http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/11/12/klan.sued/index.html

Officers in the Ku Klux Klan are facing a $6 million lawsuit from the Hispanic victim of a beating from Klan members at a Kentucky fairgrounds.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/11/14/klan.sued.verdict/index.html

An all white jury in Meade County, Kentucky gave Jordan Gruver $2.5 million in damages for the beating he received from Ku Klux Klan members, who apparently targeted him because he is of Hispanic descent.

A few months ago, I came upon a creepy, yet fascinating, documentary about the KKK on The History Channel (always good TV, it's addicting!).

One of the key points of the documentary's conclusion is that since the KKK's inception, they have somehow found a way to survive. Through all the trials and efforts by various legal avenues - including President Johnson (LBJ) - they have somehow managed to rise like a phoenix from the ashes.

It's sickening and unfortunate.

I guess I don't really have any other point, but the use of the term "ruinous" in the title of this thread made me think of that.

NoMN- I used the term as a reference to the strategy used by the SPLC, in which they've had some success by getting large financial judgements against hate groups and gone after group assets and presumably the personal assets of their leadership. While it certainly doesn't address the philosophy underlying the groups, it makes it pretty hard for them to operate openly when they know they'll be personally financially devastated for actions committed in their name.

Clearly not an end-all strategy, but probably more effective in the long run than a strictly law enforcement approach that forces authorites to wait for the hate groups to do something and then scour the earth for someone willing to risk their lives and testify against them.

I'm not taking issue with you for using the word. I'm just lamenting that throughout history and the various tactics for trying to eradicate the Klan, they have somehow managed to find a way to keep going.

Seriously, this documentary was sickening like a train wreck you can't take your eyes off of. They showed a modern-day rally where a baby - a freakin' BABY - was in a tiny Klan robe and was being carried down an aisle of group members by the Grand Douche (or whatever they call the head guy) and he was like, "Look at this pure, white baby."

Ick. It gave me some serious chills down my spine.

Organized hate gets a big "boo" from me.