You just never know what someone might share over Challah french toast, scrambled eggs, and coffee! I had a little gathering for breakfast today, and to my shock, one of my guests who lives near Bull Run Mountain, out of the blue, says “hey, did I tell you that someone from the KKK delivered a newsletter at the end of my driveway?” With jaw open from shock, I reply “Uh, no, you didn’t tell me”.
So apparently, a little over a week ago, this person discovered this “news” piece at the end of their driveway. I asked if they knew if any other people had been lucky enough to get this “jewel” delivered, and they said they didn’t know. I wonder, why is it that the KKK believes that there is fertile ground in places like Prince William and Loudon Counties?
The Ku Klux Klan, which just a few years ago seemed static or even moribund compared to other white supremacist movements such as neo-Nazis, has experienced a surprising and troubling resurgence due to the successful exploitation of hot-button issues including immigration, gay marriage and urban crime. Klan groups have witnessed a surprising and troubling resurgence by exploiting fears of an immigration explosion, and the debate over immigration has in turned helped to fuel an increase in Klan activity, with new groups sprouting in parts of the country that have not seen much activity.
They dropped the flyers in Leesburg too.
Just as there is an irrelevant left-wing fringe, there’s also an irrelevant right wing fringe. I think it’s a shame the KKK is given so much press by liberals who need fringe groups like the KKK to have something to demonize. Real conservatives just ignore them. Ignore=Irrelevant. Press=Relevant. And for anyone who things that “ignoring the problem will just allow it to grow unchecked”….hogwash, not with THIS particular problem. But hey, what do I know.
thinks
It’s too bad that they are getting free publicity. That’s what keeps groups like this alive. I saw an entry on the “dark side” that fits here from “Old Soldier”:
“Let it go. An idea is like a fire. A fire only grows if you add fuel. It dies when it runs out of combustible material. Don’t provide the combustible material and it will out.
Of course, some people’s purposes are served by the fire. That is really the root cause of many of our problems.”
Success would be if this were the last blog entry on the subject. I doubt that will be the case.
The sheriff in Leesburg said they deliver every 4 or 5 years like clockwork. Disgusting! So it doesn’t sound like we are being targeted in as much as part of their recruitment calendar. If they get no response, pretty soon it won’t be worth it for them to even try.
I think that is something we need to know. I don’t think we need to do anything but I do think we need to know if something like that exist in the community. I would want to know if there was a survivalist camp or a polygamist compound in the region also. Just an awareness. Remember post WWII stories about ‘we didn’t know?’
Right but Slowpoke, per a previous thread … you want the irrelevant right wing fringe to run the Republican party.
Call it anti-immigration enthusiasm if you will. The roots are one and the same.
Don’t you see the problem for those of use who want to preserve the two party system and not see the nation’s oldest political party dissolve into warring factions?
Unlike Some, I would never equate or attempt to brand the kkk as Republican, Klan members would lynch White Republicans because the Republicans fought for Civil Rights.
Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr were both Republicans, The 1964 Civil Rights Act would never have passed if the Republicans (Who were in the minority) hadn’t overwhelmingly supported it.
And now White Supremacist and Klansman David Duke who is a Cindy Sheehan loving Bush hater, Calls Republican Party Chairman Micheal Steele a “Black Racist” ” and a “servile dog of Israel.”
The KKK feeds off of publicity, Ignore them, Persecution would cause a membership explosion. Besides, How pathetic is it that they have to come all the way up from Georgia to recruit members, Apparently there is no KKK to speak of in Virginia.
There is kkk everywhere. Fortunately, most cells are irrelevant. We used to have a fairly large herd here in Prince William. They even had their own 800 number. Most people used to call it just to laugh at them. They were ignorant.
I don’t think anyone is seriously equating the KKK as Republican. The KKK is seriously redneck nowadays. Each party has a famous ‘used to be a member’ person.
In 1964, there was a tremendous reshuffling of party and party platform. There are no simple explanations other than there was a huge realignment.
If one is Black, Jewish, Gay, Roman Catholic, Hispanic, Muslim, etc., the KKK is a frightening group. Our government is in a war to fight terrorism yet, we allow this terrorist group to exist in the US.
Should we give them press, NO. Should we be concerned about their existence, YES. Should they be watched, YES. In the deep south they are still burning crosses.
Marie, YES! totally agree.
Marie,
100% agree, ergo, the reason for this post!
Marie
Only the Unarmed have to fear those thugs, My Advice for peace of mind is to head to Virginia Arms an Buy either an AR-15 or Springfield XD 45Cal.
MH
A lot of democrats do try to brand the kkk as a group with only Republican membership and I wouldn’t be so cruel to rednecks (most of them are good people) as to say the kkk is redneck, The KKK is White Trash, Yes there is a difference, You find a higher concentration of white supremacist’s in areas like Manassas then You would find in Winchester. Another example is California, Most of the skinheads are in the LA Metro area.
Marie, nobody “allows” this terrorist group to exist. They have the right to exist under our constitution and decent people have the right to exist against them.
