this and other missioncations where people spend lots of money to go to another country to hand out supplies and get pictures of cute children. Lawson has seemed to have learned nothing from this and remains a person who doesn't want refugees in America. 

He was asked over and over what organization he went with and from what I can tell he has not responded. I wonder if it is Samaritan's Purse. 

15 minutes ago, HarleyQuinn said:

He has so be the most superficial fundie out there. 

It might be a tight race with Jill Rod. 

[BeccaGrim]

Oh make no mistake, they love refugees. Just not HERE. I'm rolling my eyes. 

[formergothardite]

Why did someone in the comments ask if Nathan was a dentist? Is he doing dental work now? 

It is really sad that they could go over there, meet refugees and still come away with the attitude that they shouldn't be welcome in America. It shows how deeply the religious right, ant-immigrant beliefs are ingrained in thim. They didn't use this as an opportunity to grow and learn compassion. 

[MsSaylor]

In one of the pictures Nathan appears to be assisting with a dental exam. I think we’ve seen pics of him doing this before and I wondered about it. I suppose anyone could do very basic dental assistance but I dont know, shouldnt one be a certified hygienist for that? Im not really sure one way or the other.  

[formergothardite]

1 hour ago, MsSaylor said:

In one of the pictures Nathan appears to be assisting with a dental exam. I think we’ve seen pics of him doing this before and I wondered about it. I suppose anyone could do very basic dental assistance but I dont know, shouldnt one be a certified hygienist for that? Im not really sure one way or the other.  

If he wouldn't be allowed to assist with a dental exam in America, he shouldn't be when he goes on these sorts of trips. I wonder what sort of organization they are traveling with that is allowing an untrained person to assist with dental work. 

I think if he had gone to school to become a dental hygienist it would have been mentioned. 

[JillyO]

Honestly, what they're doing is nothing short of disaster tourism. They don't have any usefull skills, they don't speak Arabic so they can't even communicate with the people there, and being preached at about Jesus by some rich American assholes is the last thing these people need.

[formergothardite]

5 hours ago, JillyO said:

disaster tourism.

That is a good name for it. Nathan got to play dentist and Lawson got to take pictures of cute kids to put on his Instagram. They didn't even learn anything from the trip. They paid a lot of money to go look at a disaster and then go home and say "those people aren't welcome here". 

I wonder if Nathan would like to go into the medical field but for whatever reason just doesn't go to school for it.