Ku Klux Klan Organization and Activities of America's Most Notorious Secret Society - Assignment Example

Ku Klux Klan Origin The Ku Klux Klan happens to be one of the racist and most terrorizing groups that have ever existed in the History of United States of America. Its origins can be traced back in three different times in the history of US and its activities are said to be still continuing in the 21st century of American society. The first time the gang came into the spot light was when it was created by the ex-Confederate who tried to maintain the hold of the white race of US in US by opposing the reconstruction policies proposed by the Radical Republican Congress. As soon as the Civil War came to an end, the south was without any leadership and there were expectations that blacks will start opposing and insurrections will be caused. Due to this, several vigilante organizations were created among different communities. Among these vigilante groups, Ku Klux Klan was able to gain ample amount of lime light. This clan started operating during the period of 1865 in the region of Tennessee1. When it was first created, it was able to haunt several souls and was quite recognized for its night parades and unique disguises. The clan was recognized for riding on the back of horses that used to be dressed in white. The second time Ku Klux Klan (KKK) came into lime light was during the period of 1915 in the region of Georgia and this time it became much modernized as compared to its previous tenure1. The gang started recruiting individuals while paying them fees and providing them with costumes and started its expansion throughout the boundaries of United States of America. The second time it came into power, it started working with the objective of spreading Americanism which was 100% in nature. The second time it started with its terrorizing activities, it was able to include a population of around 4 to 5 million individuals. The clan got involved in various terrorizing activities and anti-social activities which started dropping its popularity and it slowly and gradually faded in the shades of grey by the period of 1940s. After the 1940s, the name of the clan was utilized by several others to spread similar form of insurgencies and to stand against the Civil rights Movement. During the 1960s and 1960s, these groups who called themselves the KKK used to partner with police departments in the South or other government officials. Their insurgencies kept spreading and later huge number of clan members were held responsible for the death of several workers and children who were fighting for civil liberties1. The clan is well recognized for the bombings of 16th Street Baptist Church in which they were held liable for killing civil rights workers. Even during the 20th century their activities have been witnessed as the FBI was able to arrest a total of four members of the clan who were planning to commit robbery and to blast a processing plant of natural gas. Finally during the period of 2003 it was categorized a terrorist organization by the city counsel of Charleston2. 1. Michael Newton, The Ku Klux Klan: history, organization, language, influence and activities of Americas most notorious secret society. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co., 2007: p.7, 32, 150. 2. S.C. city council slaps Klan with terrorist tag | First Amendment Center – news, commentary, analysis on free speech, press, religion, assembly, petition." First Amendment Center – news, commentary, analysis on free speech, press, religion, assembly, petition. http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/s-c-city-council-slaps-klan-with-terrorist-tag (accessed July 25, 2013). Ideology The ideology of the KKK is based on the ideology that the white race of US is facing a threat at the hands of the nonwhite race and their main enemy is the Jewish conspiracy. The clan believes that white Americans are elites of the society and they need to protect themselves from the non-white populace by revolting against them and their ideology of gaining white supremacy is based on the believe that violent measures can be used to protect the white race of US. The clan members share mutual political believes that both the immigrant population and the non-whites are against the white population and these enemies need to be eliminated by the clan members or by the government. They even believe that the governments are siding with the minorities and thus the government is an enemy. The religious beliefs shared by the members of the clan are very extreme and conservative in nature3. They are followers of Protestant Christian belief as noted that during the period of 1970, huge number of the clan members converted started following beliefs that are promoted by fundamentalist Protestants3. The clan members believe that the white population are the chosen ones and are direct descendants of lost tribes that were true followers of the Bible. They even hold the notion that Jews are descendants of Satan and they perceive that people of other races are as low in spirituality as animals. The KKK is even held responsible for carrying fundamentalist believes among themselves; this is mainly because of their close association with the clerics and because of their shared ideology of white supremacy. During the period of 1922 a huge percentage of the members of the Klan were the clerics of the Protestants. Another ideology followed by the gang was that of anti-Semitism, this means that they had hatred and they discriminated against the Jews3. 