Ku Klux Klan Domestic Terrorists - Essay Example

Ku Klux Klan Domestic Terrorists [Name of the Student] [Name of the University] Ku Klux Klan Domestic Terrorists The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) was established during the Reconstruction Period after the Civil War. It intimidated the black people, and prevented them from voting or holding public office. The KKK promoted its reign of terror by lynching blacks and setting the homes of blacks and the Republicans, on fire. The members of the KKK held secret meetings, where they would make plans to carry out their murderous attacks. In 1869, this scourge on humanity was officially disbanded. However, in 1915, it reemerged and ruthlessly targeted the blacks, Catholics and Semites (Ku Klux Klan, 2004). In this reemergence, it proved to be very popular among the whites. The name Ku Klux Klan is the conjunction of the Greek word kyklos and the English word clan, wherein Kyklos is Greek for circle. A few veterans from the Confederate Army formed this organization, as a social club in Pulaski, Tennessee, in the winter of 1865 – 66 (Wormser, 2002). The KKK was formed in the Southern United States as a secret racist organization. Its principal objective was to promote and maintain white supremacy. It is a strong racist organization that maintains associations with international racist groups. Its avowed objective is to uphold and promote the perceived superiority of the white Anglo – Saxon Protestant. (Ku Klux Klan, 2006). This organization has been responsible for acts of great iniquity, and there are numerous instances, where the KKK has lynched, massacred and bombed Afro Americans. It claims that nature has endowed superiority to the white man over all the other races on earth. The members of this organization, which is evil incarnate, wear white robes and hoods, and publicly intimidate their victims. Although its membership has reduced drastically, it still serves as an object of terror in the US. This racist organization does not participate openly, in the political process (Ku Klux Klan, 2006). The 1915, version of this terrorist organization reflected the attitude of the whites in the US. The principal influences on the KKK were the changing social conditions in the Southern region and the rise of communism in Russia. These were declared to be pressing problems, and the outcome was murderous attacks against the Catholics, Jews, foreign settlers, and labor unions. By the year 1920, it became a truly formidable and boasted of a membership that had crossed the four million mark. During the Great Depression this organization died a natural death, as it had no relevance to the desperate situation in the country. However, in the 1960s, the civil rights movement contributed to its recurrence. The KKK murdered and maimed the blacks and white civil rights activists. However, it lost its relevance by the end of the 20th century (Ku Klux Klan, 2006). Right wing extremism has always been a characteristic trait of the American underworld. A telling example of this is KKK. This organization has relentlessly terrorized the blacks and those who opposed its racist attacks. By the 1970s, racist groups lost their clout, as their membership had reduced, steeply. However, in the late 1970s, right – wing extremism once again came to the fore; and claimed the racial supremacy, which became a serious threat to the federal government (Terrorism in the United States, 1999). In the United States, the Federal hate crimes statute prohibits hate crimes committed on the grounds of race, color, religion, or nationality. However, the hate crimes statute 18 USC §245 has certain major lacunae in it. In order to apply Federal jurisdiction to a crime, the victim must have engaged in one of the six federally protected activities. This condition has led to offenders being acquitted (Hate Crimes Violence, 1999). Moreover, this statutory requirement restricts federal authorities from seeking local assistance, while investigating and prosecuting such criminal activity. The enactment of H.R. 1082 attempts to amend the §245, in order effectively address cases involving racial, religious, or ethnic violence, and bring them under the jurisdiction of the federal government (Hate Crimes Violence, 1999). This would enable the authorities to investigate and prosecute offenders, who intentionally cause physical harm. Such amendment is essential, as it will prosecute even those individuals who had harmed victims not engaged in the six protected activities. Hate crimes cause physical and psychological harm to the victim. In general, violent hate crimes, on the grounds of race, color, or religion target the members of a particular group in society. These crimes encourage retaliations from the targeted group, and at some stage, this could engulf the entire community, with violence. Hate crimes, like viruses, do not stop at one victim or a group of victims. They keep on spreading, and are therefore, much more dangerous than the average criminal offense (U.S. Department of Justice, 1997). In 1996, President Bill Clinton brought about a major shift in the Federal approach, and provided some protect against attacks of arson against religious congregations. This initiative was aimed at bringing the perpetrators of hate crimes under Federal jurisdiction. There are three legislative approaches to prevent hate crimes, which have been adopted by various jurisdictions. They are first, the prohibition of certain types of terrorizing activities; second, the prohibition of partiality and bias against other groups; and third, the enhancement of the punishment imposed for committing criminal acts that target some specific group in society (U.S. Department of Justice, 1997). Several States have already enacted laws that prohibit activities motivated by bias