burning cross perp arrested. says he's didn't know the historical context

[John1956PA]

5. Nighttime cross burnings are terrifying. This daytime stunt is weird, but still repugnant.

Nighttime cross-burning displays were common in the 1920s, even here in Western Pennsylvania. I think the frequency of those displays waned in the 1930s, and that they essentially came to an end here in Western Pennsylvania by the time World War II began.

As an aside, I will mention that, when I was a kid, I watched the movie "Storm Warning" (1951) which stars Ginger Rogers, Ronald Reagan, Doris Day and Steve Cochran. The terror of Klan tactics and intimidation (including nighttime cross burnings) is strikingly presented in the film.