Southern Gothic - North Carolina Klan cases expose seedy underworld

While I'm not sure if the current day version of the KKK really can still be consdered a "secret society" they do seem to be a secretive, seclusive group. I've had a hard time finding any material that makes the modern day Klan look like anything but a juvenile joke for failed personalities, but then this article jumped at me.

While it's not very conclusive or impartial it does hint to such points as how such groups fund themselves nowadays and what they are up to,... I thought maybe other people would be interested too.

The following account is based on interviews with law enforcement authorities as well as court records, including hearing transcripts and detailed notes on interviews of seven Ku Klux Klan members, both suspects and witnesses, conducted by investigators from the SBI, the Sampson and Johnston County Sheriff's Offices, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Although resolution of both the gunrunning and murder cases now awaits the psychiatric evaluation of the main Klan leader, almost every part of this account is supported by multiple sources. Most participants, including the Klan leader's son and wife, have pleaded guilty to charges in the gunrunning case and have made concurring official statements detailing their activities.

www.splcenter.org...,0

The design was crude but deadly. According to his wife, Barefoot packed five cans of black powder into a two-foot section of PVC pipe attached to a quart jar filled with ether, gunpowder and dry-wall screws. He made a series of these bombs in late 2001 and detonated at least three in his backyard, experimenting with fuse lengths. He talked a lot about Timothy McVeigh, the Oklahoma City bomber, and about blowing up the Johnston County Courthouse to kill Sheriff Bizzell.

I don't know if I find this disturbing or funny - funny as in so pitiful as to make laughing the only available response.

reply to post by NichirasuKenshin


the fact that this is the next county from me worries me a bit. I know the Klan still exists. A violent attack on the courthouse is a very bold move. They won't get any good press out of that. And they are likely to attract the attention of the feds, more so than already exists. Hatred or a group that looks different than you. Proof that the gene pool is in need of chlorine.

reply to post by network dude



Hey that's what I was thinking. There seems to be a dichotomy in the motivation of these Klansmen - on the hand reaching out to the people and joining local parades and such, on the other hand busting crack houses in order to make a buck and building bombs to trade them against dogs.

It seems they haven't made their minds up between either being family-friendly racists or or domestic terrorists.

Maybe they should discuss this at one of their meetings.

Several years ago when I was in Mississippi, the Klan implemented Roadblocks for their fundraising. They held KFC buckets to collect money. My friend in car said "You better give them something and it better not rattle when you throw it in the bucket." (In other words---it better be paper money and not loose change.)

In some areas KKK was spray painted on back of roadsigns. Was it just indiscriminate graffitti or was it a territorial warning? I am not sure.

I was also advised that if you did not give something in the KFC bucket on the KKK roadblocks that there would be some trouble up ahead on the road. I was told that sometimes they will shoot nails in your tires or tail you.

SPLC

Hmmm, I wonder if I have heard of them before.

I heard of the KKK once, never actually seen em.

Usually when I hear about em is that they are just a bunch of idiots.

Nah, cannot be, this is the SPLC, they said the Tea Partiers are a bunch of racists and extremists.

They cannot be just rattling the cages can they? Nah, their must be a huge quantity of these KKK groups. Must be.

Be afraid, be VERY afraid. Pfffft.

Originally posted by saltheart foamfollower
SPLC

Hmmm, I wonder if I have heard of them before.

While the SPLC did publish the article all of the information provided therein comes from a recent testimony in a court case. Of course, you would know that if you actually clicked on the link or - god forbid - read the actual piece.

But why should you when you can just spam a thread with "uhhhh.... the SPLC is baaaaaaddd....", right?

you mean the KKK is still around??
Geez. hadn't heard from them in
a coon's age. I thought they went
extinct. Maybe not

reply to post by NichirasuKenshin


You are right, I should not attack the messenger, I should attack the message.

Which is why I included the KKK, oh noes the big bad KKK.

Tell me, can you find any articles where some KKK group is over say 5 inbred members?

Maybe if we go back say 40 years. Let me see if I can find one.

www.uncoverage.net... Oh, by the way, this is about Robert Byrd, a grand wizard of the KKK. You know, a big government proponent. You know, a communist in training.

Yes, better worry about those inbred morons not the institutional racists and power hungry in our own government.

