Man wears KKK hood to grocery store

Something struck me when reading the article (which worked fine for me?)... this statement by Dianne Jacobs:

“This blatant racism has no place in Santee or any part of San Diego County. It is not who we are. It is not what we stand for and can’t be tolerated.”

Yeah, can't have any of that toleratin' going on there, can we? Anyone who doesn't do and think what we want needs to go away.

*sigh*

The right to free speech (free expression) is not limited to expression that is agreed with. Sorry for those offended, but it's just not. Now, let me say before the accusations start flying that I have no truck with the KKK. I grew up in an area where it was still active; I have been invited to join, not just once, but twice. Personal invitations. My response was the same both times:

"I don' need no help hatin' folk. Y'all wanna join me?"

They didn't.

If I see someone wearing a KKK hood, I'm just gonna avoid them. If I see them beating up on someone, I might step in... but I didn't see where this guy beat on anyone. He wore a mask. Period. I didn't see where he even said anything out of order. So yeah, it is his right to wear a KKK mask. It is my right to ignore him, or even to assume he's an idiot.

It is also the store's right to ask him to remove it... or to refuse service to him completely.

It is not the County Supervisor's right, acting as a representative of the county (aka "government"), to tell the guy he can't wear a mask. That is a direct violation of his freedom of expression. You simply can't have it both ways: either freedom of expression can be infringed upon by the government or it cannot. If someone can be targeted legally for wearing a KKK mask, someone else can be targeted for wearing one of those silly vagina hats, a MAGA hat, a T-shirt, or just saying out loud that they don't like a law. That's a scary place if one thinks about it... write your representative about an issue, and be tossed in jail or fined for doing so.

Oh, while I am here, the question was raised in the OP about could anyone say something good about the KKK. I can. Not since the War of Northern Aggression; things went a little awry about that time and it was taken over by some seriously racist folks with a lot of anger burning in them. Been all bad since then. But the KKK existed well before that war, and they were originally started to stand up for the poor and downtrodden against TPTB. Yep, it's true.

Back then the South was pretty much an oligarchy. A few wealthy plantation owners ran everything, and when I say everything, I mean everything. That included the law and the politicians. It was common for anyone who opposed the wrong guy to wake up underneath the dirt one morning, or at least to find themselves in the middle of a beatdown. Certain people were above the law and could get away with anything legally; the law wouldn't bother with them because they were friends with some wealthy plantation owner. The average people did not have much say in politics and few actual rights... they were left alone to scratch out a living as long as they didn't make any waves.

So here's how it worked: the KKK was a vigilante group. If someone was beating their wife or kids, or if someone was letting their family go hungry while they boozed all their money away, someone in the KKK would find out. No one in the general population knew who was and was not a KKK member; that was reserved for only members to know. The first sign that you caught the eye of the KKK was that you would wake up one night to a large wooden cross blazing away in front of your house. That was the warning... beatings almost never took place under a burning cross. The flames attracted attention and the KKK did not want too much attention. They would raise the cross, light it, and run.

If someone ignored the warning, the next step didn't involve a cross. It involved finding oneself surrounded by a group of white-clad men who had this sudden desire to use their fists to test the structural integrity of the target's jaw. Death from this first beating was rare; serious injury, not so much. If the beating was ignored, there would be a worse beating... and a worse beating... eventually the target would just get beaten to death.

The reason for the hoods was specifically to hide their identity. These groups were able to go after high-placed targets like corrupt cops, and even politicians. If someone was found to be part of the KKK, they risked their own life because a corrupt legal system would be all over them. The only people who were generally safe from the KKK were the wealthiest plantation owners who could afford to hire people to protect them.

That's where it came from. Yeah, I can say a few good things about the KKK back then, just as I can say good things about the Guardian Angels in New York City. Vigilantes, sure, but sometimes that is the only way to get justice. It's too bad the haters took over after the war and turned it into what it became... because what it became was nothing short of an abomination, not just to the original intent, but to all humanity.

I wish they still taught this stuff in schools...

TheRedneck

I served 20 years in the military. I do not like flag burning, KKK, or any hate group for that matter but at the end of the day, as long as they are not hurting anyone physically or financially it is their right. It's a hard concept for many to accept however that being racist or hateful is absolutely not a crime. It is a protected right.

The best thing to do is ignore them. For one, their numbers are very small. Just ignore them. If they take it to another level then the larger numbers will deal with them. Keep focusing on them though makes it worse and actually increases their numbers. It also doesn't help that one political party calls anyone that disagrees with them racist, nazis, KKK when the truth is they are the one keeping black people down. They run those districts and they never improve. They get worse and worse. Why is that if they are in charge and have been in these districts for decades. What is going on in Chicago. Nobody seems to care.

a reply to: American-philosopher

He shouldn't be shopping in public with his identity concealed. It poses a threat to the staff.

That's the best argument I've got.

However when it comes to walking down the street I don't want people to dictate what I can and cannot wear.

a reply to: ketsuko
Yep. Sometimes a brief spark of genius is not followed by basic common sense.

originally posted by: UpIsNowDown

Is the swastikka next to be lauded as something to bring back, how about your opinion on gay marriage or that sikh kid and his sword, you are for so much freedom in this case then why are you against these freedoms?

