The KKK assassinates Eleanor Roosevelt

The KKK has a former First Lady assassinated; they go from being a bunch of loudmouth, racist bullies to effectively becoming the first official "domestic terrorists" and whatever rights they might have had before are gone. That is if they're not shot on sight.
 
Which either means a stronger conservative backlash in a few decades, or American Conservatism is just shattered and doesn't recover until it moderates its social reforms

A few years? Maybe A decade or two? Probably not. Let's not exaggerate here. There would be a big crackdown on the Klan, the Civil Rights Movement might be sped up about five years and life goes on. Eleanor Roosevelt might have been popular but people aren't going to drastically change their thinking over her murder. They will be outraged at first but little by little real life intervenes. They have kids to raise, bills to pay and work to go to and the outrage fades. They may well be upset for the rest of their lives when it is brought up but they won't dwell on it long.
 
A few years? Maybe A decade or two? Probably not. Let's not exaggerate here. There would be a big crackdown on the Klan, the Civil Rights Movement might be sped up about five years and life goes on. Eleanor Roosevelt might have been popular but people aren't going to drastically change their thinking over her murder. They will be outraged at first but little by little real life intervenes. They have kids to raise, bills to pay and work to go to and the outrage fades. They may well be upset for the rest of their lives when it is brought up but they won't dwell on it long.

Yet, there’s also the long-term consequences. That the KKK, an organization somewhat respected by someone, would sink so low to assassination by a vast public figure.

And then you wonder... if your neighbor was one? Your sibling? Even your child or parent? Your children’s teachers? Your co-workers? Associated with a group of monsters masquerading as men.

This will be the reality a lot of people will have to face and wrestle with how similar their own biases are.
 
Yet, there’s also the long-term consequences. That the KKK, an organization somewhat respected by someone, would sink so low to assassination by a vast public figure.

And then you wonder... if your neighbor was one? Your sibling? Even your child or parent? Your children’s teachers? Your co-workers? Associated with a group of monsters masquerading as men.

This will be the reality a lot of people will have to face and wrestle with how similar their own biases are.

Which will result in some speed up to the Civil Rights Movement and not much more. People aren't going to dwell on it. They have their day to day lives to live which means they won't spend too much of it philosophizing. I guarantee you within a week most people would spend more time worrying more about paying their bills than dwelling on Elanor's death. They will be shocked when they hear the news and will be supportive of stomping on the KKK but outside that life goes on.
 
Which will result in some speed up to the Civil Rights Movement and not much more. People aren't going to dwell on it. They have their day to day lives to live which means they won't spend too much of it philosophizing. I guarantee you within a week most people would spend more time worrying more about paying their bills than dwelling on Elanor's death. They will be shocked when they hear the news and will be supportive of stomping on the KKK but outside that life goes on.

Depends on who. Look at what the Red Scare or Pink Scare did. Imagine the South having to confront this as their neighbors, their friends and so on belonged to a group of terrorists. Someone people would be fired from their jobs. Others may be deemed unfit parents. Or their reputation ruined forever.

Take one Fred Trump for example.

He was already examined because of the profiteering thing. Combine that with the KKK affiliation of the past?


How many prominent figures, politicians and so on would be brought down by this and how would that change the lives of three people influenced by that?
 
Inspired by a reddit thread. The KKK put a bounty of 25000 dollars on Eleanor Roosevelts head, because of her anti-lynching campaign. What if someone had taken up the offer and succesfully killed her? At the time she was no longer first lady, but she was a UN representative and from what I gather, a pretty popular public figure.

Would it lead to harsher government crackdowns of the KKK?
Superman might spring into existence and actually destroy the KKK
 
Depends on who. Look at what the Red Scare or Pink Scare did. Imagine the South having to confront this as their neighbors, their friends and so on belonged to a group of terrorists. Someone people would be fired from their jobs. Others may be deemed unfit parents. Or their reputation ruined forever.

Take one Fred Trump for example.

He was already examined because of the profiteering thing. Combine that with the KKK affiliation of the past?


How many prominent figures, politicians and so on would be brought down by this and how would that change the lives of three people influenced by that?
in a way it really depends on what the KKK does after the crack down. A continuing violent response obviously could happen and thus the matter would not fade but lead to further confrontation.
 
Depends on who. Look at what the Red Scare or Pink Scare did. Imagine the South having to confront this as their neighbors, their friends and so on belonged to a group of terrorists. Someone people would be fired from their jobs. Others may be deemed unfit parents. Or their reputation ruined forever.

Take one Fred Trump for example.

He was already examined because of the profiteering thing. Combine that with the KKK affiliation of the past?


How many prominent figures, politicians and so on would be brought down by this and how would that change the lives of three people influenced by that?


None of which changed much for Joe Sixpack and died down after a few years. It might change things in a minor way but it will lessen over time. There will be butterflies to be sure but it is unlikely to have the massive impact you think it will. She would die , the kKK would get it in the neck and life goes on. The general public isn't going to obsess over it forever, they have lives to live.
 
in a way it really depends on what the KKK does after the crack down. A continuing violent response obviously could happen and thus the matter would not fade but lead to further confrontation.


Most likely a lot of them ditch the white hoods, change a lot of various rules, and rebrand themselves under a new name and look. Call themselves the "White Man's Protection League" or something.
 
The KKK has a former First Lady assassinated; they go from being a bunch of loudmouth, racist bullies to effectively becoming the first official "domestic terrorists" and whatever rights they might have had before are gone. That is if they're not shot on sight.

weren't they already the first domestic terrorists?

Though I imagine this could lead to a brown scare. So basically the reverse of the red scare going after the far right or paranoid ideas about the far right.

Also depending on when she is assassinated, could this lead to Henry Wallace remaining as VP?
 
I think y'all are underestimating the entrenchment of the Klan in southern society at the time. This could lead to a mini-civil war ala the Irish Troubles.
 
I think y'all are underestimating the entrenchment of the Klan in southern society at the time. This could lead to a mini-civil war ala the Irish Troubles.

Who's gonna risk their lives defending a group who put a hit on a former first lady?! One who was from one of the most celeberated wartime presidents no less
 
Who's gonna risk their lives defending a group who put a hit on a former first lady?! One who was from one of the most celeberated wartime presidents no less
The Klan was basically a huge parallel society at the time. They would rationalize it as "well she was a internationalist, communist, feminist, jew-loving, negroe lover!"
 
weren't they already the first domestic terrorists?

Though I imagine this could lead to a brown scare. So basically the reverse of the red scare going after the far right or paranoid ideas about the far right.

Also depending on when she is assassinated, could this lead to Henry Wallace remaining as VP?

There *was* a Brown Scare during WW2.
 
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