“Dear Editor:

Recently we have come under fire for being a hate group. This couldn’t be further from the truth.”

This quote begins a small cry of help from a “Loyal American Patriot” of the Ku Klux Klan, written to the staff of The Spur and other university newspapers across the upper midwest.

It’s difficult to see how the author could think the Klan has only “recently” come under fire for being a hate group, as the organization has been labeled such since its inception.

A clan that was founded upon the intimidation, terrorization and execution of a group of human beings based on their skin color cannot be called anything but a hate group.

A group that is not hateful would not have murdered their fellow human beings based upon their religious beliefs, ethnic backgrounds or skin color.

A group that is not hateful would not have pushed political agendas separating people in their daily lives from loved ones, families and friends.

A group that is not hateful would not elect a president who does not believe in sexual assault, wants to deport millions of American people and is willing to insult the families of fallen veterans.

A hateful group would do all of these things and more, which is precisely what the Ku Klux Klan has done throughout its lengthy stain on the pages of American history.

The Klansmen’s entire point by sending us this letter was to persuade us to help tear down a website for the book “The Slave Players” by Megan Allen. Suggesting that we go to Google and complain, as well as take our comments to the publisher’s own website and ask that they delete it.

“Most Americans the Klan speaks to support banning this book” the letter states, because of the novel’s hateful language.

I ask them, would a “Loyal American Patriot” truly want someone’s book banned? A book being banned would violate the author’s Freedom of Speech, tearing at the heart of the United States Constitution that loyal American patriots so deeply cherish.

Would the Klan be so intent on trampling others rights to free speech if they did not have one of their own in the Oval Office to guarantee theirs?
While we are on the subject of banning things for hateful rhetoric, let’s examine what the leader of the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, Chris Barker, said while arguing with a journalist in August about the number of illegal immigrants in the United States.

“We killed six million Jews the last time…. Eleven million is nothin’.”

It makes me angry just to quote these words, to think that another human being could be filled with enough vitriol to say something like that, and be proud of himself.

If bringing up the Holocaust and acting like it is a justifiable option for the future of America isn’t hateful, shameful and downright abhorrent, then I don’t know what hate speech is.

So, “Loyal American Patriots” of the Ku Klux Clan, I have one thing to say to you:

If you are serious about ending hate speech in America, do us all a favor and go ban yourselves.