We survived!

Baby Bug and I both survived the last 3 weeks. I've had to go into the office for training instead of working from home. Given her history, I was concerned about how she would react to being alone for about 12 hours a day, 5 days a week. But other than occasionally walking me to the door and looking very sad as I left, and being a bit more forceful and insistent when requesting attention in the evenings, she seems to be ok. I'm very glad that she still seems to feel safe and loved, even when I have to leave her alone for long stretches. And that she feels safe enough to ask (demand!) attention from me. I read today that the KKK is planning a rally in Memphis sometime in the near future. First of all, it's hard for me to comprehend why anyone would want to be a part of the KKK. But, putting that aside, the Memphis city council has voted to disallow the wearing of masks during parades and large gatherings of people. Reading the comments, most of the people, while they were not condoning the KKK, feel that by not allowing them to wear masks violates the KKK's freedom of speech. The most often used example was Muslim women wearing burkas. So does that mean that the KKK wears the white hoods as a symbol of their religious beliefs? I personally don't views the KKK as a religious entity. To me, the KKK feels like a group wanting to spread prejudice, violence (lynchings, shootings, etc) and hatred. Are those truly religious beliefs? Burkas are worn (to my understanding anyway) due to modesty beliefs in the Muslim religion. Are the KKK truly modest, or are they unwilling to show their identity while spreading their views? And granted, since their views are not always accepted quietly, there may be backlash if their identities are known. Now, I'm no fan of the Westboro Baptist Church, but they believe that they are doing God's will, and don't need feel the need to hide behind masks. I believe in free speech, but also feel that with that freedom comes responsibility. If the KKK is truly convinced that their views are right, then (in my mind at least) they should be strong enough, and brave enough to speak their mind and not have to hide who they are.