Balancing Rights: the KKK and the Law (From The Ku Klux Klan: A History of Racism and Violence, 3rd ed., P 33, 1988, Sara Bullard, ed. -- See NCJ-115429)

• NCJ Number: 115431
• Date Published: 1988
• Length: 1 page
• Corporate Author: Southern Poverty Law Ctr
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Issue Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

State and local governments have enacted legislation and ordinances to prevent violence which, at the same time, do not interfere with the constitutional rights of free speech and assembly of Ku Klux Klan members.

Abstract

To date, 17 States have enacted laws prohibiting paramilitary training and activities carried out by individuals other than law enforcement officers. Weapons training has also been forbidden if the training was to be used to cause civil disorder. Other State and local legislative efforts to prevent Klan violence include penalties for offenses committed because of racial or religious bias and damages to religious property, requirements that law enforcement agencies collect information on bias crimes, and prohibitions against carrying weapons of any kind at parades or marches. State and national legislation have been proposed to document bias crimes and to collect national data on hate crimes.