Atrocities Of The Kkk Essay, Research Paper
The Atrocities of the Ku Klux Klan
Ross T. Crooks
November 14, 2000
From the early old ages of American civilisation, a racial tenseness has existed between White persons and African Americans. These feelings of hatred are most likely rooted in the pattern of bondage in the 1800? s. Many extremist groups have been formed, keeping strong sentiments sing these racial issues. The Ku Klux Klan is the largest of these racialist organisations. Their intent is to make a society where the White Aryan population is superior and dominant. They feel that the rights of White Christians are being oppressed in order to give chances to other races. They besides feel that minorities as a whole in America are run outing our resources but non supplying for our society in a positive manner ( Pendergraft 1 ) . The Ku Klux Klan intends to make a sense of pride in American Heritage at the disbursal of the racial minorities. Throughout history, they have used legion violent and endangering methods to implement their place. The Ku Klux Klan members have committed an uncountable figure of human rights misdemeanors over the old ages and it is the duty of American citizens to talk out in order to halt these violent and hateful Acts of the Apostless.
The Ku Klux Klan began innocently in the old ages following the Civil War. It was founded in the office of Judge Thomas M. Jones in Pulaski, Tennessee in 1866. The six original members, Captain John C. Lester, Major James R. Crowe, John B. Kennedy, Calvin Jones, Richard Reed and Frank O. McCord, were Confederate veterans seeking for amusement in the dull post-war epoch ( Trelease 3 ) . The name? Ku Klux Klan? was chosen for its cryptic, alliterate sound ; and it is derived from the Grecian word? kuklos? intending set or circle ( 4 ) . The Klan was founded strictly for the amusement of the members, and their early activities were wholly irrelevant to the violent and intimidating Acts of the Apostless to come. The early Klan members were simply considered? cut-ups? who dressed up in uneven garb and made public visual aspects as a group. There is no grounds of hateful motivations in the initiation of the group ( 5 ) .
About a twelvemonth after the Klan? s initiation, the activities became violent and hateful. Menaces and other barbarous Acts of the Apostless were made against inkinesss in the South, much to the laminitis? s discouragement. In a missive to the imperativeness, written in April of 1868, one of the six original members of the Klan stated:
It is to be lamented that the simple object of the original Ku-Kluxes should be so kinky as to go political and baneful in its presentations. If it has to go a regular organisation, with guerrilla and? lynch-law? properties, so better the Ku Klux had ne’er been heard of, and the Oklahoman such an organisation is dissolved the better for the state at big? particularly for the South. ? and every good adult male and reasonable nationalist should persistently show his condemnation of them ( 6 ) .
The Klan? s development towards racist force began in 1867 with the assignment of Nathan Bedford Forest as the first Imperial Wizard, the highest ranking in the hierarchy of Klansmen. The Klan focused their hatred on African Americans every bit good as black protagonists in the southern provinces. During this clip, many lynchings took topographic point, largely affecting African Americans. Two old ages subsequently, the Ku Klux Klan disbanded due to governmental force per unit area and menaces of persecution. However, many Klansmen continued their racialist run on a smaller graduated table ( www.berea.edu ) . Between the old ages of 1882 an 1968, 4,743 people were killed by agencies of lynching ; 3,446 of those were African Americans ( Zangrando ) . The adult male responsible for much of this force is William J. Simmons, who reorganized the Klan in 1915. He focused
their attending non merely on inkinesss, but Communists, Jews and labour brotherhood advocates every bit good. Under his leading, the Klan became every bit powerful as it had of all time been ( www.berea.edu ) .
There are presently many different divisions of the Ku Klux Klan. These include the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, the American Knights and the Confederate Knights of America. Merely as there are many different organisations related to the Klan, there are besides many differing positions offered by these groups. Some are more extremist in their beliefs, keeping strong anti-black positions. Others claim to be peaceable organisations, simply endeavoring for a stronger state. For illustration, Jeff Berry, an imperial ace of the American Knights, argues that inkinesss are non the lone focal point of their group. He states:
Our sentiment of a nigga, no affair what colour they are, is a dirty, lowdown individual who takes and takes and takes from society and does non give anything back. So hence, my definition of a nigga shouldn? t offend person because of their colour. There? s sitting out at that place, you know, different Klans. Different Klans have different positions. Even in my organisation, there is a few people? if they see a black individual? that is a nigga, there is hatred. ? me, if I see a black individual, my theory is? make non judge a book by its screen ( Weller 76 ) .
Berry still insists that he is colour-blind in respects to his activism. For illustration, he speaks reverentially of the Honorable Ellis Reid, an African American Judge in Cook County. Berry says, ? Now this is one of the finest work forces I? ve of all time met. Now, he is black, but he? s no nigga ( Weller 77 ) . ?
Although about every white domination group claims to be peaceable in its activism, many race related hatred offenses are still taking topographic point in our modern society. Terri Langford, a journalist for the Associated Press, writes about a test in Jasper, Texas affecting the barbarous slaying of an African American adult male. James Byrd Jr. was picked up on the side of the route by three white supremacists. They chained him to the rear bumper of the pick-up truck and dragged him for three stat mis. His organic structure was torn into several pieces. Although the accused work forces were non members of the Ku Klux Klan, they were trying to derive the regard of such racialist groups, the prosecuting officer stated.
The Ku Klux Klan, every bit good as other extremist groups, have the right to distribute their message in America. It is the duty of each person to exert his or her right to liberate address as good. We must distribute the message of integrity and equality in order to antagonize the negative positions expressed by this hatred group. Due to liberate address, it is impossible to go through Torahs taking to the extinction of the Ku Klux Klan. Equally long as their message is non endangering to any certain group of persons, they will be allowed to portion it. Therefore, people who do non believe in the white supremacist ideals of the Ku Klux Klan must take action. A positive message must be spread on an single degree, excepting authorities engagement. Public Marches and parades can be organized to advance peace and equality among all races. It is up to each person to take an active function in contending hateful and racist behaviour. So we must make up one’s mind what type of state we wish to populate in, one separated by force and racial tenseness, or one that operates peacefully with equality for all people.
1. Trelease, Allen W. ? White Terror? Harper & A ; Row 1971: pgs. 3-6
2. Weller, Worth. ? Under the Hood: Unmasking the Modern Ku Klux Klan? DeWitt Books 1999: pgs. 76-77
3. Langford, Terri. Associated Press Article, September 15, 1999.
4. Pendergraft, Rachel. welcome reference
5. Zangrando, Robert L. www.english.uiuc.edu
6. No Author. www.berea.edu
