The Power of Words: Reconsidering the Ku Klux Klan or Whistling up Demons When I was a child, my mother used to tell me of her parents’ discussions about various home projects. When my grandmother declared that “thus and so” had to be done, my grandfather—who could fix anything from a fine Swiss watch to a locomotive—would wrinkle his brow, put his hand to his chin, and slowly state, “You know, Mae, that means that I’ll have to change the main drain!” These last words were spoken with a solemnity worthy of a passage from Scripture. The very use of the phrase guaranteed that no project in which it was raised was ever pursued. Thus I learned that words and phrases could have a power far beyond their defined meanings. There are still such words, phrases and names that create the same stifling grip upon debate that “the main drain” had for my family. One such is the ominous phrase, “Ku Klux Klan.” Recently, I joined a heritage “cause” on Facebook. The information seemed normal and ordinary—alas that an attack on the Confederate battle flag should actually be “normal and ordinary”—but when I accessed the site further, there was a posted report on a court case involving the Klan. I thought little about it at the time, however, a very nice lady warned that this site might be of the Klan or, in the alternative, an attempt to draw in well meaning folks and make it appear that they supported the Klan. To be truthful, the very thought chilled my blood! I thought of my Facebook friends whom I had already asked to join. What should I do, I wondered? Should I warn them? But what did I really know? Was the site Klan inspired—or not? A little later, when the original angst had passed away, I began to consider how really upset I had become by the mere thought that I might be associated with the Klan however erroneously. Really! After all, those who know me would know that I would have no truck with the Klan and if it were of the Klan, so what? It was an easy enough matter to set right. Why, then, in the name of God, had I been so upset—no, frightened! What was it about the Klan—or more to the point what people think about the Klan—that could frighten me? And then I started to consider the facts about the organization and especially with regard to the use being made of it in the ongoing cultural assault upon the South. Even a brief history of the Klan cannot not be included here, but it is necessary to at least point out that the Klan had three incarnations, the first arising during reconstruction which protected innocent people—white and black—from the depredations of the federal occupation’s own terrorist group, The Union League. This version of the Klan acted against the carpetbaggers, scalawags and contingents of easily influenced blacks used by them to harass, terrorize and murder Southern civilians. The most important fact in this Klan’s history is that the organization arose out of the refusal of the occupation government to protect innocent citizens from the depredations of the Union League. As has happened not only in the United States during reconstruction but in other places and at other times, where the civil state fails to protect the people, groups always arise from the people themselves to fulfill that need. Vigilantes have a bad name but often vigilantism has been a necessary response to the failure of the state to provide protection to a helpless citizenry. Remember this fact for it becomes important later on. After reconstruction, the need for the Klan as it was first conceived ended—and so did the Klan at least in its original manifestation. But the success of the original Klan proved to be irresistible to many in the newly liberated South because they feared the possibility of once again coming under the power of the Negro and his Northern white allies. The Klan that then arose in two separate but similar components became the organization with which we are familiar today, a very real terrorist group which used intimidation and violence to subjugate blacks and anyone seen as being allied with them. However, it is also important to note that this new Klan was not limited to the South. Indeed, the largest chapters were to be found in the Mid-West. This new venue for the Klan followed the northward migration of large numbers of blacks from the South as the shortage of manpower occasioned by World War I forced Northern industries to accept black migration to man their mills and factories. The power of the Klan reached its height in the early 20th Century and lasted until the rise of the Civil Rights movement at which time the federal government took upon itself the prosecution of Klan members for violent crimes under federal civil rights statutes. With the protection of local judicial apparatus no longer extant, the Klan was weakened (though the power of the name remained), eventually becoming a pale shadow of its former might and influence, thoroughly infiltrated by various federal agencies. It has been suggested that in any Klan gathering, the majority of attendees might well be federal agents. Also with the rise of the “civil rights movement,” most Americans hoped for a new era of amicable “race relations.” This hope was soon dashed by the violence of the early 60s which saw riots and chaos in America’s inner cities. These riots were seen as a reaction to the assassination of Martin Luther King and other anti-black violence occasioned by the movement. Yet many found it odd that blacks would destroy their own homes to “protest” events condemned by the vast majority of white Americans and, at the time, some suggested other more sinister motives were involved. However, as what was seen as a means of addressing racial tension, President Lyndon Johnson introduced “The Great Society” and launched his “War on Poverty.” Of course, “the poor” being “rescued” were mostly black, for though there were more poor whites than poor blacks, the percentage of poor blacks vis a vis the total black population was far higher than the percentage of the poor among whites. Thus began decades of countless “social programs” and political “nostrums” intended to raise the living standard of poor “ghetto” blacks and bring them into the mainstream of America’s social and economic culture. Affirmative action replaced efforts to end racial discrimination by effectively substituting one target of discrimination with another. Ever larger and more comprehensive welfare programs were introduced into the inner city black population. Liberal Democrat Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, seeing the results of these programs, wrote a book warning that welfare was destroying the black family and as a result, black society. Indeed, far from ending the gap