Controversial topic today = The Ku Klux Klan

Due to ignorance, and mob mentality, I can completely understand how the Ku Klux Klan was started and grew so large.

I personally try not to be a racist.

I try to get to know people for people’s sake and don’t want to judge a book by it’s cover.

But going back several years, the world was a different place. One simple generation ago, it was not acceptable to be friends with someone outside your race. You could not even be seen talking to someone of a different race, unless it was in a service situation. People of different colours were not welcome on buses, and in schools where white people were. Even those of different religions were ostracized – different sexes were excluded from doing each other’s roles. Men had manly jobs and females had womanly jobs. The poor didn’t socialize with the rich and the world was a completely different place.

The Ku Klux Klan was able to grow and continues to have members due to a lack of knowledge of each other. They wanted to belong, so they joined their brothers and stood up for what they thought was right. They became a mob and grew to really become something so filled with hate. These people were our neighbours and our coworkers and people that some would call friendly. What made them so different? Ignorance.

I am a white female, born from white parents. But as a female, I have faced prejudice from certain activities that I could’ve excelled at. Certain sports were deemed inappropriate for my sex. And although I could skate circles around most of the boys in my power skating class – they looked at me as too feminine to be a real challenge on the ice. They would tease and taunt and insult me because I was a girl. When in reality, I was a human being. But I had it easy compared to most.

I look at how far our world has come, and I see wonderful human beings from all walks of life and it makes me so proud. Your skin colour doesn’t really matter anymore. You aren’t judged by your religion and you aren’t looked down apon for who you talk to and what your interests are… much. I had to add much because we are not a perfect society. But we are working to learn about each other, and to get past the ignorance and the intollerance that once ruled our world.

I thank god that I was not around in an area or a time when the Ku Klux Klan were king.