An Iowa civil rights group has found itself defending the supporters of a notorious organization known for its racial extremism. Recruitment fliers for the Ku Klux Klan were found this month on windshields in parking lots of grocery stores and a Wal-Mart in two Iowa cities, both of which have seen significant increases in their minority populations in recent years.
Authorities in Denison and Storm Lake reportedly launched investigations to determine who was placing the fliers, as it violates city ordinances. Now the Iowa chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union is criticizing police in both towns for launching a probe.
Iowa A-C-L-U executive director Ben Stone is quoted saying his agency doesn’t agree with the Klan’s views, but its supporters have a right to express themselves.