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Return of the Klan Panic
The Anti-Defamation League, the Christian Science Monitor, and the Associated Press have been hyping an alleged revival of the Ku Klux Klan. David Garrow, author of the Pulitzer-winning Martin Luther King biography Bearing the Cross, is skeptical:
The ADL document identifies several Klan groups as especially active in 2005-06. One is the Brotherhood of Klans, based in Henderson, Tenn., which sponsored a number of public events during that period -- but whose leader, Dale Fox, died of a heart attack in November.
Another is the World Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, based in Sharpsburg, Md., which mustered a turnout of only about 30 Klansmen at the Civil War battlefield near Gettysburg, Pa., in September. World Knights leader Gordon Young "used the event to denounce multiracial marriage and immigration," the ADL reports. Two months later, however, the World Knights unexpectedly disbanded, and in January, Young was arrested on multiple felony charges of sexual abuse of a minor. He remains in jail on $350,000 bond and faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted....
[T]he turnout of a mere 20 KKKers at an anti-immigration rally organized by the Empire Knights in Amarillo, Texas, in August may be indicative of the Knights' lack of strength. The ADL emphasizes how the Knights' website features "an Internet-based radio station...which broadcasts white power music" as well as links to the 20 state "realms" -- but the available evidence suggests that the "Empire" may be a Potemkin village.
The whole critique is here.
Elsewhere in Reason: In 2005 I interviewed Garrow about incapacitated Supreme Court justices. Later that year, I looked back at an earlier, more powerful version of the Klan.
|3.3.07 @ 3:14PM|#
Meh, the Klan is so 1950s. If you really want to be on the cuttingof open racism and antisemitism try the Minutemen or the right-wing factionsof the "Truth" movement.
|3.3.07 @ 3:15PM|#
Let's try that again:
Meh, the Klan is so 1950s. If you really want to be on the cutting
edge of open racism and antisemitism try the Minutemen or the
right-wing faction of the "Truth" movement.
|3.3.07 @ 3:20PM|#
"the right-wing faction of the "Truth" movement."
I hate those dumb anti-smoking ads too, but I didn't know they were
racist and anti-semitic.
Do they require the special white dress and headgear?
|3.3.07 @ 3:33PM|#
The days of socially acceptable overt racial hatred have long passed here in south Alabama. The way they do it now is this; ya hire the illegals to work instead of the blacks in construction or at the chicken plant. ya pay em less than the colored folk and no benefits. they dont complain cause they're illegals. You have increased your profits and ruined the black community financially. And on sunday you thank God almighty in your lily white church for his bounty. Cross burning is so yesteryear and violence nowadays gets you in jail. The Klan have evolved. And they are growing
______|3.3.07 @ 3:37PM|#
" Meh, the Klan is so 1950s. If you really want to be on the
cutting edge of open racism and antisemitism try the Minutemen or
the right-wing faction of the "Truth" movement."
No the real cutting edge of open racism is the IT people who whine
about H1b visa immigrants.
The Left has a near monopoly on anti-semitism
General Wesley Clark is the current leader of the "moderate left"
anti-semites- the Right Wing is really slacking in the Jew-hatin'
department. Jews being essential to the War on Innocent Muslims and
the Rapture.
More on the ADL|3.3.07 @ 3:58PM|#
One way - and probably the correct way - to look at this
"report" and the MSM reports on it is as propaganda designed to a)
bring in donations, and b) make anyone who opposes
IllegalImmigration look similar to the KKK.
Last year the ADL got the LosAngelesCityCouncil to pass a
ProIllegalImmigration resolution; details at the link.
See also this:
rhymeswithright.mu.nu/archives/174112.php
Cesar|3.3.07 @ 3:59PM|#
"Meh, the Klan is so 1950s. If you really want to be on the
cuttingof open racism and antisemitism try the Minutemen or the
right-wing factionsof the "Truth" movement."
Yeah, today we have Lou Dobbs, Tom Tancredo, and (of course) Lone
Wack to defend our Great White Western Civilization from the
Mestizo Hordes bent on destroying it.
|3.3.07 @ 5:45PM|#
J. Edgar Hoover (with some help from the House Committee on un-American Activities) broke the back of the Klan in the late 1960s, and Klan groups since then have been pretty pathetic. The legality of Hoover's Klan-busting activities wouldn't pass libertarian examination, of course.