at religious and other specified places. These States include California, Florida, and Ohio. The laws of these States prohibit criminal activities, such as vandalism and intentional communal disturbances at religious places of worship. The jurisdictions of Florida and the District of Columbia have enacted statutes that prohibit provocative and intimidating activities, like burning the Cross, intentionally placing the Swastika or some other symbol on the property of the members of other religions (U.S. Department of Justice, 1997). The sole intention behind these activities is to provoke the members of a section of society, and to intimidate them. In a large number of jurisdictions, the general behavior motivated by bias towards other communities is a punishable offense. These states have passed legislation, in this regard, and the motive and criminal conduct are treated as one offense. In New York, the hate crimes law bans discriminatory behavior motivated by bias and harassment. The courts subscribe to the view that the criminal activity perpetrated, and the selection of the victim are to be treated as a concerted act. Some jurisdictions have enacted laws that impose heavier penalties on the perpetrators of certain activities, if such activities had been motivated by bias (U.S. Department of Justice, 1997). In the State of Wisconsin, if the offender intentionally selects the victim on the basis of race, religion, color, disability, gender, nationality, or ancestry; then the maximum penalty under the law can be enhanced by the State. Almost all the hate crime statutes have some such commonality (U.S. Department of Justice, 1997). On several occasion, the legality of hate crime laws has been challenged, as being in breach of the First Amendment to the US Constitution. The First Amendment restricts the government from enacting laws that attempt to curtail or infringe the constitutional right of freedom of speech and expression, guaranteed by the Constitution (U.S. Department of Justice, 1997). Hate crime laws have several opponents, who opine that the imposition of heavier punishment on an offender would constitute an infringement of the freedom of thought, enjoined in the First Amendment to the US Constitution. Moreover, these opponents contend that injury to society in hate crimes cannot be deemed to be greater than crimes that do not involve an element of such hate (U.S. Department of Justice, 1997). These opponents have also argued that crimes motivated by bias do not increase retaliatory crimes. It has been stated by these entities that some religions do not permit retaliation, and that the disabled victims cannot retaliate. Thus, it would be incorrect, in their opinion, to state that hate crimes result in retaliatory attacks from the targeted groups (U.S. Department of Justice, 1997). As such, every crime against humanity causes distress to the victims. The KKK enjoys the largest network of branches, amongst the hate groups of the US. In the year 2006, this hate group achieved significant success in taking advantage of the fears being nursed by the populace, in respect of issues, like gay marriages, imagined assaults on Christianity, crime and the influx of foreign nationals (About the Ku Klux Klan, 2010). Domestic terrorism can be described as the attacks perpetrated by those who support individual freedoms, and oppose regulation by the government. There have been many such groups in the US; but there is none that surpasses the KKK, in this regard. The KKK constitutes the worst form of domestic terrorism, and this organization has a history of such activity. It has indulged in acts of terrorism, from the end of the Civil War. Thus the economic recession and social trends like changing opinions regarding gay marriages have provided hope for the murderous KKK. This is an unwelcome trend and poses a significant threat to freedom, in all spheres. The US has enjoyed the unique honor of being the most liberal nation on earth. The pernicious activities of the Ku Klux Klan seek to undermine this greatness. There are many problems that beset US society, as is evidenced by the emergence of right wing extremist groups, in general and the KKK in particular. There is an urgent need to adequately address this unwelcome trend, as it could undermine the very basis of the multi ethnic society that exists in the US. List of References About the Ku Klux Klan. (2010). Retrieved February 18, 2010, from Extremism in America: http://www.adl.org/learn/ext_us/kkk/default.asp?LEARN_Cat=Extremism&LEARN_SubCat=Extremism_in_America&xpicked=4&item=kkk Hate Crimes Violence. (1999, August 4). Hate Crimes Violence. Hearing before the Committee on the Judiciary. House of Representatives . Washington, DC, USA: Committee on the Judicairy. Ku Klux Klan. (2004). Retrieved February 15, 2010, from In The Great American History Fact-Finder: http://www.credoreference.com/entry/hmgahff/ku_klux_klan Ku Klux Klan. (2006). Retrieved February 15, 2010, from In Collins Dictionary of Sociology: Ku Klux Klan. (2006). In Collins Dictionary of Sociology. http://www.credoreference.com/entry/collinssoc/ku_klux_klan Ku Klux Klan. (2006). Retrieved February 16, 2010, from In Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: http://www.credoreference.com/entry/ebconcise/ku_klux_klan Terrorism in the United States. (1999). Retrieved February 18, 2010, from U.S. Department of Justice. Federal Bureau of Investigation: http://www.fbi.gov/publications/terror/terror99.pdf U.S. Department of Justice. (1997, March). A Policymaker's Guide to Hate Crimes. Retrieved February 17, 2010, from http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/bja/162304.pdf Wormser, R. (2002). Ku Klux Klan. Retrieved February 15, 2010, from http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/stories_org_kkk.html Read More