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Would you be frightened, if you came home, finding a burning cross standing in your garden?
If you'd have lived in earlier times in the USA, when the Ku-Klux-Klan, also called the KKK, was more active and powerful, than it is today, you had definitive a reason to be. This burning cross-in the most cases-meant, that someone of your family, not rarely your whole family, would suffer, often die. Because this burning cross meant being hunted by members of the KKK.
1. Introduction in time and a short view of what the KKK is and looks like
The Ku-Klux-Klan was the most disastrous and violent secret terror organisation ever in the world, which even had enormous political influence, especially in the USA.
But before talking about the KKK, you have to know some facts about the time, when it was founded.
Imagine the time, when Abraham Lincoln was President. This was also a time, when it was allowed to have slaves, and especially the southern states needed those slaves on their farms, to make profit. But this President wanted the slaves to be free, which meant a big loss of money for the farmers. So the war between the states began. In the end, the south was beaten by the north, but still, Abraham Lincoln wanted the South to be treated well in opposite of many powerful men in Congress, he wanted America to be reunited. He wanted to create a new type of money and help the newly freed slaves to go home, but he was murdered by Jhon Wilkes Booth and everything changed. Blacks, who were no free men before the war and haven't been allowed to drink alcohol, were free now and had no longer any curfew. Whiskey sellers came and sold alcohol to the blacks, who would roam the countryside hurting men, women and children. There were also not many jobs. Not enough for whites AND blacks, so the Negroes used violence to make themselves jobs. Those people who wanted the south to be treated as a conquered state knew, that it was easier to take advantage of the South for profit, if white people spent their time defending themselves against the blacks, so trooped armed men, who worked for the northern crooked politicians would not help but disturb those people in the south.
The Klan has often been disbanned and reformed throughout the American history, it is getting harder to count and divide the different times. But it all started on Christmas eve in 1865, when 6 men, who had once been Confederate soldiers decided to start a club in Pulaski, Tennesse. At this time, the club had no other sense than to chase away the boredom after the war, at the beginning it hat no racist or political background. They called their newly founded club the Ku-Klux-Klan. This name is a mixture of the greek word "kuklos" which means circle and the celtic word Klan, which originally was only a word for family. They called themselves Circlefamily, because a circle has no end and a family always holds together. Because they were also very religious men, which you will see more clearly later, the cross had also a special meaning for them. So the cross-wheel with a single red blood-drop in its middle became the sign of the KKK. An other sign were their clothes. They were dressed in white, black or red robes and hoods, depending on your position in the clan and stripes on the sleeves in purple, gold or green. Those Robes were only used to frighten the people and to let the klan look more secret and mysterious. It was the same with its secret code words and titles. So they just rode through the night and they got the attention they wanted.
2.The 4 Eras of the Klan
First Era (1865-1877)
The Klans first leader was Nathan Bedford Forest, who was one of those Confederate soldiers, who founded the club in a lawyers office at Christmas eve. It was founded to wipe away the boredom, but soon, after a special night, they started protecting the people in the South. It was still dangerous and bands of violent Negroes travelled around at night, terrorizing families. In this special night, when the club was meeting, they accidentally came across an outlaw band of negros. but this time instead of trying to murder someone, the drunken Negroes ran away screaming, because they thought the men in their costumes were the ghosts of dead soldiers who had died in the Civil war or had been murdered by them. Soon a new idea was growing. These deeply religious men felt, that God had given them a great gift: a peaceful way to defend themselves. And the plan worked. Mothers, grandmas and sisters made the flowing white robes for their families and the more famous the clan became, the more people decided to join and help protecting the south. They would ride through the countryside at night. Where Negroes would see them, they would immediately run home and stop stealing, raping or murdering. After some years the white people were free again and the Negroes began respecting law and order once again. Times were good and the KKK had helped very much in getting independent again. The federal armies were sent home.
This was the Beginning, but its ideals wouldn't stand long. Under the leadership of Nathan Bedford Forest, the first Imperial Wizard became racist and terrorizing the south. Their targets were African Americans, black supporters, southern republicans and schoolteachers, who worked with Africans. Even or especially when the Klan turned focussing on racism, the KKK also known as the Invisible Empire grew and spread rapidly.
In 1869, unable to control the increasing violence and because of threats of government punishment, Forest formally disbanned the Klan. The organisation itself was banned, but several Klansmen refused to give up and attacked the blacks in keeping them away from election polls and protesting in black universities. But the Supreme Court declared the KKK unconstitutional and the government was allowed to use federal troups against the Ku Klux Klan.
Second Era (1915-1944)
William J. Simmons, an Alabama native, minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church reorganized the Klan in 1915. At this time it was a patriotic, protestant society and by 1924 the Klan had more members, than they had ever before, about over 2 million and they grew on and on. They were not only against blacks anymore. on their lists were all groups, which were considered to be un-american, such as any immigrants, Jews, Roman Catholics, Alcoholics, homosexuals and of course still blacks. Allthough the Klan still sometimes reverted to violence of previous years-burning crosses, torturing and murdering those who they opposed-most of the Klan acted through peaceful means-marched in parades, paid fee or took part in rallies, where crosses were burned-they more and more became a political force, as it elected many public officials. But eventually, because of disagreements among the leadership and because of public criticism of the violence, which was still used by some of the Klansmen, the Imperial Wizard James Colescott ordered the second disbandment in 1944 the KKK had faded out again, it again ceased to exist as a national organisation.
The third Era (1946-1974;1974-1980)
The Klan was revived by Samuel Green, an atlantic Physician, but 3 years later he died and the newly founded Klan split into many smaller groups. The number of Klanmembers fell to about 5000 but this fact didn't stop them in fighting against the Civil Right Movements during the 1960. A new wave of violence was brought up, 3 civil rights leaders were murdered and a church was bombed, killing four black girls. But President Lyndon B. Johnson used the Federal Bureau of Investigation to put some members to prison.
