Rasp
Senior Editor
KKK growing in the Carolinas [Excellent video at link]
KKK growing in the Carolinas, with a new target
Burning crosses. Lynchings. Hate speech. The notorious signatures of the Ku Klux Klan.
Is its infamy long forgotten? Ancient history? No.
If you think the KKK is part of our past, it’s not. The Klan is growing and growing fast. And one of the largest KKK chapters is based right here in our backyard.
Watch part two of Anna Crowley's report about the KKK in the Carolinas Wednesday night at 11 p.m.
The KKK is on the rise again. Crosses alight again with fire as Klan members answer a new rallying cry -- illegal immig
ration.
We tracked down Klan leaders to ask them about it.
Imperial Wizard Virgil Griffin is old, frail even, but surrounded by body guards, including one clad in what looks like a Boy Scout outfit: a pressed white shirt, black tie, and black beret, with his shirt covered with patches, pins and other KKK paraphernalia.
Griffin took off his portable oxygen cables to answer my question. His voice was faint. At times it seemed like he was struggling to get air.
“All these illegals that have been here taking all from America but putting nothing back in. They come here paying no tax, they are getting Medicaid and Medicare and draining the system,"� Griffin said.
Griffin says people are so angry about illegal immigration, they are joining the Klan.
“We’ve seen an increase on account of illegal immigration,"� Griffin explained. He added that the government isn’t doing anything about it. That’s why, he says, folks are turning to
the Klan.
Face-to-face, one-on-one, I asked him, “How many people are you hearing from?"�
“Probably a dozen a week,"� Griffin said. But he refused to give us access to applications or roster lists to judge for ourselves.
He also refused to let us attend a rally, though he did give us amateur video of their most recent rally. It took place just this April 28 in Blacksburg, S.C. Klan members from Charlotte made the hour-long drive to attend the rally.
When we asked Griffin and his second in command, Donnie Fincher, what should be done, Fincher’s answer took the conversation in a completely unexpected direction.
“Dig the hole, shoot ”˜em, and bury ”˜em!"� Fincher said. He is talking about what the KKK thinks should happen at the Mexican border.
Virgil Griffin echoed those sentiments, “Well if it’s necessary to shoot one to stop them, yes!"�
I asked him, “So you think that if they are coming across the border, they should be shot?"�
“Shoot in front of them! And let them turn around. And if they keep coming, shoot one and let them know we are sealing our borders,"� Griffin said.
“But isn’t that the death penalty?"� I asked, “for breaking the law of coming across the border without papers?"�
“Well, call it anything you want,"� Griffin said, “but we need to seal our borders."�
Fincher explained, “If they can’t be stopped from coming across the borders and the government doesn’t want to stop them, that’s exactly what should be done."�
The Southern Poverty Law Center has filed suit against two Klan members for targeting someone who they thought was an illegal immigrant.
The FBI in Charlotte said they are receiving the same intelligence as well.
We asked the FBI about the Klan’s statements about border control. We sat down with Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Kenneth Moore.
“That’s a very sad statement, for anyone to make,"� Moore said, referring to
the threats of violence at the border. “The potential is always there that somebody will be emboldened by the rhetoric, by the atmosphere that is created by these groups, and acted upon. And take it upon themselves to act."�
Moore spent a good portion of his career studying hate groups. He’s not unfamiliar with the Klan, their past, or their present.
“The Klan is just using this as another opportunity to increase its membership by again painting an us-against-them picture. THEY are taking the jobs that WE’RE supposed to have,"� he explained.
And he’s right about that. The Klan spent much of the interviews talking about how immigrants were “undercutting"� whites’ job opportunities. In fact, Donnie Fincher’s son Edward, who is a Griffin Knight and body guard, talked to me extensively about the time he was turned down for a crematorium job because as he was told, an illegal immigrant was offered the job for less money.
I asked Edward why he didn’t look for wo
rk elsewhere. Why not apply for the same job in other cities? He told me that he shouldn’t have to leave his hometown because of an illegal immigrant getting his job. Edward said he did not have any other choices.
It was an idea I challenged, even using my own journalism career as an example. In order to be hired, reporters have to move, sometimes as often as every two years. That’s what choosing this career dictates. I asked Edward about that, but he said he shouldn’t have to move and that there are only a few positions for his level of training available. Edward’s father tried to explain.
“They are undercutting a lot of people’s jobs. One person’s paying $10 an hour, they’ll come over and accept a job for $5. We can’t just keep handing out money and money to every illegal immigrant that comes across the border. We’re going to be broke in Social Security in a matter of no time,"� Donnie Fincher said.
