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U.S. SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM 1955-2026

By: Fred Smith

WHO ARE THE NEW FACES OF THE KKK?

By: Roy Douglas Malonson

The history of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) is often brought up in modern political debates, but the organization’s origins and political alliances have changed over time. Understanding the Klan’s history requires looking at the political landscape of different eras rather than assuming today’s political parties have always represented the same ideologies.

The first Ku Klux Klan was founded in Pulaski, Tennessee, in 1865 by a group of former Confederate soldiers shortly after the Civil War. Its primary goal was to resist Reconstruction, the period during

which the federal government sought to rebuild the South and protect the civil and voting rights of formerly enslaved African Americans. The Klan used intimidation, violence, and terrorism to suppress Black political participation and restore white supremacy throughout the South.

During the Reconstruction era, the vast majority of white Southern politicians belonged to the Democratic Party. At that time, many Democratic leaders in the South opposed Reconstruction policies and the KKK on pg. 5

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, died on July 11, 2026, at the age of 71 following a brief and sudden illness. Preliminary findings from the medical examiner indicate that he died from an aortic dissection, a life-threatening tear in the body’s main artery, with no evidence of foul play. Graham served in the U.S. Senate since 2003 and was a prominent voice on national security and foreign policy. Throughout his career, he became one of President Donald Trump’s closest allies after years of earlier disagreements. Leaders from both political parties honored his decades of public service and dedication to the nation.

Before entering the Senate, Graham served four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives after beginning his public service career in the U.S. Air Force, where he worked as a judge advocate. A graduate of the University of South Carolina, he earned a reputation as a knowledgeable voice on military affairs, judicial issues, and international relations. Throughout his decades in Washington, Graham often played a key role in bipartisan negotiations while remaining a strong advocate for national defense. His legacy includes a long record of legislative work, support for veterans, and a lasting influence on Republican politics and U.S. foreign policy.

A Revival of God Consciousness

THE IRANIAN WAR

An old, time-honored adage says, “Never start a fight you cannot win.” President Trump and his MAGA-aligned Cabinet started a war they could not win militarily. Since November 4, 1979, no American president other than Donald J. Trump has initiated a hot war with Iran. The obvious question is why President Trump acted so recklessly. On November 4th, 1979, militant Iranian students seized the U. S. Embassy in Tehran for 444 days holding 52 American diplomats’ hostage. Therefore, every American President from James Earl Carter (1976) to President Joseph R. Biden (2024); whether Democrat or Republican, never initiated a hot war with Iran. The obvious question is why didn’t they go to war? Moreover, what did they know that President Trump did not know or did not desire to know. The obvious answer is that they were not fool hearty, because they all knew that: “Fools make a mockery of sin: but among the righteous there is favour” (Proverbs 14: 9). President Trump and his MAGA-Cult make a mockery of everything related to multi-cultural democracy, because their desire is White Privilege Autocracy. Of course, President Trump’s parental heritage fled Hitler’s Germany, because at that time, even some Whites were

EDITORIAL

not White enough! America, lest we spiritually forget racism drives individuals insane. Therefore, once again, we should always remember that fools make a mockery of sin, but among the righteous there is favor.

The Iranian War has become President Trump’s Waterloo, and he is now trying to contain the crisis he created. On July 14, 2015, the Obama Administration and an international coalition negotiated a nuclear accord with Iran. President Trump recklessly dismantled that agreement on May 8, 2018, driven, in the author’s view, by resentment of President Obama’s popularity and global respect as America’s first Black president. This was an ungodly and shameful disgrace. The world community recognizes that President Obama continues to occupy President Trump’s thoughts in deeply racial and negative ways. President Obama remains widely respected for his intellectual integrity and moral character.

God-fearing people understand that an ideology cannot be destroyed by dropping bombs on innocent children and adults; a harmful political ideology must be replaced with a better one. President Trump’s reckless White Privilege Authoritarianism has pushed the world community into an international quagmire. Nation-states build alliances because they understand the need to collaborate and form coalitions in world affairs. Even the Lone Ranger had Tonto, and the Cisco Kid had Pancho; no individual is an island. Sadly, the Western democratic world—especially NATO—now knows it cannot rely on

By Travis McGee

Robbing Peter to pay Paul is still robbery however the Have-nots aka the poor are more so always the victims of this type of robbery that is often disguised as a fee, a tax, or some type of much needed improvement that may or may not see.

Moving money from a storm water fund to demo dangerous or abandoned buildings is an example of robbing Peter to Pay Paul and everybody else. The address-less buildings on the list never decreased the chances of flooding anywhere. Buildings don’t attract illegal dumping or control drainage, however using drainage funds for drainage will possibly improve it and enforcing illegal

dumping will detour illegal dumpers. Why would they stop if they are not going to be properly prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law? The city also plays a role in illegal dumping by staying behind on heavy trash pickup, lack of inspectors, and poor management of city depositories. Why would a depository be closed Sundays and Mondays if there is an illegal dumping problem citywide? We not being redlined due to the number of abandoned buildings; however, we are being redlined due to flooding and drainage issues. Per the latest FEMA map 70% of areas like SouthPark are now in the floodplain. Drainage projects and detention basins are not the same, adding a detention basin into flood plain is like putting a washtub inside of a bathtub. What happens when the tub overflows?

For the Havenots paying

Greeting...

This letter serves as a formal outcry by descendants and legacy families of historic Independence Heights. We are expressing our profound betrayal in the very foundations that our ancestors fought to incorporate into this community as the first African American municipality in Texas.

