Ku Klux Klan

The Ku Klux Klan? I wonder how seriously they are taken in the 21st Century in the United States? Tuesday I attended a funeral. Several ministers were involved. I met and visited with each of them. One fellow was from up in Arkansas, and when he named the specific “city” he was from, he added that this little town was a “planned community.” He said the people of the county were a very closed group; outsiders were not welcome, nor were they accepted. However, that part of Arkansas is attracting large numbers of “outsiders,” who are not even being accepted in, of all places, their churches. The newcomers like their good jobs, and love the scenic countryside. They did not want to leave. Someone made the suggestion, so they got busy and built a town specifically for outsiders and the unacceptable. They built their own churches. This fellow at the funeral, the one who told this story, is pastor of one of those churches. When I commented that I was surprised at the situation–major commercial activity nearby, economic development, a large influx of people being completely shut out by the natives–he added another element. Then I understood the situation. The county seat is the national headquarters of the Ku Klux Klan. He said there are only eight African-Americans in the county. Wondering about the new “city,” the one built for the locally unacceptable, I asked if any of those African-Americans were members of his church. I expected a negative answer. To my surprise, he said, “Yes, one is a member of our church.” ____________ This world we live in constantly confronts us with the unexpected. Who would expect to find a black person active in a white church in a place such as I have described? In this adventure we call life, we had best be hesitant to name anything impossible. Unlikely? Yes. Impossible? Who knows? Some of us are intent on establishing absolutes, establishing order, and doing all we can to bring everything under our control. Completely under. I know a couple who retired after having spent their unreconstructed racist life in Louisiana. They were raised in a culture of unchallenged racism. They were strong participants in that culture. I wonder why, when they retired, they left their home state and moved to Arkansas. Was it because of the natural beauty? That might be enough for me. Was it because he had a lifelong dream of becoming a country music star, and wanted to be within driving distance of Branson? As a teenager and young adult, he had sung on local radio. He had developed an outstanding voice and distinctive style. And is good-looking. They moved to the hometown of the KKK. There are other locations nearer Branson. Much of Arkansas is blessed with natural beauty. I suspect they have found themselves accepted in the town, the county, and the local church. I have another wonderment. I visited with a fellow, from Arkansas, a friend of this preacher, this preacher whose church accepts all races. This friend lives in the same region as this exclusive county with its inclusive “city” and church. As I visited with the friend, it came up that he (the friend) is a big fan of Rush Limbaugh. I wonder if, among the fans of Rush, you would find many members of the KKK? That may not be a fair question, and I am a person who tries to be fair. Still I wonder. It’s just a thought that, from somewhere, came to me.