I abhor the philosophies of the kkk, but do we want the government to select which group gets to exist? Don’t they win when we give up our rights to make sure they don’t exist? Because we won’t either….then what?
How do you know they are not being monitored or watched by the authorities?
PWC, do you feel any responsibility about knowing a person’s age or mental state before recommending that they arm themselves?
I was raised around guns my entire life. There are people I don’t think should go anywhere near a gun.
I am a salty old dog. I knew the difference between rednecks and white trash before you were born. Unfortunately, we cannot say that all kkk members are white trash or redneck. Some are upstanding members of their communities. Funny how those things work. I will grant you that over time, the KKK has become more marginalized. Most are pwt or rn.
No because they have a Constitutional Right, Freedom is an absolute, There are no varying degrees and yes I know people I wouldn’t want to have guns, They are called KKK Members. Age shouldn’t be an issue, Especially if Pre-Teen’s and Teens are raised around Guns. I learned to shoot at 5 years old, got my first shotgun at 10 and bought an AR at 18. The Guardians of Those with mental problems should restrict unsupervised access to firearms, But the government shouldn’t say whether these people can or cannot fire a weapon.
I know we are talking about the KKK and I hate them as much as the next guy but can we please not use redneck and white trash.
Lucky Duck,
Excellent points. If memory serves me correctly, there was a case where the ACLU defended the Neo-Nazi’s right to march. The interesting part was the attorney who fought for their rights was Jewish!
However, Marie’s point that we must be aware of their presence is critical to stemming their ability to spread their message of hate.
Lucky Duck,
I know that the KKK has a right to exist under the Constitution of the US. However, they do not have the right to intimidate, burn churches or crosses.
PW Conservative,
My husband has hunting rifles so we can defend ourselves if need be but I would not be one of the targets of the KKK.
hello,
As to using derogatory terms like redneck and white trash, it’s perfectly acceptable when used by liberals…didn’t you know that? In fact, you’ll find that no rules at all apply to liberals.
PWCon, I hope that jab about comparing the GOP and the KKK was not intended for me.
Either way, let me make myself clear. There is no need to feel defensive as Republicans when the KKK makes a nuisance of itself. If you pretend there is no problem to speak of, or you protest the very mention of the subject, you create the wrong impression. By the same token, the word “racism” should not put you on the defensive either. After all, the problem is not that we talk about racism; the problem is that there IS racism.
For example, when Gospel Greg tried to turn the Liberty wall into a race issue, a lot of people took the bait. This was a clever tactic. But in truth the wall’s message … on the first two occasions, I should specify … was not protesting Caucasian racism; it was protesting a particular law and the racism that was there inherent. Of course, some people responded to Greg’s entreaties to be offended to such an extreme that they hurt their cause and embarrassed the county.
When the Willie Horton ads were running wild in 1988, it took me some time to come to terms with an uncomfortable fact: while it is unfair and untrue to say that most Republicans are racists; it was true at the time (and more true today) that most racists are Republicans. Twenty years ago, we were forced to make room for them. We needed their votes. Today, we can’t afford to LOSE the votes they COST us. Thus, it is not a moral imperative that we reject nativism, anti-immigrant electioneering, and Sarah Palin politics; it is a political necessity.
Hello, why do those 2 terms bother you? I think we have had this discussion before. 1 is much more damning than the other. What terms would you prefer if you had to discuss the subject?
PWC, if the 2nd amendment were unconditional, people would not be up in arms, no pun intended, over feeling that their rights were going to be stripped away. There would not be any gun control. People would be able to amass arsenals in their garages.
Many people who are mentally ill do not have guardians. So maybe they should just have guns?
Did you get to use your guns under any circumstances from age 5 on? Or did your parents have to be around when you were permitted to shoot.? Do you think a 5 year old living in dense housing, like Georgetown South, should have guns?
Maturity and judgement are not just part of how one is raised. They are also based on brain maturity. Teens are also known for impulsive behavior. I sure wouldn’t want to just hand out guns to teenagers. One of the angriest I have ever been at Mr. Howler was when he gave his .22 pistol to our teenage son. I felt it was totally irresponsible.
Sorry…I digress
Hi Moon, I don’t like either term because they are both derogatory terms for white people plain and simple and as a white male they offend me. What if this story had to do with MS-13 members trying to recruit by passing out fliers in Woodbridge? Would you refer to them using derogatory terms for Hispanics? I think not.
Also, you can refer to them as oh, I don’t know… idiots, racists, bigots, monsters, KKK members… pick any of them and it would be better then the other two terms used.
WHWN,
You’re making it sound too convenient. As if, the rank and file republican does not hold bigoted sentiments. As if they are actually bothered by bigotry.
But here is the true face of the rank and file republicans:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hVvMfgvocE
It’s easy get them to let down their guard. It requires 3 things.
1) Beer to loosen the tongue. In vino, veritas
2) The company of other whites.
3) The false appearance of a legitimate grievance that allows them to cloak racism as their motivation. Candidates include ‘it’s not racism, it’s the rule of law’, ‘it’s not racism, it’s the statistics that say blacks are more prone to criminality’, ‘it’s not racism, it’s just better for everyone if we all speak english’.