between poor blacks and the rest of the culture, these programs only made the divide deeper and more bitter, engendering an attitude among most blacks of both victimization and entitlement. And when politicians’ promises were not forthcoming with sufficient speed and in sufficient amounts, this “culture within a culture” became more and more estranged, hostile and dangerous. Many hoped that the election of a “black President”—Barack Hussein Obama—would bring forth a “post racial” era but exactly the opposite has proven to be the case. Ever greater preferences have been both demanded and promised while the second highest law enforcement agent in the land, Attorney General Eric Holder, a black man, has openly stated that blacks cannot violate the civil rights of whites and, in fact, that whites are not protected by federal civil rights statutes. Never has any person of such importance openly proclaimed that an entire segment of the population as based upon race was not protected by American law. Even in the worst days of Jim Crow, no one was foolish enough to openly proclaim that the law did not apply equally to all Americans. It would be wrong to say that such a mindset was not in fact understood, but it was certainly not stated as government policy at either the state or the federal level. As well, today, black on white crime is raging while white on black crime is statistically miniscule. Yet, the supposed “great fear” expressed by the likes of the NAACP, the Southern Poverty Law Center and other liberal race groups is the danger to black Americans from vicious white racists affiliated with “the Klan.” Every news story about the display of a Confederate battle flag produces charges that the Klan is on the march and moving to bring back Jim Crow! These outbreaks of feigned hysteria (and outright deceit) are given credence and additional power by academia, establishment “historians” and government agencies like the Parks Department all of which are in collusion to drive from everything but museums, the heritage and history of the South. No amount of rebuttal to contrived “history,” no facts however well sourced and no sources—even Union records and Northern historical figures—will suffice to end the demand that all things Confederate must be condemned and banished altogether or, if necessary, displayed as are the symbols of such rogue regimes as Nazi Germany! And that is where the matter stands at this time with no end of this crusade for cultural genocide in sight. Now let us go back to the fourth paragraph in which I pointed out that vigilante groups arise when helpless citizens are no longer being protected by the civil government. For while the NAACP and the SPLC cry “Klan”—like the boy who cried “Wolf!”—the very same circumstances which led to vigilantism in the past are again being established in the present. White Americans see that the defense of their God-given, constitutionally-protected rights is under attack by the present Administration. Voter intimidation based upon race which would never have been permitted if attempted by whites is ignored now that the racial components are reversed. Matters are deteriorating to such a degree that even the main stream media can no longer ignore incidents of gangs of black youths—some as young as ten or twelve—involved in mob actions targeting not only whites, but ordinary black citizens who are not part of “the hood.” Meanwhile, local, state and national law enforcement turn a blind eye—or so many whites believe—to minority crime especially committed against whites. In other words, the race baiters and their ilk are creating the same state of affairs which led to the rise of the original Klan. It may well be that while these groups are mendaciously crying “Klan! Klan!” to bolster their own power and censor Southern heritage, they may in fact, be “whistling up demons” and calling into existence the very malevolence that they have used as a straw man for so many years in their war of cultural genocide! What a tragedy it would be if to feed the ambition, greed and hatred of the race baiters and poverty pimps, we should see the rise once again of an agent of racial violence that had previously been consigned almost to oblivion. Several years ago in the City of Auburn, Alabama, a black Councilman broke into a private cemetery and took the battle flags from the graves of Confederate soldiers being placed there by the ladies of the UDC. At first, there was little outrage as the man—a “bishop” no less—complained about how “offended” he was to see that flag even though some of the graves contained family members of the ladies placing the flags! Several local newspapers began to run comments—and I began to contribute. Instead of the matter simply “disappearing” as is so often the fate of such outrageous actions (it was clear that the Auburn City Council was not going to say or do anything), more and more folks began to opine. Some, of course, championed the noble Councilman and his “brave actions” but most began to wonder why the police let what was obviously theft and vandalism go unaddressed—and the Councilman unpunished. The whole matter went on for several weeks and it was becoming clear to the perpetrator that he had to do something, so he returned the stolen flags. However, except for “frightening the ladies,” he did not apologize but declared that he would bring a resolution to the Council that the flags could not be left on the graves for more than a day—even in a private cemetery. At the height of the contretemps, a man posted a comment saying that he was a member of the Ku Klux Klan and that he and his fellow members were willing to come to Auburn to demonstrate against the Councilman’s actions. Well, of course, this was the last thing any pro-Southron person wanted and his offer was ignored. But I found it of particular interest just where this chapter of the once-mighty Klan was to be found! While all things Southern are tarred with accusation of Klan involvement, this particular chapter was located in the very heart of Southern heritage, New Jersey! Fairy tales educate a child to certain eternal truths. The tale of the boy who cried “Wolf!” is meant to warn the listening child about the fact that even real danger will be ignored if it is declared too often and falsely. When the wolf finally did come, the child’s cries were ignored and he paid the ultimate penalty for his foolish efforts to get attention. Beware, the day may come when the cries of “Klan!” are no longer lies used to taint a movement unconnected with racial bigotry—but a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Posted on: Mon, 22 Jul 2013 15:02:51 +0000
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