A white police chief rants on Facebook, and a Louisiana town hears echoes of its racist past

Skylar Dore, the former police chief of Jonesville, La. Dore was fired July 19, 2016, after posting a profane message to Facebook criticizing President Obama's response to recent attacks on police. (Courtesy of Skylar Dore)

JONESVILLE, La. -- Sunday sermons had just ended when residents of this river town learned that a lone black gunman had killed three police officers in Baton Rouge. Before the news could sink in, a profane message appeared on Facebook.

"Hey Mr. Bulls--- president," it began. "When are you going to grow a f---ing pair. And tell it like it is. These are terrorist. That have declared f---ing war on my brother. (White police officers) enough is enough."

The author was Skylar Dore, Jonesville's white chief of police.

The post instantly cleaved the community in two. Many black residents, who make up 70 percent of Jonesville, saw it as a racist rant. Some whites defended Dore, saying he had the right to speak his mind. Two days later, the majority-black town council fired the young chief.

Read more: http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/09/jonesville_police_chief_facebo.html