Risqué halloween costumes often catch our eye. We question the political correctness of people “blacking up”, worry about the morality of people impersonating murderers and even marvel at the ingenuity of guys causing havoc dressed as traffic cones.

But surely this one’s gotta be up there with the worst of them all. Lahoma Mayor – not Oklahoma, although Lahoma is in Oklahoma – Theresa Sharp, 47, has had to defend her husband saying he “meant no harm” when he and a few of his mates dressed up as Ku Klux Klan members and placed a cross beside a fire.

A photo of the men was posted online and quickly went viral, triggering intense criticism and cries of bigotry. Does this look OK to you?

Probably not, probably definitely not. Theresa Sharp said the outcry has also included calls for her resignation. Here’s what she had to say about that:

I have no intention of doing so.

She added that her husband, Cary Sharp, 47, had simply made:

Some very bad choices,

It’s four good ol’ boys sitting around drinking and things got out of control.

“Four good ol’ boys” just sitting about, reenacting the actions of America’s original terrorists, responsible for the death of thousands of blacks and terrifying many more.

According to The Southern Poverty Law Center’s “hate map”, two Neo-Nazi groups operate in Oklahoma, as well as the “Aryan Strikeforce” – just a bunch of racist skinheads, but not the KKK as such.

The closest Klan members according to the map operate across state lines in Texas and Arkansas but not Oklahoma.

To be fair to them, and obviously the KKK is never ok, but if Oklahoma lacks in real KKK activity, you might be able to understand Sharp’s reasoning here:

They didn’t see the harm in dressing up as the KKK, in comparison to other people dressing up as murderers and bombers.

Neighbours were understandably upset, but when sheriffs told the men to stop, they did. No charges were filed against the men. I guess that’s fair, never dress up as a Klan member though, whatever you do. Just plain stupid. Even the former Grand Wizard of the KKK knows that now.