LEESBURG, Va. — The candy in the plastic bag was sweet, the messages that accompanied it were filled with hate.
Several residents in neighborhoods surrounding historic Leesburg, Virginia, were surprised and angered to find plastic bags containing hate literature from the Ku Klux Klan in front of their homes Sunday.
Each bag contained a few pieces of candy and three sheets of paper containing cartoons and literature from the KKK.
The cartoon read: “Attention White America! We are nearing the end of the line,” and warned of “white extinction.”
The literature villainized African-Americans, Jews and liberals, and included the insignia for the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan.
Several neighbors who received the bags called them intrusive and unwanted, and described the KKK’s message as vile.
Leesburg police investigated the literature, to ensure it didn’t target any specific residents, but acknowledged that hate speech is covered by the First Amendment.
Police spokesman Sam Shenouda said the literature appeared to be an attempt to recruit KKK members.
“We have shared the information with our federal partners and will continue looking into the incident,” Shenouda said.
Leesburg is one of several cities considering the future of Confederate statues.
Residents in other states, including Texas, New York, North and South Carolina, New Jersey, California and Michigan have found plastic bags containing candy and KKK literature in recent years, according to news reports.
