The KKK took my trooper away...

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Simply put, Keep him on. He has infiltrated an organisation that has committed multiple crimes over the past and his police loyalty enforces him to arrest every member of the KKK that has been inolved in crimes. This will obviously take all of his time, so he will be moved from any other position of responsibility so as not to create a conflict of interest.
If he is unwilling to do that, then he is suffering a moral lapse of judgement, and must be retired from active duty, and docked pay until he does complete his job. (With possible psychiatric testing.) Of course, the police will be letting the KKK know that he didn't infiltrate them, via the papers.

 

[hippo24]

Hmm...If you turned the tables and made him a black panther member would the reaction be the same...

Well Im an advocate of freedom of speech and expression, as long as it does not impede anybodies rights directly, so if it does no real harm I don't think It should be held against you. So unless he was showing open racism on the job, then I don't think it warranted his expulsion

 

[bjj hero]

By joining the KKK he is no longer able to do his fully job. He will never be able to win in court if the defendant is none white. Hes hamstrung as an officer. Can you imagine if he ever had to use force against an ethnic minority? His judgements cannot ever be viewed as unbiased after signing up to a racist organisation.

He might have done 18 years but now this has come to light he cant keep his job if he is unable to do it or bought his state into disrepute. If it turned out there was a rape charge in his past no one would disagree he should be fired. Its the same argument about past mistakes/people changing.

Thats the purely logical bit covered. Now if its similar to england his wage comes from the state (or is it federal gov?) so his wage is being paid by the citizens. The hispanic/black/catholic/Jewish sections of the community who also contibute to his pay deserve to be represented, served and protected by someone who does not hatee them and treat them with contempt.

When he signed up he would have signed something along the lines of not bring his badge into disrepute. He just did.

As far as joining the clan to upset his wife. He would have racist views to join the clan. He knows their views and politics. Hes just trying to save his job when he says that. She probably left him for someone less bigotted, being hispanic wouldnt have factored into it.

 

[Raven_Letters]

I wonder if this issue would have come up if the Trooper in question did exactly the same thing ( posting on forums, leaving etc) but instead of the KKK, joined a Jihadi group bent on the destruction of the United States. How many people here would then complain about violations of Free Speech.

 

[NewGeekPhilosopher]

He joined the Klan by his own free will and was a member of the police force. That's more significant than somebody pulling the practical joke of enlisting a coworker to the Klan via email password hack when the person does not want to be in the Klan. (There were troublemakers in my Year 10 year group who dropped out who pranked each other by enlisting Greek and Lebanese people to the Klan to see what would happen. One got a robe sent to his doorstep for "joining". True story)

A less extreme equivalent would be having to fire a worker from the local anime shop because he was prejudiced against weaboo customers to the point of violence. Or having to fire a guy from a beer brewery job because he is an alcoholic and proven to be so.

I don't know, there are too many grey areas in this, I'm not American and I don't know the American Constitution. All I know is my country's constitution is weaker than a skinny beanpole nerd with stomach poisoning, because the Queen is able to sack our Prime Minister and once she did so. It was over the PM not being able to manage the economy so I have read.

 

[johnman]

There would have been an outcry even bigger if he had been allowed to stay on. Nebraska would be called a anti-black stae over suc ha small thing. The media would have blown it way out of proportion. Its a shame his career had to end but it was the safest outcome.

 

[fix-the-spade]

edit: Is this not a 'slippery slope'? Every supreme court case sets precedent. If we say one form of speech is not allowed what will be next?

If I remember rightly the KKK is classed as a terrorist organisation, making it's very membership an offence.

Considering the group has a history of dragging people out of their homes, burning them alive, leaving them tied to train tracks, shooting them or just plain ol' beating them to death because they're not white. I'm not surprised a Policeman would lose his job over having been a member.
However 'minor' a member he may have been.

