OPINION: KKK has no place in our town

Yesterday, I returned to my car in the park & ride lot in Front Royal to find a flyer inviting me to join the Klu Klux Klan. It was quite a shock and an ugly reminder of the thousands of black Americans they lynched over the past almost 100 years.

I hope everyone understands why the KKK has no place in our town, and knows about their long history of violence targeting primarily black Americans, but also Jews, immigrants, gays and lesbians and, until recently, Catholics. They are the definition of a radical hate group.

What I found particularly disturbing was the language they used on their flyer. It sounded a lot like the language a religious cult or a street gang would use, offering solidarity and saying “You will not be alone anymore.” It also vilifies the Black Lives Matter movement, which is a non-violent social justice movement. The flyer also claims that the KKK can keep members’ identities secret. If they are not a hate group, as they claim, why do they need to hide? They most certainly are not a Christian organization. The fact that they are trying to appeal to members of our community who may be isolated, resentful, and weak is appalling and cowardly.

Front Royal, as a community, must come together to fight back against any infiltration by the KKK. Through peaceful resistance and the example of our solidarity across differences of race, class, sexual orientation, culture, and other categories, we show what kind of town we are — one whose diversity makes it strong.

Heather Davis