Violence at Ku Klux Klan rally must be punished

The reasoning of the masterminds behind the sticker campaign, while semi-understandable, could not be more misguided. After all, the "victims" of last year's uprising are members of one of the largest and most powerful white supremacy organizations in the country. Should we really be punishing people for assaulting a bunch of social parasites?

Nick Woomer Back to the Woom

Yes. The pretrial hearing for the nine resumes tomorrow and prosecutors must not back down to pressure from the protesters who will evidently be making a scene outside of the courthouse during the proceedings. If any of the nine are found guilty under the law for their alleged offenses, they should be punished just as harshly as any other person convicted under similar circumstances.

As possibly the most progressive and diverse city in the state, Ann Arbor is probably the worst place for a white supremacist group to whip up support for an ignorant, hate-filled agenda. It ought to come as no surprise that the KKK comes to Ann Arbor because they are ensured a strong (if not violent) reaction. Any of the rioters at last year's march can give themselves a pat on the back. Their actions and the resulting media attention no doubt led to not only to increased visibility all over the country for a hate group, but also resulted in giving the KKK and invaluable piece of propaganda that they can use to solicit funds and recruit new members long into the future. Let's hear it for the rioters folks.

Sympathizers for those arrested seem to like to talk a lot about the "dangerous, genocidal message" the KKK broadcasted to the citizens of Ann Arbor last year. They seem to have forgotten that a message can only be dangerous if it is preached to the right audience. Judging from the social and political landscape of this city, not to mention the reaction of its residents to the rally, I find it very difficult to believe that the KKK's rhetoric was received with any measure of enthusiasm. By acting out and creating a spectacular news event however, the rioters essentially did the KKK's work for them and brought their message to many more people than a simple rally ever could have.

Absent these sorts of practical considerations, there is also the radical notion that there is something inherently contemptible about unnecessary violence against all people, no matter how repugnant their beliefs may be. Instead of heading out to defend a group of people who are accused of actions that surely lead to one of the most successful KKK rallies in the history of the state, bored Ann Arborites might want to do themselves a favor and imagine a scenario where the KKK comes to our fair city for a rally only to find no protesters, no shouting or chanting and no flying projectiles. What then? Not much, just an ineffectual KKK rally.

- Nick Woomer can be reached over e-mail at nwoomer@umich..edu

05-17-99