 

[vamp rocks]

good, i would have fired him too. you cannot have a racially biased person who's job it is to uphold the law despite creed and color.

for example what if he sees a person getting mugged and goes to arrest the man who did it and he just so happens to be hispanic, what if all he can think of then is his wife leaving him and he kills the suspect in cold blood. without fair trial.. the fact that he hated the man so much that he joined the KKK shows he has an anger problem, which is NOT who you want to be calling to protect you, especially if you yourself are hispanic.

 

[Doug]

I think that, ultimately, I have to side with the police who fired him over this. The badge represents authority and power, and hence its value is high and those who wear it have to have as little suspection as possible attached to them. In the same way, if a black guy joined a voilent black power group, I'd expect him to get fired too, even if he had the same little activity.

When this trooper joined the KKK, he possibly forever linked himself to this extreme hate group. As for venting his fustration - its troubling he didn't vent it at the individual hispanic, rather than the whole race of them. Bluntly, it was a stupid mistake, but its one that has cost him the trust of the public, especially those who are non-white protestants. Whilst I doubt he's really a racist, that won't stand in court: "Office, my black client claims you beat him ... and you where a member of the KKK? Oh, only slightly? I see"

 

[Booze Zombie]

He joined a criminal organization whilst serving as a police officer and was surprised by his dismissal, why?

 

[Specter_]

I?m not sure how I feel about this; On the one hand yes anyone with a badge should not be connected to any sort of violence group. As stated?
[...]
People holding authority and public power should not be part of any other group that seeks to subvert the government. Yes

While I don't agree with the Klan's point of view, I don't like the idea of loosing my job over which group I joined.
And as far as I understand the first quote, he registered on a messageboard to post there. I hardly think that equals "joining the group" (while I have no idea of the internal workings of the Klan, I doubt they have members passes and such stuff)
Another point is, who decides which groups are dangerous and which are not? In my opinion Scientology, Nazis and zionist groups are dangerous, yet they are, same as the Klan afaik, allowed in the US.

If you think a group is dangerous, disbanden it and persecute their members. Don't go around and fire someone for joining a legal group.

 

[ace_of_something]

edit: Is this not a 'slippery slope'? Every supreme court case sets precedent. If we say one form of speech is not allowed what will be next?

If I remember rightly the KKK is classed as a terrorist organisation, making it's very membership an offence.

Speaking as someone who has access to this information; yes they are considered a terrorist orginization, but so is PETA, Greenpeace, and surprisingly a local charity for minority children below the poverty line (I'll have to look in to that).
Also, FORMER member. We seem to think once your in you can't change who you are if you leave? So he could change who he was going in to the KKK but not going out? Or is it that if you join the KKK to post rants on their message boards these always will and always have been your beliefs.

 

[Abedeus]

Every KKK member deserves to be shot in the balls. Or breasts.

Also, FORMER member. We seem to think once your in you can't change who you are if you leave?

It's more like - why would a clan allow someone leave it and explose it's secrets?

I?m not sure how I feel about this; On the one hand yes anyone with a badge should not be connected to any sort of violence group. As stated?
[...]
People holding authority and public power should not be part of any other group that seeks to subvert the government. Yes

While I don't agree with the Klan's point of view, I don't like the idea of loosing my job over which group I joined.
And as far as I understand the first quote, he registered on a messageboard to post there. I hardly think that equals "joining the group" (while I have no idea of the internal workings of the Klan, I doubt they have members passes and such stuff)
Another point is, who decides which groups are dangerous and which are not? In my opinion Scientology, Nazis and zionist groups are dangerous, yet they are, same as the Klan afaik, allowed in the US.

If you think a group is dangerous, disbanden it and persecute their members. Don't go around and fire someone for joining a legal group.

The chief of police has every right to fire you for belonging to a hate-filled group trying to hurt or kill innocent people. In fact, every boss has that right.

