Ku Klux Klan in our area!
UPDATE: Johnny Lee Clary brands me “a liar and a fraud” (and a “bogan”).
See his response in the comments. Also see Johnny’s website HERE and decide for yourself on his credibility.
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Coming to an evangelistic church near you - ex KKK boss Johnny Lee Clary is preaching 'love', man.
“The police showed me a list of (Klan-like) hate groups that they were currently monitoring. I am positive that Albury-Wodonga is on that list … ” ~ ex KKK chief turned evangelist, quoted in Saturday’s Border Mail ‘focus’ article.
“The KKK has been in Australia for 10 years,” he said. “They now have chapters all over Australia and people have chosen to ignore it. I’m on a tour of the country warning people that communities better unite and take action against racial hatred – and that’s the message I’ll be bringing to Wangaratta.” ~ same guy, different paper (Wangaratta Chronicle)
The former Imperial Wizard of America’s notorious White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan – who has the unsurprising name of Johnny Lee Clary – is currently ‘on tour’ and made appearances at both Wodonga & Wangaratta over the weekend to preach his ”message of hope and racial equality”.
The above extraordinary claims were made among his other claims that both the FBI and NSW Police have used him to infiltrate the Klan and various white supremacist groups.
Clary spoke at Wodonga’s Faith City and Wang’s Victory Life churches (which both sound like rather evangelistic names to me) to tell of how he has renounced racial hatred and turned to Christianity. Apparently he’s now a popular motivational speaker and evangelist, who aims to “stamp out racism, and offer hope to those trying to turn their lives around”. For a fee I guess?
Call me a sceptic, but these quotes from the Wang Chronicle article don’t leave me entirely convinced that Johnny is not just cashing in on his former notoriety:
Johnny joined the KKK at just 14, and at the height of his involvement, he was a leader of the most violent and militant arm of the organisation.
But as Johnny explained, he rarely got his hands dirty.
“I was groomed as a public speaker and face of the organisation,” he said.
“I never had a police record and stayed well clear of any of the horrible things that happened.
“That was carried out by secret members of the Klan.”
Johnny left the KKK because of infighting in the organisation, and after he discovered his girlfriend was working as an informant for the FBI.
He then turned to alcohol and in a pit of despair, called out to God to deliver him.
“It didn’t happen overnight – it took a lot of time to change,” Johnny said.
“One has to be taught to hate and one also has to be taught to love.
“I had to renew my mind and had to be transformed by learning to love people.”
Comment:
Isn’t it amazing how God always seems to answer the calls of hate-mongering alcoholics screaming out for His help? I just find it rather odd that God would pick ‘Imperial Wizard’ Johnny to spread the good word.
The above stories also report that, in his new life, Johnny now travels around the United States (and all over the world) and is a regular visitor to Australia, teaching racial tolerance and warning of the dangers of hatred. Hmm, not a bad lifestyle if you can get it.
You’ve gotta hand it to the Americans, they are masters at coming up with new ways to milk money out of innocent and naive ‘God fearing’ dupes. Johnny’s come up with a new variation on reformed crim turned famous (and wealthy) author & speaker and it opens up real possibilities for those with ambitions to create a super-rich career:
Step 1 : Join the most vile & hateful group in the land.
Step 2 : Work ‘hard’ to become a leader of the group or at least someone with a bit of inside knowledge (it’s not hard, the average IQ of the KKK would be about 75)
Step 3 : Leave the group and become an alcoholic, or drug addict.
Step 4 : Call on God to ‘show you the light’.
Step 5 : Announce to the world that you’ve become a fire-breathing evangelist on a mission to stamp out your former associates (Tip: get some public speaking lessons and a good PR agent).
Step 6 : Go ‘on tour’, write a book, travel the world and even appear on the Oprah Winfrey show to ‘spread the word’ that the KKK are an evil, hate-mongering bunch of bastards …. all for a fee of course.
Yeah, there’s money to be made in stating the bloody obvious.
Promoting 'Beautiful Bright'.
Click 
If there is a God this is exactly the sort of person he should reach out to.
Perhaps I should become a born again rightard and do ther talk circuit with Andrew Bolt.
And if there are aliens from outer space they should land in some remote American backwoods area and make contact with the local hillbillies. It’s always the way.
There is an American town in Kentucky, I think, that is the crucible of religious, sales and motivational speakers that follow the lifepath you referring to. The problem is, they are good at teaching their disciples to be successful.
Ray Dixon you have told nothing but lies in your article. You have lied to the people by saying I charged a fee. No one had to pay anything to hear me speak. If they wanted to donate a free will gift to the ministry I work for to help fight racism and spread the gospel of Jesus Christ they were told they were welcome to but it was not required. They were certainly welcome to hear me for free. Therefore I have proven you to be a liar. I would have loved to have talked to you in person but you didn’t have the intestinal fortitude to come say these things to my face when I was in town. You have taken the easy way out by making up lies about me on your little blog. The good news is the people who were there know the truth, and they know you have lied!
