Discussion 2: Domestic Terrorism
Domestic terrorist groups have been a part of the fabric of this nation for many decades, from Timothy McVeigh and Ted Kaczynski to the Boston Marathon bombers. These all fit the definition of domestic terrorists. The first, most recognized domestic terrorist group though is the Ku Klux Klan, also known by the moniker “KKK.” The KKK was an organization created to instill fear into the hearts of free Black Americans after the Civil War, and was used as a means of social control to keep them in line. As a response to the new Southern reality after the Civil War, the KKK provided a great challenge to the U.S. criminal justice system. For the first time, the government had to protect newly identified free Blacks from the disgruntled Southern Whites and their attempts to undermine the redresses afforded by the government.

For this Discussion, you provide examples of domestic terrorism during the Civil War period. Watch the media piece on the KKK. Explain how these examples relate to domestic terrorism as we know it today. Finally, consider the influence of domestic terrorism on the U.S. criminal justice system.

Post your definition of domestic terrorism. Describe two examples of domestic terrorism during the Civil War. Explain how these examples relate to domestic terrorism as it exists today. Provide an example. Explain one way domestic terrorism today has influenced changes in the criminal justice system. Use a scholarly article to support your response.



Learning Resources
Required Readings
Note: To access this week's required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.

Jones M., & Johnstone, P. (2011). History of Criminal Justice. (5th ed.) New York, NY. Routledge.

Chapter 5, "Criminal Justice and the English Constitution"
Raza, A. E. (2011). Legacies of the racialization of incarceration: From convict-lease to the prison industrial complex. Journal of the Institute of Justice & International Studies, 159(11), 159–170. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases

Required Media
Laureate Education (Producer). (2014). The birth of the Ku Klux Klan [Video file].

Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 1 minute.


Accessible player