Paul|3.3.07 @ 5:55PM|#
Great, more Southern Poverty Law guest spots on NPR. Just when you thought it was safe to listen to the radio...
SIV|3.3.07 @ 6:09PM|#
The Mestizo Hordes aren't going to destroy Western Civilisation-
the State will. Skewing our immigration balance to the unskilled
and undeucated while fast-tracking them for entitlements and
benefits is a disaster for what liberty we have left.
I don't here the "racist" nativists making a fuss over legal
immigrants from Asia, Africa and the Caribbean.
The Wine Commonsewer|3.3.07 @ 6:51PM|#
cutting edge of open racism and antisemitism try the
Minutemen
I know, in my neighborhood, the Minutemen have lynched seven
Mexicans and a guy from Costa Rica wearing a Men's Wearhouse suit
just since the first of the year.
|3.3.07 @ 7:24PM|#
"I know, in my neighborhood, the Minutemen have lynched seven
Mexicans and a guy from Costa Rica wearing a Men's Wearhouse suit
just since the first of the year."
It wasn't me.
|3.3.07 @ 7:35PM|#
"J. Edgar Hoover (with some help from the House Committee on
un-American Activities) broke the back of the Klan in the late
1960s, and Klan groups since then have been pretty pathetic."
Actually, it was probably the Superman radio show that started the
decline.
A Klan insider sent the writers copies of internal Klan documents,
and the writers wrote some episodes where Superman fought the Klan,
using the Klan's actual super-silly jargon, thus turning them into
silly men in sheets.
|3.3.07 @ 7:53PM|#
These days, the Klan seems to be little more than a group for the advancement of white trash self esteem. They are, essentially, irrelevant.
|3.3.07 @ 7:55PM|#
Yep, can't have the Klan going away. The klan threat needs to be right up front. And since that threat is there, we'd better donate funds to these groups to fight the klan. Sure, if the klan was minimalized, these guys would run out of money, since there'd be nothing much left to panic about. So yeah, can't have the klan going away.
|3.4.07 @ 12:55AM|#
"Actually, it was probably the Superman radio show that started
the decline."
Ah, Superman vs the Klan. Proving once again that there are no
problems that punching someone real hard won't solve.
|3.4.07 @ 2:39AM|#
I know, in my neighborhood, the Minutemen have lynched seven
Mexicans and a guy from Costa Rica wearing a Men's Wearhouse suit
just since the first of the year.
I read this maybe 10 hours ago, and I'm still trying to figure out
what it means.
I just read a bunch of letters-to-the-editor explaining why there
is indeed cause to worry, but I just can't get worked up- It's so
statistically insignificant. 20-30 people at a rally? You could get
that many people advertising a Fassbinder film festival. Or a
Libertarian Party event. And it's about as likely as those things
to affect anything. Look at the Illinois Nazis. All that rallying
and Dan Ackroyd just makes them jump in a river. God I hate
Illinois Nazis.
|3.4.07 @ 2:41AM|#
And yes, I'm quite aware I just referred to a fictional movie to
prove an argumentative point. EVERYBODY DRINK!*
*If that wasn't in the original drinking game, it should have
been!
|3.4.07 @ 5:40AM|#
dont forget the National Socialist Libertarians and the other KKK nutjobs LP candidates supported.
|3.4.07 @ 6:51AM|#
If you really want to be on the cutting edge of open racism
and antisemitism try the Minutemen or the right-wing faction of the
"Truth" movement.
See, I was going to nominate the Jesse Jacksons of the world.
The Wine Commonsewer|3.4.07 @ 9:34AM|#
Dead,
Akira said that the Minutemen are the modern cutting edge racist
threat, my comment was meant to show that compared to the KKK the
MM are a bunch of weenie putzs, ie, all show and no go. In terms of
threats the old KKK was light years worse than the new MM, who may
hate swarthy people, but haven't really done much more than throw a
couple of rocks.
MikeT|3.4.07 @ 11:23AM|#
What do you expect from the ADL? This is the same group that has never met a "hate crimes" bill that was too onerous for it to support. They are a totalitarian group that should be regarded as fundamentally hostile to everything this country stands for (or used to).
MikeT|3.4.07 @ 11:27AM|#
And that's why one of the two leaders of the MinuteMen who spoke at Columbia was a black man, right? I also suppose that hispanics working for the Border Patrol are self-hating latinos by your definition.
