Cross burning or cross lighting is a practice widely associated with the Ku Klux Klan. In the early 20th century, the Klan burnt Christian crosses on hillsides or near the homes of those they wish to intimidate, usually non-caucasians. For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... The Fiery cross is the English language term for a piece of wood, such as a baton, that North Europeans, e. ... Members of the second Ku Klux Klan at a rally during the 1920s. ... A reliquary in the form of an ornate Christian Cross Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope... Intimidation is generally used in the meaning of criminal threatening. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

History

In Scotland the "fiery cross", known as the Crann Tara, was used as a declaration of war. The sight of it commanded all clan members to rally to the defence of the area. On other occasions, a small burning cross would be carried from town to town. The practice is described in the novels and poetry of Sir Walter Scott. The most recent known use there was in 1745, during the Jacobite Rising,^[1] over a century before the foundation of the Klan. This article is about the country. ... Clan map of Scotland Scottish clans (from Old Gaelic clann, children), give a sense of identity and shared descent to people in Scotland and to their relations throughout the world, with a formal structure of Clan Chiefs officially registered with the court of the Lord Lyon, King of Arms which... Raeburns portrait of Sir Walter Scott in 1822. ... The Jacobite Risings were a series of uprisings, rebellions, and wars in the British Isles occurring between 1688 and 1746. ...

Though some members of the Klan were descended from immigrants from Scotland, there is no evidence to suggest that their ancestors brought this tradition with them to America. This article is about the country. ...

The Reconstruction-era Klan did not burn crosses, but Thomas Dixon's 1902–1907 trilogy of novels portrayed a romanticized version of the Reconstruction Klan that did burn crosses (see The Clansman). Dixon may have based the idea on Scott's writing, or on other literary or historical sources. The 1915 movie The Birth of a Nation was based on two of Dixon's novels. Birth of a Nation quotes Dixon's novel The Clansman as saying: For other uses, see Reconstruction (disambiguation). ... Illustration from The Clansman. ... Illustration from The Clansman. ... For the 1982 film of the same name, see Birth of a Nation (1982 film). ...

In olden times when the Chieftain of our people summoned the clan on an errand of life and death, the Fiery Cross, extinguished in sacrificial blood, was sent by swift courier from village to village… The ancient symbol of an unconquered race of men. The Fiery cross is the English language term for a piece of wood, such as a baton, that North Europeans, e. ...

The burning cross is a symbol used by the Klan to create terror. Cross burning is said to have been introduced by William J. Simmons, the founder of the second Klan, in 1915.

The Ku Klux Klan burning a cross. ... The Ku Klux Klan burning a cross. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Signed by the Ku Klux Klan

The burning cross is, along with swastikas and hate-related graffiti such as the initials 'KKK', a symbol or sign associated with hate crimes as defined in the 1999 NCVS (National Crime Victim Survey), "A hate crime is a criminal offense committed against a person or property motivated, in whole or in part, by the offender's bias against a race, religion, ethnicity/national origin, gender, sexual preference, or disability. The offense is considered a hate crime whether or not the offender's perception of the victim as a member or supporter of a protected group is correct."^[2] This article is about the symbol. ... For other uses, see Graffiti (disambiguation). ... KKK may refer to: // Ku Klux Klan, white supremacy group(s) Katipunan (Society), a revolutionary group from Philippine history; full name Kataastaasang Kagalanggalangang Katipunan Anak ng Bayan (roughly translated: Supreme and Venerable Society of the Sons of the Nation) Kokusai Kogyo Kabushikigaisha, a Japanese bus and taxi company AG K... For other uses, see Sign (disambiguation). ... A hate crime (bias crime), loosely defined, is a crime committed because of the perpetrators prejudices. ...

In 1915, the same year Birth of a Nation was released, Leo Frank was lynched. Two months after his lynching, the lynchers burnt a cross. William J. Simmons, who founded the new Klan later in the same year, burned a cross at the mountaintop founding ceremony. Many of the participants in Simmons's ceremony were the same men who had helped to lynch Frank. For other persons named Leo Frank, see Leo Frank (disambiguation). ... Manifestations Slavery Racial profiling Lynching Hate speech Hate crime Genocide (examples) Ethnocide Ethnic cleansing Pogrom Race war Religious persecution Gay bashing Blood libel Paternalism Police brutality Movements Policies Discriminatory Race / Religion / Sex segregation Apartheid Redlining Internment Anti-discriminatory Emancipation Civil rights Desegregation Integration Equal opportunity Counter-discriminatory Affirmative action Racial... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Many Christians consider it sacrilege to burn or otherwise destroy a cross. The Klan, however, claims to not be destroying the cross, but "lighting" it, a symbol of their faith. [3] For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ...

Legal position in the United States

In Virginia v. Black (2003), the United States Supreme Court ruled that burning a cross at a Klan rally is protected by the First Amendment, but also held that a statute could constitutionally proscribe cross burning carried out with the intent to intimidate the target of the speech. , a First Amendment case decided in the Supreme Court in 2003, created a new category of restrictable speech: the true threat, where inquiry hinges not on the speaker’s intent but on the perception of the listener in question. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      The Supreme Court of the United States (sometimes colloquially referred to by the... “First Amendment” redirects here. ...

Hate Crimes Up

According to the FBI Hate Crime Statistics report for 2006, hate crimes increased nearly 8 percent nationwide, with a total of 7,722 incidents and 9,080 offenses reported by participating law enforcement agencies. Of the 5,449 crimes against persons, 46 percent were classified as intimidation and 31.9 percent as simple assaults. 81 percent of the 3,593 crimes against property were acts of vandalism or destruction. 58.6 percent of the 7,330 known offenders were white and 20.6 black. More than half, 52 percent, of the 9,652 victims identified were targeted because of race. The report states further, whether it's cross burnings or noose incidents, the FBI takes all hate crimes seriously.^[3] For the 1948 British film, see Noose (film). ...

References

• Wade, Wyn Craig. The Fiery Cross: The Ku Klux Klan in America. New York: Simon and Schuster (1987).