Here’s a good example of how easily bigotry can be justified as long as it’s wrapped in silk:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHtNTTfxtD8
WHWN, you’re fighting a losing battle. You’re in denial. You have good intentions of course, but you’re the exception, not the rule.
Hello, probably not. I might say gang members or thugs.
On the other hand, I don’t find redneck an offensive term, necessarily. Regionally speaking, where are you from? That might have a great deal to do with our different initial reaction to the word. I am a Virginian and have spent only a few years of my life outside the old Dominion.
White trash is far more hard core. Its sin is that it is elitist. Neither of those words are gender related. It was always something one did not want to aspire to being. Although I did not bring up the term in this conversation, I did respond to it. I have always defended the expression.
WHWN
It was not meant for you, other blogs covering this had made it seem as if these were typical Republican’s, Last I heard the only KKK member serving in the US Senate is a Democrat.
MH
I am 18, Does it really bother you that I own a couple of firearms? We don’t need gun control and people should be allowed to amass arsenals in their garages. My Mothers Ancestors (The Cherokee) were not allowed to own guns, This is why it was so easy for the government to force them to leave their native land and march to Oklahoma where many that survived the deadly trek, Died anyway. Her people split for Southwest Virginia and had to virtually hide from the general public for fear that they would be reported to the Federal Government. Point Is, When You take away Guns, Government has full control.
As for those with Mental Health Problems, If they have no guardian, I was under the impression that the state would provide guidance.
I Learned how to Shoot at 5, That’s too young to have unrestricted access, I would say about 13 is an appropriate age and for those in dense housing, They can go to a range or a friends property like everyone else, Violence is committed by teens that have little to no experience with guns, I Seriously doubt that a Teen that was taken Hunting and Shooting would ever go off as some did, I Blame Public Schools.
Mackie
Have no idea how the videos apply to Republicans, None of the offenders were identified as such and they never used the “N” Word unlike the Most Senior Democrat in the Senate
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FIBJt-c2o0
And for clarification, White Trash is primarily: Urban Wanna-Be Rednecks that attempt to fit a false image of “Country” Even though they rarely participate in the same amusements and have no mad country skills.
Hi Moon, I’m from MD and then moved to VA in middle-school. In MD where I was from it wasn’t a nice term (either of them but I agree, white trash is far worse). I was originally just suggesting using different terms. Like you said “I might say gang members or thugs” to describe Hispanic gang members, so use something similar for KKK members… that’s all.
Mackie, most Americans vote for candidates before political parties. This means that the right candidate could redefine the GOP and put it back on the right track. I say this for two reasons. As an American you should be concerned with who wins the ideological war within the Republican party. And as a Democrat (I assume) you should not be too quick to write off the GOP.
The party of Reagan has been corupted by oilmen and war profiteers, and this has forced GOP strategists to pander to pander to people for whom they have very little regard, and even less in common.
But at the core of the party remains a philosophy of self-reliance, small government, entrepeneurship, low taxes, and caring for others out of compassion and descency without being compelled to do so by the government. These ideals have carried our country a long way. They were best articulated by Reagan, and for the most part they were well executed in Reagan’s time. But the Neo-cons have essentially trashed the entire philosophy with a failure of execution of such proportions that it will take a long while for the American people to trust us again.
Meanwhile, we have this sideshow … I realize you think it is more than that … in which we have employed bigotry as an electioneering tool, and in the process attracted far too many bigots to the party. There must now be a clean break. I for one would not want to hold onto power if it means that low minded people take over the party and thus the country. This is why Palin was such an abomination to me. But as I have said, this past election proves that we cannot hold onto power by pandering to racists, not on a national level anyway. So we will be making that change sooner or later. I hope it is sooner, and I could argue that all Americans should.
PWC, I don’t know where you are getting your information. ‘White Trash’ is based on living style and lack of values. Actually, it is one of those things that just has no words. Have you read anything by Erskine Caldwell? I think that is where I truly started to understand the term.
In 1831 I doubt if many Native Americans owned guns. The Trail of Tears is one of the saddest events in American history. I am not sure if gun ownership would have prevented that from happening or not. I don’t know you well enough to know if you are too young to own a gun without parent supervision. I believe 18 is what the law requires. I think young people and guns often spell trouble but I prefer to judge each case individually.
Take it easy on Senator Byrd. He is 91 years old. He has seen much change in his life. I would not judge him on the words he used. I would look at when he used the words. When I was a child, polite society dictated that white people use the words Negro and colored people. Polite people nowadays would not talk like that. Would you hold it against me that I had once used those words?
We operate in society in its time and place. I do not judge people outside the setting to which they are born. Senator Byrd was born in 1917. Things were far different then than they are now.
Testify! Mackie!
If you’ve paid your taxes, there’s a spot or three in Obama’s cabinet for you!
Tell ’em Anti-BVBL sent you!
Actually, I’m watching Robert Gibbs, and I think Mackie could do a much better job.
Slowpoke…GRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Tell them SLOWpoke sent him.