Sorry, I find the SPLC to be a propaganda site to demonize and obfuscate the real problems in our country. Follow the money. Where do they get their funding I wonder?

Hey, look at one of their featured profiles.

Hal Turner. www.splcenter.org...

WOW, you mean the FBI FUNDED and controlled provacateur and informant?

Please.

Defaming the Oath Keepers-www.splcenter.org...

People sick of federal encroachments are now loony Conspiracy theorists-www.splcenter.org...

Saying Palin and Tea partiers are calling for a revolution-www.splcenter.org...

Singling out government and media people that are against big government and defaming them-www.splcenter.org...

Please, I could CARE LESS what crap you post from the SPLC.

It is a government backed divide and conquer, anti small government proponent, propagandist organization and site.

SO-

[edit on 17-8-2010 by saltheart foamfollower]

Originally posted by saltheart foamfollower


Yes, better worry about those inbred morons not the institutional racists and power hungry in our own government.

That's sweet. But this thread is about the recent court findings as to the activities of the KKK. It is neither about institutional racism nor about our government.

It seems to me that you're implying that by your judgement I may only post threads concerning topics that you personally have deemed worthy of discussion. I don't think that this is quite the way things go.

You're free to find any of the zillion+ threads that discuss the problems you find so pressing. There's no need to spam this thread with anti-SPLC talking points as the SPLC is simply the site that made these court findings public by this article. The SPLC is not the topic, the recent activities of the KKK - as insignificant as they may seem to you - are.

if the klan does not maintain why they are the clan the exterior manifestations of their organization will become it.but as they are shrouded in a history that is not expressed in truth of origin it may be hard to have healthy numbers with healthy citizens; yet, this may not be true as any society is so unto itself regardless of external perceptions.im from the country and some old timers believe in the external manifestations of the klan as still remaining; this should be of benefit to the functioning and maintenance of the more less exoteric nature of this group.

Originally posted by saltheart foamfollower
reply to post by NichirasuKenshin

 

Please, I could CARE LESS what crap you post from the SPLC.

[edit on 17-8-2010 by saltheart foamfollower]

So that means, if you could care less, that you care a lot, right? Now, on the other hand, if you said"you could not care less, then that would have meant you care the absolute minimum. But no, that would be proper use of our national language. Remember, sometimes the message defines the messenger.

Originally posted by Alethea
Several years ago when I was in Mississippi, the Klan implemented Roadblocks for their fundraising. They held KFC buckets to collect money. My friend in car said "You better give them something and it better not rattle when you throw it in the bucket." (In other words---it better be paper money and not loose change.)

In some areas KKK was spray painted on back of roadsigns. Was it just indiscriminate graffitti or was it a territorial warning? I am not sure.

I was also advised that if you did not give something in the KFC bucket on the KKK roadblocks that there would be some trouble up ahead on the road. I was told that sometimes they will shoot nails in your tires or tail you.

What happens if i'm not white? do they beat me up and lynch me or do i have to give money

Originally posted by starwarsisreal


What happens if i'm not white? do they beat me up and lynch me or do i have to give money

Maybe they would let you decide. It is a strange anecdote... I really wonder what they would do ...

They seem so... insignificant.. And not really courageous from what I've read... But they do seem dangerous and irresponsible... As I said.. It's hard to decide if you should pitty or fear them.

I used to be very active in Anti-klan activites, enough so to get me some death threats by phone.

I knew they were all full of s***e and didn't really worry about it.

Somebody did donuts in my yard with a 4wd.

Boy, that really got me scared

For the most part these people ( and I use that word loosely) aren't doing much more than living out juvenile fantasies. It;s fun to blow stuff up, didn't you play with firecrackers when you were a kid?

At any rate it would be an extremely rare event should one of these klanspersons (that;s PC, right?) every actually commit a violent crime other than pet, child or spousal abuse.

I'm glad the Feds keep an eye on them all the same.

On a historical note I wanted people to know that Nathan Bedford Forrest was the first imperial wizard of the Klan. He quit when they became violent.
They were originally formed to try to stop carpetbaggers and other northerners from taking advantage of the post-war south.
When Forrest died more black people than white attended his funeral in memphis, TN. He was one of the first southerners to employ blacks on his railroad, not just as laborers but as engineers and other skilled labor as well.
He was a slave trader before the war and became a reformed racist after the war.



[edit on 17-8-2010 by Asktheanimals]