The FBI says words are one thing, action is another.
“
It is not a violation of statute or law to be a member of a white supremacist group or hate group. We all have the same rights and the FBI is responsible for protecting everyone, not just those that we agree with,"� Moore said.
But back, for a moment, to those threats of violence.
I asked Griffin point blank, is this leading to a violent showdown? His answer, “Someday it will."�
Will that be an attack mounted by the Klan?
“Well, I am not going to say that. I am not going to answer that because I do not know,"� Griffin said.
I asked, “But you are not ruling it out. You are not saying ”˜no’?"�
Griffin’s answer: “No, I’m not ruling it out."�
“We should definitely take it seriously and the general public should be very aware,"� said Moore of the FBI. “And in fact, if actions of that nature are taken, you can be assured that the FBI will a mount a very aggressive and vigorous investigation."�
So, should the Hispanic community
be on notice that they are on the Klan’s agenda?
“I don’t think the Hispanic population should feel threatened, however they should be aware that this type of rhetoric is out there, and I am quite sure through my contacts in the local Hispanic community that they are very much aware that the Klan and other groups are using this type of rhetoric,"� said Moore.
We sat down with a man who knows a lot about immigration. He is David Stewart of the International House. He is an immigration attorney and advocate.
“I do worry when the public rhetoric starts to heat up -- that’s when I think there is a responsibility for people who can understand where that can go and how that can get dangerous,"� Stewart said. “That’s the time to stand up and be counted."�
He went on to explain that thoughtful immigration reform is needed, but violent rhetoric is not.
“Maybe some of these migrant workers shouldn’t be here. Maybe we should try to find ways to address it and
uphold the rule of law in important ways because that is getting eroded by this phenomenon of migration. But at the same time, I really feel like I need to have the courage to speak up on behalf of the dignity of each person who is here regardless of their legal status,"� Stewart said.
Our conversation lasted for more than an hour and a half. He works with illegal immigrants who are trying to stay in this country. Stewart says most of them are there because their home economies are in such crisis that they cannot support their families or give them the same opportunity their kids can get here.
Stewart said when he counsels them, he does mention that to be in compliance with the law, they should go home. But, he says, some people have told him that would be like dying and accepting a life where their children have no future. Stewart made it clear that the thought of a violent response to the immigration issue is absolutely repulsive and absurd.
“I don’t want to get involved in a d
ebate where instead of arguing for or against immigration reform and how that reform should take shape, that I am sitting here arguing ”˜Well, killing people in cold blood is wrong’. I mean, I think we can all agree on that if we are civilized. I think we should all agree that kind of rhetoric should just be put on the sidelines of the public debate and should not be condoned or sanctioned,"� he said.
The FBI said they have not yet seen an increase in violence from the Klan against immigrants. So is this far-fetched? Is it just talk?
Not according to a lawsuit filed by the Southern Poverty Law Center in Kentucky, where two men are in jail for a brutal beating of a 16-year-old boy. His name is Jordan Gruver. He suffered a broken jaw, leg and ribs.
The suit alleges that the two attackers are known Klan members and they beat the boy because they believed him to be an illegal alien. As it turns out, the boy is an American citizen of Panamanian descent. The two men were found guilty and
sentenced. ( Click here to read the victim's attorney's letter to the parole board about the attackers.)
We asked Griffin about the case. He said he does not condone that attack. I asked him, “What is the difference between this severe beating of a young man who someone thought was Latino and shooting someone at the border? What’s the difference?"�
“If he’s coming in here illegal to destroy our right and our children and grandchildren’s right, we have a right to stand up against him,"� Griffin said.
The interviews lasted for hours. Often Griffin and Fincher contradicted themselves, saying the immigrants are taking our jobs, then saying they don’t work and take advantage of Social Security. They talked about “white America"� and returning the country to the “white America"� that founded the country. When I asked about the Native Americans being here first, they dismissed that as hearsay.
As for recruiting, the Klan says they are leaving applications in a v
ariety of public places like truck stops and shopping malls. They also tell us they hand out fliers at big public events like races and other sporting events.
“We are not the nice, serene, beautiful state that every one thinks we are,"� Fincher said.
Moore said The Southern Poverty Law center has documented 803 hate groups spread through out the United States, a large number of them in the Southern parts of the United States.
“Within that number, 35 hate groups have been identified in state of North Carolina,"� Moore said. He reiterated several times that if the Klan makes a violent move, the FBI stands ready to respond.
