\C2<continued..>\LF
\F1\C1The new klan wasn't very different from the old in their use of methods, but
they now enlargened their racism to include jews, who they meant would take
over the business; Catholics, who they thought would gain control over the
politics, and in addition also immigrants and communists.
\LF\LF
The number of people who were member of, or supported, Ku Klux Klan continued
to increase, and in 1921 700.000 people were klan-members. Every member had
to buy a hood and pay a subscription, which resulted in a nice surplus for the
klan's leaders. In fact, it was maintained that the total income from 1915 to
1921 was more than 8 million dollars!
\LF\LF\LF
\F4\BF\C2ON THE TOP
\LF\LF
\NM\F1\C1Ku Klux Klan's power reached a climax in the period from 1921 to 1925. The
klan had now big sections in every state of USA and the number of members was
with certainty over 5 million. The klan themselves speaks about\C3\F3\BF 9 million
members and an income of 25 million dollars!\C1\F1\NM
\LF\LF
Most members were of low education, but also politicans and lawyers became
members if they saw an advantage in it. The klan's many members gave it power
in the community. When, for example, a judge should be elected, the klan
could promise him the necessary amount of votes, if he in return followed
KKK's wishes in the future.
\LF
Ku Klux Klan's weapons were secrecy, terror, violence and fear. An average of
100 hangings per year were presumably organised by the klan. Hiding behind
the white hoods and giving themselves alibies, they were seldom convicted.
\LF\LF
The "happy days" came to a end, though. In the 1930s the number of members
shrunk to approximately 30.000. The reason for this drawback was the
increasing disagreements within the klan about money and power. Several
klan-members broke the promise of secrecy and testified against previous
friends, and several members were convicted.
\CL
\F4\BF\C2KKK'S SECOND COMEBACK
\LF\LF
\NM\F1\C1The klan's second big comeback came around 1960, when negroes started to
demand equal rights for negroes and whites. They, for example, demanded to
eat at the same place as white-people and wanted to send their children to
"white"-schools. These were of course reasonable demands, but several whites
were against them.
\LF\LF
A man with the name Robert M. Shelton gathered the scattered sections and
formed America's united klans, "The Knights of Ku Klux Klan". The purpose was
still the same, but in contrast with the leaders in the 20s (who thought more
about money) Shelton really meant what he said. In the following years the
klan would have several bloody collisions with the civil-rights movement.
\LF\LF\LF
\F4\BF\C2FIGHTING AGAINST RACISM
\LF\LF
\NM\F1\C1Since the slaves were set free, several organisations have been founded to
help the colored-people. The eldest is \C3\F3\BFNAACP\C1\F1\NM, National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People, which was founded in 1909. Most known is
probably Martin Luther King, who in the beginning of the 1960s organised
several non-violently actions against segragation of colored people.
\LF\LF
In the trace of Martin Luther King more violent groups like \C3\F3\BF"Black
Power"\C1\F1\NM and
\C3\F3\BF"Black Panthers"\C1\F1\NM arised. They used violence to achieve results and fought
against, among others, Ku Klux Klan.
\LF\LF\LF
\F4\BF\C2DECLINE
\LF\LF
\NM\F1\C1An investigation, carried out in the 80s shows that the three largest
klan-organisations have around 6.500 active members, and that only a few
hundred follows their meeting and parades. Ku Klux Klan is on the decline....
\LF\LF
The reason for this is that they seem to have problems in turning the
development which NAACP, Martin Luther King and others started in the 1960s.
Their attempts on influencing the law-alterations have failed. Lawsuits
against the klan has weakened it. In additon has several former klan-members
joined other groups, which haven't (yet) received bad publicity, but where
their views find foundation.
\LF\LF\LF
\F4\BF\C2KU KLUX KLAN IS NOT DEAD
\LF\LF
\NM\F1\C1On 18th of July 1988, one were given proof that the klan still exist, when 200
klan-menbers demonstrated under a election-meeting with civil-rights advocate
Jesse Jackson.
\LF\LF
History shows that Ku Klux Klan several times has arised from ashes, just when
everybody thought it was dead. Therefore we mustn't exclude or forget this
deadly organisation, but follow every step it takes in the future. 
\XX