This is all conjecture. Let it be known right now. This is not an investigative report. That said ...
Where have all the Klansmen gone? And, the skin-heads? How about those Neo-Nazis? I mean, weren't we hearing about all of these groups as recently as the 90's:
Three white men with suspected ties to the Ku Klux Klan chained James Byrd Jr. (a Black hitchhiker) to the back of a pickup truck and dragged him to his death.
Don't get me wrong. I'd be happy to know that none of this nonsense is going on anymore. But, just because we're not hearing anything - does that mean everything is ok?
I was watching the two-week-old episode of Bill Moyers Journal and listened to Jeremy Scahill talk about Blackwater USA.
I kept seeing the clip of Erik Prince talking to the media repeating
the definition of a mercenary is a professional soldier that works in the pay of a foreign army
But, the actual definition is (emphasis mine):
one that serves merely for wages; especially : a soldier hired into foreign service
And, then therein lies my brain taking off as more information is shared by Mr. Scahill. Here you have a company claiming to be
an American company working for America to support U.S. policy
An American working for America to support the suppression of anyone in Iraq who opposes Blackwater's definition of law and order. You may wonder why I struck out "in Iraq." Well, keep watching the Journal and you'll see how Blackwater sent soldiers into New Orleans long before anyone asked them for help and well before FEMA even showed up.
So, what does a young klansman, neo-nazi or skin-head do when opportunity arises? Like anyone else, they jump on it. And, there's plenty of opportunities with:
So, is it hard to imagine that the reason we're not hearing of issues with these three groups in the United States is because they're busy "target shooting" in a place where there is no accountability a/o prosecution for killing someone you don't like?
And, what do you do with a company - like Blackwater USA - that has a professional army and a huge arsenal if/when they don't like the way things are going down here at home?
And then, what do you do if said private army is manned with armed racists full of hatred?
p.s.: I don't know much about the "Klan" today. But, I did grow up in northwest Baltimore County, Maryland - not far from the KKK and their rallies. And, if you don't believe me, here are two fliers they handed to my friends, on separate weekends, trying to draw attendees and new members:
(click on either picture for a larger vew) | | |