Media Device #3

This is a video clip that was played on the history channel about the KKK. The KKK, which stands for the Ku Klux Klan, was founded in Pulaski Tennessee by a group of Confederate veterans. Historically the KKK was a group of white supremacists "These organizations have often used terrorism, violence, and acts of intimidation, such as cross burning and lynching, to oppress African Americans and other social or ethnic groups." (Wikipedia) As the KKK grew to more of a public group, they tried to reverse the federal governments Reconstruction Era activities in the South. Most of these activities were focused on giving more rights to African Americans. In 1871 President Ulysses S. Grant destroyed the group, and established the Civil Rights Act of 1871, this was also known as the Ku Klux Klan Act. The group was formed again in 1915, and focused on the same violent acts.
This video can be related to the book we read Kindred. In that novel written by Octavia Butler, they expressed the violence the slaves had to endure while being slaves. Blacks still have had to endure violence acts from whites that feel they still have superiority over people of color. Historically white people have been mistreating anyone different from them, whether it is physically, verbally, or violently to the point of death. Back during slavery they would beat, whip, and kill a slave who disobeyed the "master". In modern times, if a black messed with anything a white man owned, he could be beat, tortured, or even hung.
Why do they allow these violent hate groups such as the KKK stay alive? According to the history channel the group is so large in numbers, that it would be nearly impossible to eliminate them completely. Because this is a free county, people are allowed to speak their mind, and protest, and march in rallies. However they draw the line at violent acts. When someone Else's' life is in danger the government jumps in and stops it.
I was glad I had found this video online, NOT because I agree with anything they do, but because I have never seen the "real KKK" and exactly how they act. I was completely shocked with the language they used and they extreme hate and violence for people who were not exactly like them, yet they had the freedom to publicly bash and humiliate people of a different race simply because they don't like them. People who are members of the KKK or just think like the KKK baffle me, I just want to look them in the eye and say, welcome to the 21st century.