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Essay / The First Amendment and the Ku Klux Klan
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or restrict freedom of expression or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. This is the first amendment that people around the world respect, the one that protects members of the KKK. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original EssayThe first and most important amendment is the First Amendment. This amendment was incorporated into the U.S. Constitution to achieve its goal of protecting American citizens from injustice. In addition, this amendment enshrined the freedoms of citizens. The three sections of the First Amendment that will be used in KKK cases are freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and freedom of religion. Part of the First Amendment concerns freedom of religion. There have been many cases in history where citizens' freedom of religion has been violated. The Holocaust is a case that violated the rights of citizens due to their religion. The Holocaust was a genocide carried out during World War II by Adolf Hitler's German Nazi Party that contributed to the murder of approximately 6 million Jews. Jews were forced to hide their religion to survive and were made to feel ashamed of who they were because one man decided it was not a good way of life. To ensure this does not happen again, amendments have been made to protect citizens from this type of injustice in the future. One group widely known for its violations of religious freedom is the KKK. Additionally, the KKK began with six Confederate veterans from Pulaski, Tennessee in 1865 after the Civil War and this secret society lasted until the 1870s. Later, this group was recreated in 1915 and still exists today. The Ku Klux Klan is a society in the American South that revolves around white supremacy and terrorizes a certain race and religion. To add, the KKK is full of members who feel they need a sense of belonging and this group gave them that. Members keep their true identities hidden and remain unknown due to the hatred they might generate. Additionally, the Ku Klux Klan is a group feared by many people in America because many were raped as humans. This group has a similar mindset to Adolf Hitler as they believe there should be only one perfect race, the KKK uses violence and places themselves above the law to sustain themselves . Political leaders also have strong opinions about KKK rallies and their violence. “Racism is evil – and those who provoke violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including the KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists and other hate groups, repugnant to everything we hold dear as Americans,” said President Donald Trump and Trump’s daughter. , Ivanka Trump also said: “There should be no place in society for racism, white supremacy and neo-Nazis. » Donald Trump and Ivanka Trump both have a negative view of the violence caused by the KKK. The Ku Klux Klan has always been secretive with their group and is known as the "Invisible Empire". The Ku Klux Klan began in 1865 and took control in 1868. Its goal was "to restore order; that meant getting the Negro back on the field – provided he didn't do very well." – and the pre-war leaders in their former positions. seats of power. Those who did not support their cause or anyone who was not white were dragged to thecenter of the city and executed in front of everyone. This is why many fear this group and would also discriminate against black people to save themselves. Once most of the black population was expelled, the KKK achieved its goal of getting rid of this race. In 1882, the U.S. Supreme Court declared the Ku Klux Klan unconstitutional, but the group had already disappeared. The Ku Klux Klan ended. However, in 1915, the Ku Klux Klan was soon recreated. This time, the objective was much broader: they “attacked Jews, immigrants, gays and lesbians and, until recently, Catholics.” In addition to discriminating against black people, the Klan now discriminated against people of a certain religion. The KKK would “help weaken the political power of blacks and Southern Republicans.” The Klan “spreads false information about its enemies, planting false news about conspiratorial Jews and greedy Catholic priests.” In today's society, everything revolves around hatred and violence due to ignorant minds. Former President Bill Clinton can subscribe to this mindset by stating the following: “While we protect free speech and assembly, we must condemn hatred, violence and white supremacy. » The Klan is protected by the First Amendment for the right to assemble, but it should not be able to do so if what it does propagates violence and hateful comments against a certain religion and a certain race. The KKK is protected in some cases, but "fundamental First Amendment questions regarding the ability of organized white supremacists to speak and demonstrate in the public square were focused on one group." The Ku Klux Klan's First Amendment was violated in this Supreme Court case. In 2003, the case of Virginia v. Black concerned the burning of a cross. According to one source, “a burning cross became the symbol of the new organization.” The case involved a crossfire at a Ku Klux Klan rally led by Barry Black. Black was convicted of a felony for violating the Virginia statute which stated: "...for any person..., with intent to intimidate any person or group..., to burn... a cross on the property of others. , highway or other public place,” furthermore, “any such fire... must be prima facie evidence of an intent to intimidate a person or group.” Justice Sandra Day O'Connor expressed her opinion on the issue by stating that "a state, pursuant to the First Amendment, may prohibit cross burnings carried out with the intent to intimidate." Black justified himself by saying that burning a cross did not send a message of "intent to intimidate" and argued that the law was unconstitutional and that any burning of a cross would be treated as prima facie evidence of the intention to deliberately cause fear. He also said his First Amendment rights were being violated. The Court was deciding whether it was constitutional to pass a law prohibiting cross-burning. Additionally, the Court stated that Virginia could pass a law stating that cross burnings of any type would be prohibited due to cross burnings at the KKK rally. The court ruled in Black's favor because Virginia law was unconditional and therefore Black's conviction was an invalidation. The KKK was also violated in its First Amendment rights in this case. This court case is Brandenburg v. Ohio in 1969. Clarence Brandenburg, a Ku Klux Klan leader gave a speech at a KKK rally in Ohio and was quickly convicted of violating the state's criminal union law..