Beginning in 1974, the Ku Klux Klan groups started to get a more respectable image. Some even accepted women as members, some set up youth groups, they started to help blacks and immigrants. David Duke created a new and positive image for the clan. presented the equal rights of whites and the KKK had to promote the interests, ideals and culture of white native America.
The fourth era (1981-present)
But this image was soon destroyed in 1980 by the media. So the Klansmen, rose up to 10000 members, started using more violence again and killed 5 anti-Klan demonstrators and there was an incident, where Klan members murdered a black youth. Former Green Beret Glenn Miller organized the white patriot party in north Carolina. the patriots denied any connection with the klan, and proved they were no racist, they are, in fact, a rebirth of the klan.
The membership in the south reduced to about 6ooo by the late 1980's. The Ku Klux Klan today uses the title Invisible Empire. Their name is no longer known only as the KKK they call themselves Knights of the Ku Klux Klan.
Since 1866 the KKK had several names. They have called themselves White Patriot Party, the National Association of White People, White Aryan Resistance Party, Order of Pale Faces, Knights of the Rising Sun, the Knights of White Camilla and even the Black Calvary of Alabama.
3.The chain of Commands and the Klanmembers
Imperial Wizard (Chief Executive)
+10 Genii
*
Grand Dragon (Responsible for a state)
+8 Hydras
*
Grand Titan (Responsible for a Province)
+6 Furies
*
Exalted Cyclops (Local Leader)
+4 Night Hawks
*
Members
The Klan has a military structure. Each leader has its own staff that is working for him. A leader cannot command someone. They have an exact order of business and ceremonies.
4.Their symbols and methods
The cross-wheel
The cross-wheel is the traditional Klan symbol. It is a cross in a circle. It was directly derived from the Klans name and from white history. In the cross-wheel, they see the Christian cross, the wheel of creativity, the circle of unity, motion and also the ancient Aryan symbol for the sun-or light. In the center you see a red blood drop. Some say, that is the blood of Jesus Christ, which was shed for the white race. Others think it is a symbol of the last drop of blood that a Klansman will shed in defense of the white race.
The Robe and Hood
the robe is worn as a symbol of humility for the Christian rituals, like the robes of monks. The mask gives anonymity, which was important if something illegal was done. Both clothes also gave a kind of power and scared many people.
The fiery cross
The fiery cross represents the ideals of Christian civilisation and the light of Jesus Christ. The fire does not destroy the cross it only lights it.
The Kloran
The Kloran is the book of the Invisible Empire, it is regarded as a secret book and the content has to be safeguarded so that no person of the alien world has no chance to get knowledge of its content. The secrets have to be held secret and secret work has to be used only when necessary. No innovation is tolerated and you have to behave well during a ceremony. All Klansmen study it and they can profit morally. To be a Klansman you have to pass an examination on the Kloran during a special ceremony. Candidates have to demonstrate themselves in a graceful, forceful and dignified way.
The methods
During its existence, the Klan always used both non violent and violent ways to show their point of view. There were those, who thought that no violent was needed, but the Klan became famous through its brutality and cruelty. They used peacefull marches and rallies but they also burned crosses and wrote threat-letters, if you saw one, than you knew you were in trouble. They used terror, burned houses and churches, castrated blacks, who had white women, ripped the stomach of pregnant women open, who had black husbands, made sadistic tortures, hanged people, and killed through bomb attacks. everything was allowed, nothing was too crucial. Normally they kill at night and they lay the crucial tortured and dead body back in front of its house and write only three letters visible at its door: K-K-K
5. Some things the Klan Believes today:
· 1. That the White Race is the irreplaceable hub of our nation, our faith and the high levels of western culture and technology.
· 2. America should always be first before any alien influence or interest.
· 3. That the Constitution, as originally written and intended, is the finest system of government ever conceived by man.
· 4. That every American has the right to practice their faith, including prayer in schools.
· 5. That the family is the strength of our nation.
· 6. That abortion should be outlawed, except in the very rare case in which the life of the mother is endangered or rape.
· 7. That all immigration should cease until all Americans are gainfully employed. Troops should be positioned at all borders to stop the flow of illegal aliens.
· 8. That harder penalties should be given to all convicted drug dealers and drug smugglers.
· 9. That the laws of the land should always be upheld.
· 10.That all welfare recipients should be tested on drugs
· 11. That all AIDS carriers should be isolated
· 12. That workfare should stand before welfare
· 13. That reversing discrimination should be stopped
· 14. That all laws attempting to enforce gun control should be declared as unconstitutional
6. The Klan today and its relationship to Germany
Today there are many underground organisations or Klan-like organisations, which have the same opinion in most cases.
The most widely spread groups are the Imperial Klans of America and the American Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. Today the members spread fear and terror just exactly as in former times: They burn down churches of black persons, attack homosexuals, swear Jews and try to become a political party. There is also an organisation, called European knights of the Ku Klux Klan, which is a contradiction in itself, because it is based on the ideas of Jefferson, who hated Europe and as you can see in our fifth point: The Klan is an America glorifying group.
Many American Knights have contact to german neonazi-groups. Manfred Roeder, who was a leader of the german citizenship-initiative has been invited to meet members of the KKK as like-minded people. We also have got some real members of the KKK but the contact to neonazis is very strong. We do not know as much as we'd like to about the KKK today, because it is still or again a very secret organisation.
The Ku Klux Klan is still active and it has never been totally non-violent. It is a racist, brutal and cruel secret organisation, which had much influence on politics in the last 200 years. And you know: Negroes are frightened of ghosts!
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