Studs Terkel Response #1

   I read the story on C.P. Ellis, the ex-Klansman. I found this interview extremely intriguing because I finally learned the life of a Klansman before, during and after being in the Ku Klux Klan. Ellis' father was a poor, drunk, hard-working man who also was a member of the Klan. After his father died, C.P. had many of the same hardships. He was frustrated about working so hard and still not being able to provide for himself and his family. Because of this, he started to blame black people just for the sake of blaming someone and joined the Klan. Being in the Klan gave Ellis a sense of belonging and purpose. After he left the Klan, Ellis described himself as "an ex-Klansman who sounds like Martin Luther King Jr". I saw irony in this quote: the Klan had the complete opposite effect on C.P. because he became more understanding of African Americans. Trying to form a new life that wasn't associated with the Klan was difficult because of his past. The connection to the Civil Rights Movement and hatred towards blacks came from the frustration that many Americans were facing. I think that's applicable to feelings that Americans have today towards immigrants. They may feel the need to find another group to blame for their problems.