A Secret Discovered

I remember a story my Mother used to tell, of a time long ago, well, maybe it has`nt been all that long ago.



When my Mother was a little girl, around the age of seven which would have been in the year 1932 her Father was involved in unsavory activities. Of course, no one was suppose to know about those activities as they were kept very secret, untill my Mother came along that is.



My Grandfather had this old box, it`s contents were a secret, and was never intended for young eyes or any eyes for that matter. But, my Mother was a hmmmm........a brat, to put it mildly. And the word NO, never did sit right with her.



One night, my Mother, her Sisters, and Cousins were playing. My Mom, knowing she was not to get into her Fathers things, got into them anyway. She was alone when she found this big white outfit, that looked like a sheet, with a funny pointed hat.



She decided to put it on and scare her Sisters and Cousins. She came running at them, the white sheet trailing behind her. They ran screaming into the house. Well, My Grandfathers unsavory past was no longer a secret, it was out now.


My Family lived in a small farming community, My Grandfather was a farmer. Back then, you`d be hard pressed to find a black person living anywhere in that area, so who do you suppose they were KKKing about? The Catholics, who else could they bother?


When i was growing up there, i was always aware of the tension between Lutherans and Catholics, always. I don`t remember having any Catholic friends back then, I don`t remember ever being in the Catholic Church there.


Holy Hannah, then my Sister married a......a Catholic! That was just not done in my family. There was alot of arguments with the future Son In Law, but my Sister had made up Her mind, and she was married, in the Catholic Church! I can only imagine my parents uncomfortableness of the situation back then, oiy vey! I just remember Me crying, i`m not sure it was because My sister was leaving us, or because she had married a Catholic. lol My sister is 9 years older than i am, so i was young and impressionalble back then, although, i too married.............yes, you guessed, a Catholic! Me and My Sister, total rebels.


Anyway, back to the KKK. I don`t know if my Grandfather burned any crosses in any Catholics yards , or hung them in a tree, or gunned them down on the streets, that is something My Mother never found out, but i would guess to say, no they did`nt. Well, maybe a cross or two,


The reason i thought of this story tonight , is because, even though i know i should`nt, i was doing some reading on the internet. The McCain/Palin town Hall Lynchings, oops, i mean meetings reminded me of that white KKK outfit my Mother found all those years ago. I imagine at my Grandfathers meetings, speakers fired up their followers much in the same way McCain and Palin are doing today, Screams of " terrorist", "traitor", and "kill him" coming from their followers. Sad and Frightening how low the Republicans have stooped, I am embarrased for them.



1932 does`nt seem so long ago anymore.