KKK to Rally at LSU - Ole Miss Football Game

The campus newspaper of Louisiana State University, The Daily Reveille, reported November 19 that the Mississippi White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan plans to rally on the campus of the University of Mississippi (better known as Ole Miss) on November 21 before the Southeastern Conference football game between the LSU Tigers and Ole Miss Rebels.

The story says, "Shane Tate, the North Mississippi great titan for the Mississippi White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, confirmed via e-mail the KKK will rally on Ole Miss' campus in protest of the Ole Miss Chancellor Dan Jones' decision to remove 'From Dixie with Love' from the Ole Miss band's song selection. 'From Dixie with Love' is one of Ole Miss' traditional songs on game day, and the student section has chanted 'the South will rise again' during the song for years, said Brian Ferguson, alumni chairman of the Colonel Reb foundation."

Okay, I can see why chanting "the south will rise again" could be offensive. It sounds like a call for a return to the days of slavery and segregation. My question is this: why is this just now becoming an issue? It's 2009, for Christ's sake. Shouldn't the Chancellor of the university made this decision, oh say, decades ago? Seriously?

The Reveille reports, "The controversy began last month when the Ole Miss Associated Student Body passed a resolution in favor of discontinuing chanting 'the South will rise again' to replace it with 'to hell with LSU.' The resolution was never fully enacted because it was not signed by the proper officials after passing the senate, said Peyton Beard, Ole Miss Associated Student Body director of athletics. The student section largely ignored the resolution and other attempts to stop the chant, continuing the chant during 'From Dixie with Love,' said Ole Miss English junior Dean Julius. After a written warning by the Ole Miss chancellor, the student section's continued chanting resulted in Jones banning 'From Dixie with Love' last week, said Barbara Lago, Ole Miss director of media and public relations."

I'm all for tradition, but let's use some common sense here. This isn't one of those cultural traditions I would say should be continued. Who really thinks divisive rhetoric is a good way to preserve heritage?

The story goes on: "This decision to ban the song has drawn the attention of the KKK, which plans to protest the ban in full robes Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m, Tate said. 'We are coming to Ole Miss to say enough is enough on attacking our Christian, southern heritage and culture, and it's time for every person to have a right to freedom of speech,' Tate said. Lago confirmed Ole Miss has been contacted by the KKK and said the group has the right to voice its opinions as long as it doesn't interfere with university activity or the personal rights of others."

I'd be more worried about someone infringing on the rights of the KKK members. They do have the right to freedom of speech, but that speech is likely to inflame some passions that could turn ugly in a hurry.

"'We aren't coming there to cause problems or cause trouble,' Tate said. 'Trouble has already been caused by a handful at Ole Miss, including the black student body president, who wants to shape Ole Miss into yet another liberal sodomite college.'"

http://www.lsureveille.com/news/kkk-planning-rally-in-miss-1.2090515