3. Maldwyn A. Jones, American immigration. 2nd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1992: p.236, 237, 238, 239, 240. They believed that the Jews were responsible for all the evil that was arising in the American society and they were secretly manipulating the educational sphere as well as the political sphere of American society. The ideology supported by the clan was quite racist in nature as the base of the clan formation was the perception that the non-white race was out there to overrun the white race and the white race needed to protect themselves against non-white races. They mutually shared the belief that the black race of the American society was criminals and were both physically as well as intellectually inferior as compared to the white race. According to C. Edward, the clan was of the idea that the black Americans had killed over 50,000 individuals from the white race over a period of 30 years4. The members of the clan were motivated by the motivator of fear of invasion that may be conducted by the foreign individuals such as the Hispanics and thus they promoted the idea that immigration should be stopped in the country. Klan’s Deviant Activities The Klan has been heavily criticized for its terrorist activities that they conduct on the domestic level. During the period of 1996 as well as 1997, members of the clan were held responsible for creating a plot of first blowing up a natural gas production plant in the region of Texas in order to create a diversion in order to conduct a robbery that was worth $2 million and from this money, they were planning to they were planning to conduct further terrorizing actions5. Later the Klan members conducted surveillance activities to continue with their plans and figured out that due to the attack, children lives would be lost and one of the members informed the criminal justice authorities and this led to the failure of the plan. 4. Interview With KKK Grand Dragon C. Edward Foster - YouTube." YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEDXX30M1MY (accessed July 25, 2013). 5. TERRY WALLACE, "Texas News." Meta Redirect Code. http://www.texnews.com/texas97/terror042597.html (accessed July 25, 2013). The clan is well known for using dangerous and deadly weapons for committing deviant activities. During the period of 1994, one of the leaders of the clan named William Dodge was arrested as the police officials were able to recover a pipe bomb. Similarly during the period of 1999, around five members of the clan were arrested on the charges of carrying weapons during protests as the police recovered 3 pistols from one of the clan member’s car. Since the clan promotes white supremacy and follow the ideology of fundamentalism and anti-Semitism, they have been heavily involved in hate crimes especially against the black American race. During its first tenure, the clan was recognized for committing hate crimes against the African Americans such as killing of political leaders that represented the black race and them mostly targeted leading figures who were playing essential roles in the society. By the period of 1867, the clan was held responsible for killing over 197 individuals representing the black race. They committed such crimes to ensure that white supremacy was upheld and to inflict fear among the blacks so they may not proceed with their fight for rights such as voting rights. In order to stop the blacks from exercising their right to vote during the Presidential elections of 1868, the clan killed and injured over 2000 black individuals and the outcome was the black populace became afraid and refrained from participating in the elections and even if they participated, they had to provide proof to the clan that they voted in favor of the candidate supported by the clan6. The clan has used weapons and explosives in its endeavors and funding for these activities came from criminal activities as well as funds provided by the clan members and the clerics. The clan practically stands against all those who either try to be on the side of non-white race or try to stop the clan from protecting the supremacy of the white race. Even government officials such as the police men who have tried to stop and investigate clan members have been put to death through the acts of terrorism. 6. George B Ray,. Language and interracial communication in the United States: speaking in black and white. New York: Peter Lang, 2009. References Interview With KKK Grand Dragon C. Edward Foster - YouTube." YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEDXX30M1MY (accessed July 25, 2013). Jones, Maldwyn A.. American immigration. 2nd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1992. Newton, Michael. The Ku Klux Klan: history, organization, language, influence and activities of Americas most notorious secret society. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co., 2007. Ray, George B.. Language and interracial communication in the United States: speaking in black and white. New York: Peter Lang, 2009. S.C. city council slaps Klan with terrorist tag | First Amendment Center – news, commentary, analysis on free speech, press, religion, assembly, petition." First Amendment Center – news, commentary, analysis on free speech, press, religion, assembly, petition. http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/s-c-city-council-slaps-klan-with-terrorist-tag (accessed July 25, 2013). WALLACE, TERRY. "Texas News." Meta Redirect Code. http://www.texnews.com/texas97/terror042597.html (accessed July 25, 2013). Read More