A white couple who burned a cross in their yard facing Black neighbors' home are investigated by FBI
https://apnews.com/article/fbi-cross-burning-south-carolina-35c2f4acaf95b8d22aa7692ff04ecc4e
https://apnews.com/article/fbi-cross-burning-south-carolina-35c2f4acaf95b8d22aa7692ff04ecc4e
8 Comments
MyPornAlt@lemmynsfw.com · 48 pts · 2y
Harassment and threats were also involved.
As for cross burning and the first amendment, I thought this was interesting.
clif@lemmy.world · 15 pts · 2y
I'm on mobile with short time so I'll search it later, but what's the origin/symbology of a burning cross? I know the kkk did it, but it seems a bit weird since they leaned towards christian and it's effectively destroying a symbol of their religion.
Typically when we think of burning things it's because the group doing the burning is against the symbol being burned... Flags, books, etc.
I somehow never thought of this angle before
Hillock@kbin.social · 18 pts · 2y
Scottish Highland clans would use something called the "Fiery Cross" or "Cross of Shame" as a symbol for a call to arms/war. Basically sending a person carrying the thing from village to village and every able-bodied man had to get ready for war or be shamed.
But whether or not they actually used a burning cross is very disputed. The main source for this is the author Walter Scott. He wrote Rob Roy, The Lady of the Lake and other Scottish mythology/historical fiction. While he claimed to try to be as historical accurate as possible, there are a lot of made up facts in his books. So not really a good source and sometimes even the only source for Scottish mythology.
The original KKK didn't burn crosses. But in the early 1900s Thomas Dixon wrote a book series that romanticized the KKK. He was very inspired by Walter Scott and included the Fiery Cross in his novel. Saying the flames symbolizing purity, purifying the people of their sins, and the light it gave is a symbol for "The Holy Light".
His books were the source for the movie " The Birth of a Nation" and that movie included the burning cross scene. And KKK members thought it looked cool and started to use cross burnings using the made up justification of purity and holy light.
squirmy_wormy@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 2y
cybervseas@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y
I was thinking some kind of righteous fire?
xc2215x@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 2y
As they should be.
magnetosphere@kbin.social · 7 pts · 2y
Are the white folks mentally unstable, on something, or just assholes? I want my Christmas card to be specific and accurate.
otp@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 2y
Yes
Lophostemon@aussie.zone · 1 pts · 2y
Aw c’mon. People gotta have a hobby!