How about the N word in every song these days....

originally posted by: Stupidsecrets
I served 20 years in the military. I do not like flag burning, KKK, or any hate group for that matter but at the end of the day, as long as they are not hurting anyone physically or financially it is their right. It's a hard concept for many to accept however that being racist or hateful is absolutely not a crime. It is a protected right.

We have things like the crip, blood, M13 etc. gang signs and clothing... At what point do we say this is OK and this is not... Gangs kill about 10,000 people per year and wound 100,000s.

He has every right to wear whatever he wants in public. I think he is an idiot and that is my right.

The store also has the right to refuse service and have him leave if he is wearing it. But in public on the street or sidewalk, he is free to be an idiot.

I have seen an uptick in racists in public with the lockdowns being reported. Some people sporting swastika regalia or whatnot. Like I said I think they are idiots, but I kind of prefer that they are wearing their colors. It makes them easy to avoid.

It could be a lot less than it seems and they are simply being caught on camera now. Either way, I would rather see them identifying themselves clearly like this guy.

originally posted by: American-philosopher

I am wanting to see if anyone can make an argument for why this person should not be allowed to wear this mask.

Okay i will try. But i think i will get verbally shot down.

What this boils down to, is that it is a piece of cloth. But as you already stated, it stands for hate.

In America, citizens have rights and liberties. But i don't think that anyone should have the right to be a d***.

Wear a hello kitty mask or something.

Why is a grocery store kicking him out breaking his constitutional right of freedom of expression? It's sad the KKK is still around.

the simple answer to this - is let him wear his idiot hood in public spaces

refuse the cretin access to all privaste space - simples

the shops are private spaces - as are thier carparks - they [ shop owners // management ] - have the right to refuse entry

citation - the no shirt // no shoes = no entry rules enforced by some private venues

the cockwomble can wander up and down the towns pavements - with no food or services

Despicable POS racist c*nt...

But I support his right to be so...

eta: if I came across him in a dark alley, I may BTF out of him...but still support his right to express his beliefs...

I agree with several of the other posters. As a non white I say... let him wear it. Let the blacks wear the black power fist thing. I also say let the Redskins keep the name. Have at celebrating genoci... erm.. I mean Thanksgiving. Let people do what they will and be judged accordingly. Let the god hates fags folks babble on and all the rest.

a reply to: game over man

blinks

the US consitution does NOT force a PRIVATE venue to " give you a stage " - grocery stores are private venues - you are there at the owners invitation . you dont have rights

its amazing how many peope either dont know this - or pretend not to

originally posted by: Advantage
I agree with several of the other posters. As a non white I say... let him wear it. Let the blacks wear the black power fist thing. I also say let the Redskins keep the name. Have at celebrating genoci... erm.. I mean Thanksgiving. Let people do what they will and be judged accordingly. Let the god hates fags folks babble on and all the rest.

But that is only you, dear Advantage. You give an impression of being a strong person. From between your ears.

Everyone is not like that. KKK hood can offend someone. Make someone scared. In my books, that is seriously NOT cool.

originally posted by: DBCowboy
He should have worn a rainbow KKK hood.

That would have confused the easily outraaged for months!

The Gay-Kay-Kay?

originally posted by: American-philosopher
You have a man wearing a KKK hood at a grocery store ( I am wondering if he is doing this in somehow defiance of the mask/face covering policy?) My question is does this individual have a right to wear this hood/mask?

My opinion as a knee-jerk liberal, and a foreign one at that?
Last I checked, there's no law against arseholery. But he shouldn't feel sad if he is denied entery to the store, or punched in the face by somebody who takes offence. I'm trying to picture the legal process if the puncher got popped for popping the pinhead. Likely pretty entertaining.

a reply to: American-philosopher

My question is does this individual have a right to wear this hood/mask?

Not in Germany or any other somewhat civilized country.

Coronavirus: Man dressed as plague doctor spotted wandering behind BBC News presenter

And people get harassed by police for this type of fearwear already. Go and figure?

a reply to: American-philosopher

If true, and it was my store, i would simply refuse entry nevermind service.

Lockdown or not, hopefully, some group of persecuted minorities come across the muppet in his travels and educate him as to the error of his ways, after all, it's nice to be nice.

originally posted by: MykeNukem
Despicable POS racist c*nt...

But I support his right to be so...

eta: if I came across him in a dark alley, I may BTF out of him...but still support his right to express his beliefs...

Ummm...and I might BTF out of you...if I caught you BTF out of him...in your abject rage to be the superior idiot...

And the circle continue’s it’s jerk...


If you can’t seem to notice the disconnect...then you truly are lost...

And no...before your panties get any more twisted...I’m not a member...of any organization...and the only mask I’m sporting...is a 3M N95...





YouSir

a reply to: American-philosopher

I can't help but laugh at anyone who would take this seriously, like the store manager or mayor, both were probably just fine when the camera wasn't near them. The guy was wearing cargo shorts, clearly he was trying to win the Sarcastic trophy of the day. I guess democrats can't see the joke in it because they immediately try to bury that past and erase their history when they see something like that.

FWIW, the KKK doesn't wear a hood anymore. The media has shown us that.