KKK growing in the Carolinas, with a new target
Burning crosses. Lynchings. Hate speech. The notorious signatures of the Ku Klux Klan.
Is its infamy long forgotten? Ancient history? No.
If you think the KKK is part of our past, it’s not. The Klan is growing and growing fast. And one of the largest KKK chapters is based right here in our backyard.
Watch part two of Anna Crowley's report about the KKK in the Carolinas Wednesday night at 11 p.m.
The KKK is on the rise again. Crosses alight again with fire as Klan members answer a new rallying cry -- illegal immig
ration.
We tracked down Klan leaders to ask them about it.
Imperial Wizard Virgil Griffin is old, frail even, but surrounded by body guards, including one clad in what looks like a Boy Scout outfit: a pressed white shirt, black tie, and black beret, with his shirt covered with patches, pins and other KKK paraphernalia.
Griffin took off his portable oxygen cables to answer my question. His voice was faint. At times it seemed like he was struggling to get air.
“All these illegals that have been here taking all from America but putting nothing back in. They come here paying no tax, they are getting Medicaid and Medicare and draining the system,"� Griffin said.
Griffin says people are so angry about illegal immigration, they are joining the Klan.
“We’ve seen an increase on account of illegal immigration,"� Griffin explained. He added that the government isn’t doing anything about it. That’s why, he says, folks are turning to
the Klan.
Face-to-face, one-on-one, I asked him, “How many people are you hearing from?"�
“Probably a dozen a week,"� Griffin said. But he refused to give us access to applications or roster lists to judge for ourselves.
He also refused to let us attend a rally, though he did give us amateur video of their most recent rally. It took place just this April 28 in Blacksburg, S.C. Klan members from Charlotte made the hour-long drive to attend the rally.
When we asked Griffin and his second in command, Donnie Fincher, what should be done, Fincher’s answer took the conversation in a completely unexpected direction.
“Dig the hole, shoot ”˜em, and bury ”˜em!"� Fincher said. He is talking about what the KKK thinks should happen at the Mexican border.
Virgil Griffin echoed those sentiments, “Well if it’s necessary to shoot one to stop them, yes!"�
I asked him, “So you think that if they are coming across the border, they should be shot?"�
“Shoot in front of them! And let them turn around. And if they keep coming, shoot one and let them know we are sealing our borders,"� Griffin said.
“But isn’t that the death penalty?"� I asked, “for breaking the law of coming across the border without papers?"�
“Well, call it anything you want,"� Griffin said, “but we need to seal our borders."�
Fincher explained, “If they can’t be stopped from coming across the borders and the government doesn’t want to stop them, that’s exactly what should be done."�
The Southern Poverty Law Center has filed suit against two Klan members for targeting someone who they thought was an illegal immigrant.
The FBI in Charlotte said they are receiving the same intelligence as well.
We asked the FBI about the Klan’s statements about border control. We sat down with Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Kenneth Moore.
“That’s a very sad statement, for anyone to make,"� Moore said, referring to
the threats of violence at the border. “The potential is always there that somebody will be emboldened by the rhetoric, by the atmosphere that is created by these groups, and acted upon. And take it upon themselves to act."�
Moore spent a good portion of his career studying hate groups. He’s not unfamiliar with the Klan, their past, or their present.
“The Klan is just using this as another opportunity to increase its membership by again painting an us-against-them picture. THEY are taking the jobs that WE’RE supposed to have,"� he explained.
And he’s right about that. The Klan spent much of the interviews talking about how immigrants were “undercutting"� whites’ job opportunities. In fact, Donnie Fincher’s son Edward, who is a Griffin Knight and body guard, talked to me extensively about the time he was turned down for a crematorium job because as he was told, an illegal immigrant was offered the job for less money.
I asked Edward why he didn’t look for wo
rk elsewhere. Why not apply for the same job in other cities? He told me that he shouldn’t have to leave his hometown because of an illegal immigrant getting his job. Edward said he did not have any other choices.
It was an idea I challenged, even using my own journalism career as an example. In order to be hired, reporters have to move, sometimes as often as every two years. That’s what choosing this career dictates. I asked Edward about that, but he said he shouldn’t have to move and that there are only a few positions for his level of training available. Edward’s father tried to explain.
“They are undercutting a lot of people’s jobs. One person’s paying $10 an hour, they’ll come over and accept a job for $5. We can’t just keep handing out money and money to every illegal immigrant that comes across the border. We’re going to be broke in Social Security in a matter of no time,"� Donnie Fincher said.