Cesar|3.4.07 @ 12:06PM|#
SIV-
Tom Tancredo wants to end immigration from Asia. He thinks not only
is there a secret plan from the Mexican government to take over the
southwest, but China wants to secretly take control of our country
through sending their people here. He referred to Miami, a place
made up almost entirely of legal immigrants, as a "Third world
cesspool" or something along those lines.
SIV, btw I'm not against cockfighting, only *illegal* cockfighting.
Thats why we need tougher cockfighting laws.
Yes MikeT, nothing brings white and black together like hating
foreigners. The people who work for the border patrol hardly
subscribe to minutemen politics, either. In fact, the border
control thinks the minutemen are a royal pain the ass.
At the end of the day, no matter what they say, the minutemen and
their enablers are a xenophobic group.
Cesar|3.4.07 @ 12:10PM|#
And the fact that the minutemen stole their name from the real Minute Men is as laughable as when the xenophobic Know-Nothings of the 1840s called themselves "Native Americans".
The Wine Commonsewer|3.4.07 @ 1:40PM|#
the minutemen stole their name from the real Minute Men is
as laughable...
I sort of thought they got that name from their wives.
SIV|3.4.07 @ 2:29PM|#
Maybe the Klan should call John Edwards a faggot so David Bonior
could send out a "Klan Kash" fundraising letter and soak up some of
that money
that otherwise would end up in the coffers of the ADL and the
SPLC.
______|3.4.07 @ 4:49PM|#
I realise Miami has a lot of immigrants but aren't native (born) Americans still the majority? So-called "second generation immigrants" would actually be native Americans.
Meet Reason\'s Friends!|3.4.07 @ 5:37PM|#
I'm pretty sure the claim that Tancredo wants to end
AsianImmigration is false. If you think about it and do your
research, you can find instances of countries gaining influence or
territory through "SoftInvasions" by sending people into the
territory. Why, we've got examples right in our own history!
So, when you think about it, you'll see that what Mexico is *in
effect* doing is similar to what has happened here and in other
countries, and those who try to claim otherwise are apologists,
ignorant, or worse. Now, that doesn't mean that Mexico or China
have explicit plans, but those of us with knowledge and experience
realize it's a jungle at the country level, and countries are not
about to pass up an opening.
And, of course, those of us who are actually familiar with this
topic realize that Mexico has admitted that they have helpers
inside the U.S. In fact, they may have even used proxies to agitate
their citizens to march in our streets and make demands (details at
my name's link).
And, Reason and most of its commenters think that's OK.
Cesar|3.4.07 @ 5:57PM|#
LoneWacko--
When the Europeans came to America, they had an enormous
technological superiority and epidemic diseases which the natives
had zero resistance to. This is similar to Mexican immigration,
how?
If we had a lot of Dutch immigration to New York, would you be
worried that the Dutch government was planning a secret *De
herovering* of New Amsterdam?
|3.4.07 @ 7:13PM|#
south central Idaho is suffering a huge outbreak of scarlet fever that originated in the "undocumented" mexican workers camps....as far as technological superiority, are you familiar with the term "beater" as it refers to an automobile? Mexicans can keep those running for decades
The Wine Commonsewer|3.4.07 @ 7:35PM|#
LW, You people are so afraid that Pedro is going to make a taco
in downtown LA that you will sacrifice every constitutional right
that we Americans came down the chute with to make that
happen.
Well, Dude, I don't want your retina scans, your national ID cards,
your freeway checkpoints that operate without probable cause and
impede my day on I-15 and I-5. I don't think the government has the
right to decide if I am allowed to get a job.
Cesar|3.4.07 @ 7:43PM|#
TWC, seeing you are from the People's Republic of California,
how much headache do immigrants *really* cause there compared to
the general population?
We have many immigrants in Virginia, despite having what is
probably the least generous welfare system in the union. We don't
generally get Mexicans, but we do have many Guatemalans, Hondurans,
and southeast Asians. There doesn't seem to be nearly as much
consternation over them here as I think there is in California.
|3.4.07 @ 7:46PM|#
Yes, I'm sure the solitary lunatic never eats anything but
boiled beef and vegetables and never utters anything but pure
Anglo-Saxon words words to preserve our true American
heritage.
And while we're at it, just where did those Tancredo's come from,
anyway? Sounds like some sorta greaser name to me.
|3.4.07 @ 7:52PM|#
Them dang mexicans is tryin to be indian givers about California,Arizona,New Mexico, Texas and sometimes Colorado.
