To the Editor:
United Klans of America (UKA), the white supremacist group that distributed fliers in Milford on July 8, is unrelated to the United Klans of America group that disbanded in the 1980s and was known for many acts of violence, including a number of murders.
The UKA which distributed the fliers in Milford is a new group, based in Alabama and led by a longtime minor Klan figure. The group’s name was chosen for “brand-name recognition,” because UKA was once the dominant Klan group in the United States.
“While it is never pleasant to have Klan or other hate group activity present in any neighborhood, this ‘new’ UKA does not have a history of violence and we have no reason to believe that residents of Milford should feel physically threatened or intimidated by their presence,” said Gary Jones, Regional Director of the Anti-Defamation League’s Connecticut office.
“One of the many ways that ADL combats extremism is to monitor extremist activity in Connecticut, across the country and around the world,” Jones continued. “We regularly share this knowledge with law enforcement personnel to help them protect their community in the face of hate.”
The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world’s leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.
Josh Sayles