The original KKK did not use Confederate flags.
The second KKK (1915-1944) became a national organization following the
movie, Birth of a Nation, and peaked ca 1925 with 3-6 million members
and used U.S. flags. Photo: Washington DC KKK parade 1926. Current KKK
membership is estimated to be less than 8,000.
Christmas Eve of 1865 was not a time
of joy in Pulaski, Tennessee. But six young Confederate veterans
meeting in a law office decided to lift the spirits of that town by
forming a club or fraternity.
Five of these six were Confederate
officers during the war. Four of them were to become lawyers, one a
circuit court clerk, and one a newspaper editor. Their first objective
was to have some fun. To that end, they devised the rituals of a secret
fraternal society with mysterious code words, elaborate titles, and
costume disguises. Starting with the Greek word for circle, kuklos, they
came up with the name, Ku Klux, and then added Klan because they were
all of Scotch-Irish descent. Their costume regalia for themselves and
their horses was made up of available bed sheets. The next week at dark,
they rode into town to introduce their new club, show off their
mysterious regalia, and amuse and serenade sweethearts and families. It
was a roaring social success.
More @ The Tribune
An idea whose time had come. A complete necessity based on
ReplyDeletethe ravages of the South.
Absolutely.
Delete