Believe it or not, the clause before the colon is the title of a real opinion piece, in a functioning American newspaper, on Valentines’ Day (Just 6 days ago), near the end of the second decade of the 21stCentury, in the United States of America. You might say you’re surprised? I would ask, why? Quoth Childish Gambino (AKA Donald Glover): “This Is America!”
Occasionally, I have found that a post sometimes speaks for itself. This one is definitely a candidate for that distinction. Mr. Goodloe Sutton, the owner, publisher, and editor of the Democrat-Reporter, a weekly newspaper in Linden, Alabama, wrote the aforementioned editorial. See below (unedited):
“Time for the Ku Klux Klan to night ride again.”
“Democrats in the Republican Party and Democrats are plotting to raise taxes in Alabama.
They do not understand how to eliminate expenses when money is needed in other areas. This socialist-communist ideology sounds good to the ignorant, the uneducated, and the simple-minded people.
People who do not understand the constitution do not like to be responsible.
Slaves, just freed after the civil war, were not stupid. At times, they borrowed their former masters’ robes and horses and rode through the night to frighten some evildoer. Sometimes they had to kill one or two of them, but so what.
This is the same so what used when Democrats got us into World War I and World War II. Then they got us fighting in Korea. Next when the industrial Northeast wanted more money, they got us in the Vietnam War, and now into the Middle East war.
If you haven’t noticed, they did away with the draft so their sons would not have to go into battle.
Seems like the Klan would be welcomed to raid the gated communities up there. They call them compounds now. Truly, they are the ruling class.”
When asked in an interview whether he penned editorial, Mr. Sutton admitted he did and opined:
"If we could get the Klan to go up there and clean out D.C., we'd all been better off."
When reporters at the Montgomery Advertiser asked Sutton to elaborate what he meant by"cleaning up D.C.," Sutton suggested lynching. He said:
"We'll get the hemp ropes out, loop them over a tall limb and hang all of them."
The reporter then asked Sutton if he believed it was appropriate for a newspaper publisher to call for lynching Americans. At that point, he doubled down on his position. Sutton responded:
"... It's not calling for the lynchings (sic) of Americans. These are socialist-communists we're talking about. Do you know what socialism and communism is?"
The reporter then asked Sutton if he recognized the KKK as a racist and violent organization? Sutton disagreed. He explained:
“The Klan is like the NAACP. As for a violent organization, well, they didn’t kill but a few people. The Klan wasn’t violent until it needed to be.”
After learning of Sutton’s most recent editorial, and related and clarifying comments, the School of Communications at his alma mater, the University of Southern Mississippi, removed him from its Hall of Fame. The School made an accompanying statement:
"Within the last few hours, the School of Communication at the University of Southern Mississippi learned of Mr. Goodloe Sutton’s call for violence and the return of the Ku Klux Klan. Mr. Sutton’s subsequent rebuttals and attempts at clarification only reaffirm the misguided and dangerous nature of his comments. The School of Communication strongly condemns Mr. Sutton’s remarks, as they are antithetical to all that we value as scholars of journalism, the media, and human communication. Our University’s values of social responsibility and citizenship, inclusion and diversity, and integrity and civility are the foundation upon which we have built our School and its programs."
Yes, this particular newspaper and its owner, publisher, editor are located in a small town in the Deep South. But don’t get it twisted. The views expressed by this individual are consistent with ideas widely shared on social media, and often in person, everyday by countless individuals across this country. One can hear similar opinions emanate from other outposts of the Fourth Estate, from the highest levels of government, from inside the spired towers of religion, and if miscellany of fortune dictates, from the guy or gal next door. Remember where you heard it first though…”Klan Needs to Ride Again: A Shot Across the Bough!”
I’m done; holla back!
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