KKK Halloween Costume, Burning Cross: Oklahoma Mayor’s Husband, Cary Sharp, Says Sorry For KKK Burning [Video]
The image of a man and several friends in KKK costumes, with burning torches near a cross on Halloween, has gone viral on social media. This image comes on the heels of the Anonymous hacktivist group releasing what they say are the names, emails, and phone numbers onto Pastebin of alleged KKK members. It’s a list on Pastebin that will reportedly grow to include 1,000 alleged KKK members, but in the meantime, no one is laughing at the photo of “prank” KKK members on Halloween that turned about to be the husband of an Oklahoma mayor.
As reported by WLWT, Cary Sharp thought it would be fun to dress up in a KKK costume for Halloween. However, when the photo of Cary and his friend dressed up as KKK members, complete with burning crosses and everything, went viral on social media, Sharp found himself saying sorry.
Theresa Sharp is the Oklahoma mayor who found herself in front of cameras, seemingly nearly crying over her husband Cary’s KKK costume antics. The town in question is Lahoma, a tiny town in Garfield County, Oklahoma, that only held just over 600 people, as counted by the 2010 census. Mayor Sharp called the action “stupid” after it was revealed that it was the mayor’s own husband underneath the KKK hoods with several of his friends on Halloween.
As reported by News 9, the troubling KKK photo was initially called a KKK “Halloween prank” by the Garfield County sheriff. However, the small town of Lahoma got put on the map in a big way after the KKK photo went viral. The Lahoma mayor insists she was not a part of the KKK party, replete with burning crosses and KKK hoods, but Theresa said she was elsewhere.
Cary’s KKK costume shocked some, and made others ashamed that such behavior would be attributed to their town. Sharp’s was the KKK costume heard around the world, even if Cary claims there wasn’t a burning cross in the viral photo. The KKK-like activities were reported to authorities. Cary thought his KKK costume would be funny, not infuriating.
“Sit around the bonfire and drink a couple of beers and thought well my buddy his last name is White and the subject got brung (sic) up. We just thought it’d be something to do and it’s not something to do. I am embarrassed. I’ve shamed my family and friends and I apologize for that.”
As for Mayor Sharp, she didn’t mince words about how inane she thought her husband’s KKK costume was, along with his friends’ KKK get-ups.
“I just don’t condone it regardless of who it is whether it’s my husband or Joe Smith around the corner. It’s not anything that I think needs to be represented for our community at all.”
After the men were asked to remove their KKK costumes, they did so. The also put out the burning bonfire. Although the KKK costumes were offensive, they didn’t break any laws, say the initial reports about the incident. However, the incident report will be given to the DA’s office for further review.
Okla. Mayor Apologizes After Husband, Friends Dress Up as KKK, Carry Burning Torches https://t.co/aOq4Glldmu pic.twitter.com/DRjyIIroKE
— Southern Poverty Law Center (@splcenter) November 2, 2015
Meanwhile, the mayor appeared contrite on camera for her husband’s KKK costume and the KKK costumes of three other men with him that night, and the fact that it happened on the mayor’s property. Apologies to the community and the public abounded. Besides wearing the KKK costumes and lighting a fire near or on a cross, the men also took a golf cart, which frightened the community.
[Image via Twitter / ShaunKing]
