The KKK: Fear behind Hate
Student Name
Teacher
English 10H Period 3
14 December 2012
KKK:Evidence of Fear Behind Hate
"We promise to protect the weak, the innocent, and the defenseless from the indignities, wrongs, and outrages of the lawless,the violent, and the brutal; to relieve the injured and the oppressed; to succor the suffering and unfortunate, and especially the widows and orphans of Confederate soldiers" -Oath of the Ku Klux Klan
Since the 1860s, white Southerners have always held a higher status than African Americans until a great change occurred that completely turned their society upside down, leaving the whites in fear of becoming inferior to blacks and being taken over by them. For the Ku Klux Klan, the African American being "on top" was the source of that fear. Hate and fear brought on by the infamous racist hate group dubbed the Ku Klux Klan towards African Americans has caused wrongful and brutal treatment and discrimination, and it needs to be resolved through stricter law enforcement and better acts against racial inequality. Going as far back as the late 1800s in history long ago, in the Southernmost part of America, the anti-semitic hate group Ku Klux Klan was born due to fear brought on by African Americans who gained their freedom after the Civil War had ended, and they eventually elevated to the top of society.This immense advantage brought on to the African American community not only worried the Southern whites, but it drove them to create and spread rumors about the benefited blacks. "During times of crisis or uncertainty, people often resort to rumors, or stories circulated without facts to confirm the truth, to help them cope with anxieties and fears. Of all the rumors, racial and hate rumors are considered the most dangerous because they are divisive and create hostility that can lead to violence"(Miller 24). The issue of spreading and creating racial and hate rumors that eventually causes violent conflict and racial diversity amongst differentiating
Teacher
English 10H Period 3
14 December 2012
KKK:Evidence of Fear Behind Hate
"We promise to protect the weak, the innocent, and the defenseless from the indignities, wrongs, and outrages of the lawless,the violent, and the brutal; to relieve the injured and the oppressed; to succor the suffering and unfortunate, and especially the widows and orphans of Confederate soldiers" -Oath of the Ku Klux Klan
Since the 1860s, white Southerners have always held a higher status than African Americans until a great change occurred that completely turned their society upside down, leaving the whites in fear of becoming inferior to blacks and being taken over by them. For the Ku Klux Klan, the African American being "on top" was the source of that fear. Hate and fear brought on by the infamous racist hate group dubbed the Ku Klux Klan towards African Americans has caused wrongful and brutal treatment and discrimination, and it needs to be resolved through stricter law enforcement and better acts against racial inequality. Going as far back as the late 1800s in history long ago, in the Southernmost part of America, the anti-semitic hate group Ku Klux Klan was born due to fear brought on by African Americans who gained their freedom after the Civil War had ended, and they eventually elevated to the top of society.This immense advantage brought on to the African American community not only worried the Southern whites, but it drove them to create and spread rumors about the benefited blacks. "During times of crisis or uncertainty, people often resort to rumors, or stories circulated without facts to confirm the truth, to help them cope with anxieties and fears. Of all the rumors, racial and hate rumors are considered the most dangerous because they are divisive and create hostility that can lead to violence"(Miller 24). The issue of spreading and creating racial and hate rumors that eventually causes violent conflict and racial diversity amongst differentiating
Bibliography: Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. They Called Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2010. Print. Klobuchar, Lisa. 1963 Birmingham Church Bombing: The Ku Klux Klan 's History of Terror. Minneapolis, MN: Compass Point, 2009. Print. "Ku Klux Klan -- Extremism in America." Ku Klux Klan -- Extremism in America. Anti-Defamation League, 2012. Web. 18 Dec. 2012. <http://www.adl.org/learn/ext_us/kkk/default.asp?LEARN_SubCat=Extremism_in_America>. "The Official Web Page." KKK. Indiana Historical Research Foundation, n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2012. <http://www.kkklan.com/>. "Southern Alliance of Klans." Southern Alliance of Klans. N.p., 2009. Web. 18 Dec. 2012. "Spartacus Educational." Spartacus Educational. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2012. <http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAkkk.htm>. "Stop Hate - Ku Klux Klan." Stop Hate - Ku Klux Klan. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2012. <http://www.adl.org/hate-patrol/njs/kkk.asp>.