Do you believe the K.K.K should be outlawed in the United States?

Question

Yahoo recently featured an article stating that membership in the K.K.K has risen amid immigration reform and terrorism. While I stand for freedom of speech and the right to one's personal belief system, I fail to understand how a group of people too cowardly to show their face can be tolerated in the U.S. The idiocy of White Supremacy aside, I do not understand how a group who encourage injury and harm to millions of people in the U.S. is accepted? What are your opinions?

The Article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070208/us_nm/usa_kkk_dc

Perhaps I should be a little more through in my question. I believe that any group who's sole purpose is to cause harm to others should not be tolerated in the US. Even Free Speech has limits (you can not yell "BOMB" on an airplane, you can not talk about killing the president even if you hate him, etc)

No, I do not believe in what they say, but if a group is only around to encourage the harm and killing of others I do not believe they have the right to Free Speech. This includes any group with this intent, not just the K.K.K.

Answer 1

I agree with you--in part. The question comes down not to whether or nnot such behavior should be tolerated--it should not--but to whether or not the group itself should be made illegal. And the answer s an unequivocal no.

The KKK is unquestionably everything you say it is (and I know their history--its even wors than you portray it). But, as long as the individual member does not break the law, he/she is entitled to say what they like. And if individuals break the law, they should be punished to the full extent of the law. If a particular group acts as a group to break the law, the members can---and should--be convicted and punished under the laws regarding conspiracy to violate the law.

But using the power of the stat to break up such groups won't work--it will simply drive them underground--history proves that time and time again. And the same is true if you try to use the power of the state to silence them--and in fact, that helps theem because they can--and will--gain legitimacy by virtue of being so targeted .

But-in general and with the Klan in particular--if we back off, enforce the law and otherwise don't interfere with their right of free speech and free association--they will discredit themselves. The KKK made great strides in the US Midwest in the 1920s--until their leader's corruption and violence sickened so mamy people that their numbers began to dwindle. In the 1950-60s their hatred and viciousness--displayed for everyone to see on tlevision for the first time--shocked and disusted people all over the nation and totallly discredited their rhetoric of supposed concern for "law and order" and even more farcical pretense of paternalistic benevolence toward blacks.

The great strength of granting even the most despicable the right to speak freely is that these are the very people who will most readily hang themselves--if you give them the opportunity!

Answer 2

Accepting their right to exist is not the same as accepting their ideology, which I completely reject. The point of our supposed democracy and freedoms is that we are free to associate and believe what we want, even condemn what we want. Member os the KKK are free to condemn our of ignorance all the people they feel threatened by (a growing list) while you and I are free to condemn the KKK. Rather than simply outlaw hate groups, I would prefer that our nation make a vigorous effort to eliminate or at least reduce significantly the factors that contribute to rising membership of hate groups - a poorly educated work force with decreasing access to good paying jobs, affordable housing and healthcare. Since it appears that illegal immigration is one factor that may be driving increased interest or sympathy for the KKK, I believe our leaders would be well advised to begin seriously tackling the problem rather allow kooks like the KKK to develop the solutions.

Answer 3

I don't think the KKK is advocating murder or anything like that. It may have been the case some years ago, but not in recent times. The modern KKK is merely an advocacy group for the advancement of White people just like Jessie Jacksons group or the NAACP is doing for the Blacks, or the Anti Defamation League is doing for the Jews, etc. Even groups like the Hells Angels aren't banned, but that could be considered if they are proven to be a criminal organization. No, the right to free assembly is written in the Constitution. We mess with the Constitution at our peril.

Answer 4

Well, though it does sound reasonable, do you really think it would work? How many illegal groups exist around the world? It would probably be worse, cause they would feel angrier than they are now, and their attacks would be even worse than they are already. They would become much more violent to "prove" that they are not scared of authorities and will do whatever it takes to make sure that they can clean "their" country from immigrants, or blacks, or whoever they are against. God, how I hate the KKK.

Answer 5

If racism goes against the values of our country and if discrimination of sex, race, religion, and background are not allowed in the US workplace, then the KKK should be outlawed in the United States. By definition, the KKK is a threatening organization to minorities, or basically anyone who isn't white. It would be yet another black mark on the history of the United States to let the KKK roam around freely at a time when this country needs unification. Their motives and intentions will never benefit anyone--their actions certainly never did.

Answer 6

Jim Crow failed to understand equality in The Constitution, men and women, only now are they putting it into law. About time.
Edit: I'm a white person surrounded by hicks, man, they need teeth besides brains but I'm training them about respecting their neighbors,so they're levening off. I'm having a house built 20 miles away.

Answer 7

The problem with banning organizations like the KKK, is that the next thing banned might be something dear to you...where do you draw the line?

Some churches have beliefs that are just as kooky as the KKK's, do we ban them too?

Answer 8

I am afraid there is nothing that we can do about it without them actually committing crimes. The KKK does do good their ignorant beliefs are so backwards that no reasonable person would ever associate with racism. Unfortunately there are still a lot of unreasonable people in the world like Holocaust deniers.

Answer 9

No,they have a right to free speech as long as they are legal citizens of this country.Just because you don't like what someone has to say does not give you the right to step on there constatioanal rights.Some people might not like what you have to say how would you like it if they stiffled your voice.This is america free speech rules.

Answer 10

Unless they commit a crime, they have a right to exist. That's the pesky part about the Constitution.