 

[Teachingaddict]

100% agree with the decision. So what if all he did was go to a couple of conventions, its the image he projects, pardon the brutality at which I say this...would you want a teacher teaching children if he was in a group associated with child pornography.... a little bit off tangent, but it should get the point across.

 

[bad rider]

Thats unfair. Why do we preach equality yet, when someone threatens it we have the right to treat them differently? The hippocrasy it burns.

The only way to fight those who believe in inequality is with equality not with more inequality.

 

[ace_of_something]

Every KKK member deserves to be shot in the balls. Or breasts.

The chief of police has every right to fire you for belonging to a hate-filled group trying to hurt or kill innocent people. In fact, every boss has that right.

Every one of them? Even the little children?

Does a boss have that right? My memory of the law must be hazy.

 

[bad rider]

He joined a criminal organization whilst serving as a police officer and was surprised by his dismissal, why?

Is it a criminal organisation?

Edit: Looking at their website front page

Membership Requirements

1. You must be be a free white male or female of European descent, at least 18 years of age.

2. You must be able to profess faith in Jesus Christ as personal Savior

3. You must not be married to or date people of other races, nor have mixed race dependants, this includes adopted children.

4. You must agree to conform to the rules of this order, and be willing to swear you will NOT conspire to commit any crime while a member.

5. You must not join us with mercenary intent, or under secret evasion of any sort.

6. Under NO circumstances will we accept for membership: homosexuals, atheists, or those who have been found mentally insane. We will not accept candidates that have been convicted of treason, or espionage against the United States of America.

7. You must be a U.S. citizen, with a U.S. address. We do not accept foreign nationals, or have foreign members.

Source: http://www.kukluxklan.bz/faq.html

 

[bad rider]

Every KKK member deserves to be shot in the balls. Or breasts.

Also, FORMER member. We seem to think once your in you can't change who you are if you leave?

It's more like - why would a clan allow someone leave it and explose it's secrets?

I?m not sure how I feel about this; On the one hand yes anyone with a badge should not be connected to any sort of violence group. As stated?
[...]
People holding authority and public power should not be part of any other group that seeks to subvert the government. Yes

While I don't agree with the Klan's point of view, I don't like the idea of loosing my job over which group I joined.
And as far as I understand the first quote, he registered on a messageboard to post there. I hardly think that equals "joining the group" (while I have no idea of the internal workings of the Klan, I doubt they have members passes and such stuff)
Another point is, who decides which groups are dangerous and which are not? In my opinion Scientology, Nazis and zionist groups are dangerous, yet they are, same as the Klan afaik, allowed in the US.

If you think a group is dangerous, disbanden it and persecute their members. Don't go around and fire someone for joining a legal group.

The chief of police has every right to fire you for belonging to a hate-filled group trying to hurt or kill innocent people. In fact, every boss has that right.

So Islamic people shouldn't be allowed in the police force?

 

[Zer_]

He joined a criminal organization whilst serving as a police officer and was surprised by his dismissal, why?

Is it a criminal organisation?

Edit: Looking at their website front page

Membership Requirements

1. You must be be a free white male or female of European descent, at least 18 years of age.

2. You must be able to profess faith in Jesus Christ as personal Savior

3. You must not be married to or date people of other races, nor have mixed race dependants, this includes adopted children.

4. You must agree to conform to the rules of this order, and be willing to swear you will NOT conspire to commit any crime while a member.

5. You must not join us with mercenary intent, or under secret evasion of any sort.

6. Under NO circumstances will we accept for membership: homosexuals, atheists, or those who have been found mentally insane. We will not accept candidates that have been convicted of treason, or espionage against the United States of America.

7. You must be a U.S. citizen, with a U.S. address. We do not accept foreign nationals, or have foreign members.

Source: http://www.kukluxklan.bz/faq.html

Right so the KKK is just a social club? You know what other organizations tried to play that card? The Hell's Angels is one of them. I mean any criminal organization with half a brain won't openly admit to being a criminal organization. Let's not be stupid here.