Citing "Cultural Genocide," The Ku Kluk Klan Started New Recruiting Campaign Days After Charleston Church Massacre

The KKK increased their presence in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and elsewhere following the Charleston Church Massacre.

Before we begin, let's remind the ill-informed that the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) is classified as a full-blown hate group by both the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League — for reasons quite obvious to anyone not under one of their hoods. Such groups have faced renewed focus from the general public on their hate-centric intentions in the wake of the Charleston Church Massacre, with the ever-present problem of modern day white supremacy proudly outing itself during the ongoing Confederate flag debate.

Though the sheer reality of their existence in the year 2015 is a baffling thing to ponder, the KKK is still relatively alive — with recent reports that the far-right organization began a semi-national recruiting campaign just days after the Charleston murders. Local outlets report that Alabama residents (particularly those in Lake View, Tuscaloosa, and Bessemer) have been finding flyers attached to small pieces of candy (?) in their driveways — with the frequency of these bizarre recruiting efforts increasing since Dylann Roof's act of domestic terrorism.

"It is very offensive," Bessemer Deputy Police Chief Mike Roper tells AL.com. "You got law abiding people having to wake up on a Sunday morning to a mess like this. It is kind of upsetting. In this day and time, it is kind of upsetting." In addition to Alabama, increased recruiting tactics are reportedly taking place in Georgia, Mississippi, Kansas, and — oddly enough — California. Members are also planning some sort of pro-Confederacy rally on July 18 outside (or near) the South Carolina Statehouse.

Of course, estimating the membership numbers of a recognized hate group is a difficult task — though a quick perusal of their archaic web presence (you'll find no link to that here) immediately points to a predictably troubling rhetoric surrounding not only race, but marriage equality. Furthermore, their landing page offers this gem:

"There is a race war against whites. But our people - my white brothers and sisters - will stay committed to a non-violent resolution."

Pair this with the news that two officers from a police department in Anniston, Alabama were recently outed as card-carrying white supremacists, and ask yourself: how is the KKK still a thing?

 

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