The FBI says words are one thing, action is another.
“
It is not a violation of statute or law to be a member of a white supremacist group or hate group. We all have the same rights and the FBI is responsible for protecting everyone, not just those that we agree with,"� Moore said.
But back, for a moment, to those threats of violence.
I asked Griffin point blank, is this leading to a violent showdown? His answer, “Someday it will."�
Will that be an attack mounted by the Klan?
“Well, I am not going to say that. I am not going to answer that because I do not know,"� Griffin said.
I asked, “But you are not ruling it out. You are not saying ”˜no’?"�
Griffin’s answer: “No, I’m not ruling it out."�
“We should definitely take it seriously and the general public should be very aware,"� said Moore of the FBI. “And in fact, if actions of that nature are taken, you can be assured that the FBI will a mount a very aggressive and vigorous investigation."�
So, should the Hispanic community
be on notice that they are on the Klan’s agenda?
“I don’t think the Hispanic population should feel threatened, however they should be aware that this type of rhetoric is out there, and I am quite sure through my contacts in the local Hispanic community that they are very much aware that the Klan and other groups are using this type of rhetoric,"� said Moore.
We sat down with a man who knows a lot about immigration. He is David Stewart of the International House. He is an immigration attorney and advocate.
“I do worry when the public rhetoric starts to heat up -- that’s when I think there is a responsibility for people who can understand where that can go and how that can get dangerous,"� Stewart said. “That’s the time to stand up and be counted."�
He went on to explain that thoughtful immigration reform is needed, but violent rhetoric is not.
“Maybe some of these migrant workers shouldn’t be here. Maybe we should try to find ways to address it and
uphold the rule of law in important ways because that is getting eroded by this phenomenon of migration. But at the same time, I really feel like I need to have the courage to speak up on behalf of the dignity of each person who is here regardless of their legal status,"� Stewart said.
Our conversation lasted for more than an hour and a half. He works with illegal immigrants who are trying to stay in this country. Stewart says most of them are there because their home economies are in such crisis that they cannot support their families or give them the same opportunity their kids can get here.
Stewart said when he counsels them, he does mention that to be in compliance with the law, they should go home. But, he says, some people have told him that would be like dying and accepting a life where their children have no future. Stewart made it clear that the thought of a violent response to the immigration issue is absolutely repulsive and absurd.
“I don’t want to get involved in a d
ebate where instead of arguing for or against immigration reform and how that reform should take shape, that I am sitting here arguing ”˜Well, killing people in cold blood is wrong’. I mean, I think we can all agree on that if we are civilized. I think we should all agree that kind of rhetoric should just be put on the sidelines of the public debate and should not be condoned or sanctioned,"� he said.
The FBI said they have not yet seen an increase in violence from the Klan against immigrants. So is this far-fetched? Is it just talk?
Not according to a lawsuit filed by the Southern Poverty Law Center in Kentucky, where two men are in jail for a brutal beating of a 16-year-old boy. His name is Jordan Gruver. He suffered a broken jaw, leg and ribs.
The suit alleges that the two attackers are known Klan members and they beat the boy because they believed him to be an illegal alien. As it turns out, the boy is an American citizen of Panamanian descent. The two men were found guilty and
sentenced. ( Click here to read the victim's attorney's letter to the parole board about the attackers.)
We asked Griffin about the case. He said he does not condone that attack. I asked him, “What is the difference between this severe beating of a young man who someone thought was Latino and shooting someone at the border? What’s the difference?"�
“If he’s coming in here illegal to destroy our right and our children and grandchildren’s right, we have a right to stand up against him,"� Griffin said.
The interviews lasted for hours. Often Griffin and Fincher contradicted themselves, saying the immigrants are taking our jobs, then saying they don’t work and take advantage of Social Security. They talked about “white America"� and returning the country to the “white America"� that founded the country. When I asked about the Native Americans being here first, they dismissed that as hearsay.
As for recruiting, the Klan says they are leaving applications in a v
ariety of public places like truck stops and shopping malls. They also tell us they hand out fliers at big public events like races and other sporting events.
“We are not the nice, serene, beautiful state that every one thinks we are,"� Fincher said.
Moore said The Southern Poverty Law center has documented 803 hate groups spread through out the United States, a large number of them in the Southern parts of the United States.
“Within that number, 35 hate groups have been identified in state of North Carolina,"� Moore said. He reiterated several times that if the Klan makes a violent move, the FBI stands ready to respond.