[Dixielandjazz] Hot time

[James Kashishian]

Just saw a bit of a documentary on the KKK on tv.  Excellently done.
Surprisingly, their membership was quite small until there was newspaper
exposure and a Congressional hearing in the 20's.  Then, membership shot
right up!!  Publicity, any kind, does the job!  

I learned a few things like......Catholics were a no-no as they have to
look to the Pope who wasn't, of course, in the U.S......therefore, they
were not true Americans.  There was also the WKKK, which was "Women of
the KKK".

 A law was passed to make wearing of masks illegal at one point.  We had
that law here in Spain during the time of Franco.  When he died,
Spaniards went all out on their Carnival festivities, which (in Madrid)
I always find silly 'cause it's so cold here in February (well below
zero C everynite!).  However, they can wear masks now so they do.

Anyway, they played "It's A Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight", with KKK
words during the documentary.  Amazing!  A sort of recruiting song.
Each phrase ended with things like "with the Ku Klux Klan you can".

Jim