It is apparent that you do not believe in God, and that is your choice, but to put others down that do, well it just goes to show you are an anti-Christian prejudice bigot that probably has never done anything significant in his life, which explains why you are running your mouth off on the net and not writing for a major news source.
You obviously have a prejudice against those who are successful. I call it jealously. Could it be that you are either a bludger on the dole or a bogan?
I would like to ask you just what is it that you have done to stop the spread of hate groups and racism? That’s what I thought…nothing! The day you can match my record when it comes to fighting racism and promoting civil rights like I have for the last twenty years, then you can talk. I have helped gang members turn their lives around and leave gangs. I have helped people get out of hate groups like the Klan and the Neo-Nazis. I visit the jails and prisons to help those who have made mistakes with their lives to turn themselves around, and guess what? I never receive any money for that. The prisoners have no money to give or to help the ministry I work for and neither do the kids in the schools. I volunteer my time. How often do you go to those places to give them hope and encouragement? Yet you bag me out and put me down for the work I am doing.
Apparently you would rather see me still in the Klan and promoting racism. The fact that you took the time to come out against what I am doing says a lot for your character and your true agenda. You obviously do not want people taking a stand against the Klan. Since you are against what I am doing, that means you are on the other side. I hope you turn your life around but until then, at least now everyone in Wangaratta and Wondonga knows now that you are a liar and a fraud.
Thanks Johnny for taking the time to respond to my “little blog”.
I don’t think it’s necessary to brand me “a liar and a fraud” though. I admit that I made a presumption that you would charge a fee for your talks. I’m sure you’re remunerated somehow though (probably by ‘the ministry’) and that somehow your world-wide travelling expenses, accommodation etc are also met by those to whom you preach.
I’m not an “anti-Christian prejudice bigot”. Nor am I “prejudiced against those who are successful” or “a bludger on the dole or a bogan.” I run a successful business.
Good for you if you’re sincere in your work but my point is I don’t think we need the ex-Imperial Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan to tell us what we already know – that the KKK are an evil bunch of hate-mongering morons.
I’m sorry if you’re offended by my scepticism of the value of your work and its relevancy to Australia but, as you would no doubt agree … thank God for free speech, eh?
Enjoy your visit to Australia but don’t forget it’s not exactly the Southern States of the USA. Cheers.
Christ! I bet you weren’t expecting that Ray.
By the way I think the Fremantle players have taken your advice.
With all due respect, Mr Clary, after reading your comment above, you come across as a wee bit over-sensitive and employ some rather unsubstantiated accusations against Ray yourself. You also sound like you have a healthy ego, talking up your anti-racism crusading achievements, rather than being humble about them. I thought humility was something Christians strive for.
Turn to Jesus.
Also, what’s a seppo like you brandishing Aussie slang like “bogan” around, anyway?
Don’t be silly, Bron. American Evangelists are well known for their humble demeanours, and in no way seek to frighten people into emptying their wallets…..oh wait.
I wondered about that too, Bron. Do they say “bogan” in the US? I think they say “trailer trash” or, in the KKK’s case, “white trailer trash”.
He’s speaking in tongues Ray. With the help of the Macquairie dictionary.
“I call it jealously.”
He got that right.
Yeah, he “jealously” called me a liar, a fraud and … a bogan (has he seen my wardrobe?)
And I’m so ‘jealous’ of him. I wish I were an ex-KKK nutter, that would ‘turn my life around’.
Ah, thought so. I thought I’d seen him on TV. It just doesn’t sound like the same bloke. Where did he go wrong?!
Yeah, interesting transcript Bron. But unfortunately Denton didn’t go any deeper than his KKK days and his reform from that (well, Denton is not exactly the greatest ‘in depth’ interviewer, is he?) and he actually made Clary sound half-decent. Maybe he is ‘half decent’ but I still get the feeling he’s just another US evangelist cashing in on his notoriety and sucking dumb, scared little people dry.
I seem to recall (I am very very old) that Christ actually didn’t go around being aggressive and accusing people. He was more into peace and love and forgiveness. That post didn’t sound very loving to me.
Dangerous people, “evangelists”.
Which might go to prove that you can take the boy out of the Klan, but you can’t take ….
It might be some black humour he is using here.
I can’t imagine a performer like him endeavouring to garner support for his gospelling would make such a public and shameful exhibition albeit on this humble blog.
If this is how he reacts to heckling, crikey thank the lord he doesn’t have access to a gun backstage. He would make Chopper Read blush. Puts tin hat on.
“Black” humour? Oh … he’d be good at that.
I attended a church meeting in Perth many years ago where Johnny Lee Clary was the speaker, I am still impressed with his speach and believed and was inspired by the whole thing.
Oh, he’d be convincing alright – in his own special way. Most evangelists are.