The Ballroom
There Were Only Eight Klan Members, Not 12
RECEIVED Wed., Nov. 9, 2005
Dear Editor,
By letting four Klan supporters – not actual Klan members and not people whom the White Knights or the Imperial Klan knew (according to the AWK's discussion bulletin board I'm reading) – Austin police inadvertently increased the number on the plaza from eight to 12 [“KKK Takes Spotlight Away From Other Prop. 2 Backers,” News, Nov. 4].
AP stories that are being carried all across the country could have been saying eight KKK members rallied on City Hall instead of 12. I know that may not seem like much of a difference. But it is a 50% increase in their numbers.
What happened was that there were these Klan supporters standing on the northeast corner of Second and Colorado and Anti-Racist Action surrounded them. APD rescued them. But instead of bringing them behind police lines, they could have escorted them away to safety.
The Public Information Office could have also given the media information as they were being escorted into the plaza regarding the actual number of Klansmen who parked in the parking garage – i.e., the actual number of Klansmen there – which was eight.
So that even with the four "supporters" that APD added in to the mix, media around the country would be reporting only eight.
There's something about the number eight that just seems even more of a ridiculously small number than 12 does.
So APD screwed up for bringing them in.
And PIO screwed up for not clueing in reporters to actual numbers of bona fide Klan – which clearly they had to have known.
By letting four Klan supporters – not actual Klan members and not people whom the White Knights or the Imperial Klan knew (according to the AWK's discussion bulletin board I'm reading) – Austin police inadvertently increased the number on the plaza from eight to 12 [“KKK Takes Spotlight Away From Other Prop. 2 Backers,” News, Nov. 4].
AP stories that are being carried all across the country could have been saying eight KKK members rallied on City Hall instead of 12. I know that may not seem like much of a difference. But it is a 50% increase in their numbers.
What happened was that there were these Klan supporters standing on the northeast corner of Second and Colorado and Anti-Racist Action surrounded them. APD rescued them. But instead of bringing them behind police lines, they could have escorted them away to safety.
The Public Information Office could have also given the media information as they were being escorted into the plaza regarding the actual number of Klansmen who parked in the parking garage – i.e., the actual number of Klansmen there – which was eight.
So that even with the four "supporters" that APD added in to the mix, media around the country would be reporting only eight.
There's something about the number eight that just seems even more of a ridiculously small number than 12 does.
So APD screwed up for bringing them in.
And PIO screwed up for not clueing in reporters to actual numbers of bona fide Klan – which clearly they had to have known.
Stefan Wray