Mardie Hawkins Paige, former President, and the Council Members of the Historical Independent Heights Super Neighborhood 13 have flagrantly violated the commitments of our descendants to safeguard our local welfare and the historical integrity that binds us to our shared history by electing the First Caucasian President behind closed doors—and without giving formal notification to the residents of the community regarding the election sidelining the voices that built this neighborhood. To address the recent erosion of the social bonds and shared history that hold our community together, we request the opportunity to share our perspective.

How Long is Too Long

Bobby Mills, Ph.D.

ROBBING PETER TO PAY PAUL

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1861 1863

1861. The American Civil War began on April 12, 1861, when Confederate forces fired on Fort Sumter, a federal fort in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina.

1863 . Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation goes into effect, changing the legal status of 3 million slaves in designated areas of the Confederacy from “slave” to “free.”

1870 1865 1868 1885

1865. The thirteenth amendment passed, abolishing slavery throughout the United States.

1865

1865. On June 19, Union soldiers arrive in Galveston, Texas to spread the news of the Civil War end and subsequent freedom of slavery. This will eventually be celebrated as “Juneteenth”.

TEXAS TAKEAWAY

HOUSTON

Houston Texans co-founder and Senior Chair Janice McNair has died at the age of 89, leaving behind a lasting legacy in both professional football and philanthropy. Alongside her late husband, Bob McNair, she helped bring the NFL back to Houston by founding the Texans, and later served as the franchise’s principal owner before passing leadership to her son, Cal McNair, in 2024. McNair was widely respected for her generosity, community service, and unwavering commitment to the Texans organization and the Houston community.

AUSTIN

The Austin Transit Partnership is expected to vote on a $39 million contract that would begin the design phase for new light rail vehicles, with construction scheduled to begin in 2027.

SAN ANTONIO

Johnny Keefer, 25, is carrying plenty of momentum after finishing tied for third at the Genesis Scottish Open with an impressive 13-under-par performance. The PGA TOUR rookie’s strong finish earned him one of the final qualifying spots for The 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, marking his Open debut. Keefer showcased poise and creativity throughout the week on the links-style course, continuing the promise he displayed as the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year. His breakout performance has positioned him as one of golf’s rising young talents to watch heading into the season’s final major.

EL PASO

Water pressure problems continue to affect the Downtown El Paso jail, with officials working to maintain normal operations while repairs and system improvements are underway.

1870. The fifteenth amendment is passed, guaranteeing that a citizen’s right to vote would not be denied on account of race, color, or previous condition of 1868. The fourteenth amendment is passed, guaranteeing citizenship rights and equal protection under law.

1885. A majority of Southern states pass individual state laws requiring separate schools for black and white students.

George Edward Alcorn Jr. is a Texas-born inventor, engineer, and physicist whose groundbreaking work at NASA has earned him more than 40 U.S. patents. His invention of the X-ray imaging spectrometer has played a significant role in advancing space exploration and astronomical research. Born in San Antonio, Alcorn’s achievements have made him one of Texas’ most accomplished African American inventors and a trailblazer in aerospace technology.

GEORGE EDWARD ALCORN JR.

America for principled moral leadership in international affairs. Therefore, the Trump Administration poses a serious moral leadership challenge for American democracy, because: “The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge: but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness…Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith” (Proverbs 15:16-17). America, the way of the righteous is never easy. Yet, “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). America, get right with God before it is too late.

expansion of civil rights for African Americans. Although not every Southern Democrat supported or belonged to the Klan, many Klan members identified with the Democratic Party because it represented the dominant political force among white Southerners following the Civil War. Meanwhile, the Republican Party—founded in the 1850s—was the party of President Abraham Lincoln and generally supported Reconstruction, the abolition of slavery, and constitutional amendments granting citizenship and voting rights to formerly enslaved people. The federal government, led

by Republicans in Congress, responded by passing the Enforcement Acts, including the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871. These laws authorized federal action against the Klan and helped weaken the organization during its first incarnation.

The Klan experienced a major revival in 1915, becoming a nationwide movement rather than simply a Southern organization. This second Klan expanded its targets beyond African Americans to include Catholics, Jews, immigrants, and others it considered “unAmerican.” During the 1920s, the Klan claimed millions of members and held influence in several states, including Indiana, Colorado, Oregon, and Texas. Members could be found in both major political parties

because the organization often sought influence wherever political power existed. In some states, Democratic politicians courted Klan support, while in others Republicans also accepted endorsements or benefited from Klanbacked voters.

By the mid-20th century, the Klan reemerged again to oppose the Civil Rights Movement. During the 1950s and 1960s, Klan groups committed bombings, murders, and acts of intimidation against civil rights activists, Black churches, and supporters of racial equality. These actions were widely condemned by leaders of both major political parties and by the federal government. It is also important to understand that America’s political

parties changed significantly over the 20th century. Beginning with the New Deal era and accelerating during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, many conservative white Southern voters gradually shifted from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party, while many African American voters increasingly supported Democratic candidates. Historians generally describe this as a longterm political realignment rather than a sudden switch.

Today, historians generally agree that the original KKK was closely associated with white Southern Democrats during Reconstruction because that reflected the political alignment of the post-Civil War South.

However, the Klan itself has never been officially affiliated with either major political party, and over its history it has attempted to influence politicians across the political spectrum when doing so served its goals. Modern Democratic and Republican leaders alike have repeatedly denounced the KKK and its racist ideology. The Klan’s enduring legacy is not defined by a single political label but by its campaign of racial terror, voter intimidation, and violent opposition to civil rights. Studying this history in its full historical context helps explain how political coalitions evolved over time and why it is inaccurate to judge the politics of the 1860s solely through the lens of today’s party identities.