Guy Montag|3.4.07 @ 9:57PM|#
as laughable as when the xenophobic Know-Nothings of the
1840s called themselves "Native Americans".
Well, if one was born here they are a native. Perhaps I don't know
enough about what you are talking about to be shocked.
|3.4.07 @ 11:13PM|#
LW, You people are so afraid that Pedro is going to make a
taco in downtown LA that you will sacrifice every constitutional
right that we Americans came down the chute with to make that
happen.
Well, Dude, I don't want your retina scans, your national ID cards,
your freeway checkpoints that operate without probable cause and
impede my day on I-15 and I-5.
How bout skipping all that and just controlling our borders and
enforcing the laws on the books? That's all I ask.
|3.5.07 @ 8:14AM|#
Clearly anyone who wants to limit immigration is a hateful bigot. It's either "Just let them all in" or "Heil Hitler!" There is nothing in between.
TLB|3.5.07 @ 3:26PM|#
Cesar doesn't understand which republic I was getting at, but
regarding "Dutch immigration to New York", I most certainly would
be worried about that if everything else were the same. However, it
would never have been able to get to the point where I would have
had to be worried. Can you figure out why?
TWC raises a strawman, claiming that I support the opposite of what
I support. If we enforce our ImmigrationLaws, we won't have to do
those things. We will get those things as long as we continue to
halfways enforce those laws. Can you figure out why?
tonto, sounding like a racist and someone who's ignorant of what's
going on, says "mexicans is tryin to be indian givers". The
problem, of course, is that that property now joinly belongs to
U.S. citizens, and if you support foreign claims to those areas
then you are behind enemy lines. And, the MexicanGovernment also
uses UsefulIdiots in the U.S. to DistributePropaganda supporting
their view of the MexicanAmericanWar to schoolkids in the U.S.
Details on that here;
that last link should remind everyone that most of Reason's authors
and commenters have no real knowledge of this issue.
Cesar|3.5.07 @ 3:56PM|#
TLB-
If you are referring to the Americans who moved to California and
Texas in the early 19th century, there are again huge differences
between them and Mexican immigrants today. The biggest difference
being, *there were almost no people in Texas or California* aside
from Native Americans before American immigration. The few Mexicans
that lived there were Catholic missionaries.
I don't think the Mexican-America war is a very proud moment in
either the history of the US or that of Mexico. It wasn't a proud
moment for Mexico because they were under the thumb of an
autocratic dictator who destroyed their constitution.
It wasn't particularly a proud moment for America because, lets
face it, one of the reasons for which both the Mexican-American and
Texan wars were fought was for the propagation of slavery. Thats
not to say that the US has no right to the southwest today because
of that, thats bull. There are plenty of wars fought under bad
pretenses, that doesn't nullify their outcomes.
I'm sure there are Mexicans that are still upset over the
conclusion of that war. Where I live, there are many people still
upset by the outcome of the Civil War. There are many wacko
organizations here--such as the League of the South--that thinks
the south should secede again.
But what do you think the chances are of the Confederacy rising
again? Probably next to zero, which is the same probability that
the southwest will ever return to Mexico.
|3.5.07 @ 8:59PM|#
TLB, yes I sound like an ignorant racist. The point was that with the hispanic community might harbor a bit of resentment about the past. In the modern world, the surest way to take over a nation is socially and economically. If the mexicans migrating to America arent willing to blend into the national "culture", are americans willing to adopt theirs? To me that is what the arguing is about. We hear a lot of numbers thrown around about their economic impact, both good and bad. They are also having a large impact on the social landscape in the southwest. I get that they are just trying to improve their station in life and I respect that, but at what cost to the fabric of American society. The mexicans might want the southwest back,and it seems as though they are succeeding.
TLB|3.6.07 @ 12:53AM|#
This is the last reply from me on this thread.
I'm quite well aware that many or most Mexican-Americans have a
chip on their shoulder. However, most of our thought leaders are
unaware of that or at least have no personal experience. Most of
them are idiots like LarryKudlow.
And, obviously, that includes Reason's writers.
Regarding the South rising again, it would take a cataclysmic event
to get that to happen. While there might be some sentiment, it's
been made so disreputable that nothing short of a physical attack
could counteract that.
However, relating to my Dutch comment, the same reconquista
sentiment is allowed to develop, encouraged, and apologized for by
"liberal" forces.
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