Inaccurate history okay for Civil War park event

A federal judge in St. Louis has ruled in favor of a Ku Klux Klan splinter group that was denied a permit by state officials to hold a barbeque at Fort Davidson State Historic Site even if the group had included historical inaccuracies in its application and fliers.

U.S. District Judge Rodney Sippel said the Traditionalist American Knights of the Ku Klux Klan cannot be denied a permit to use the park that includes the Pilot Knob battlefield just because of the content of its speech or message. Even if everything the group has to say is incorrect, Sippel said, "They do have the right to say it."

However, the event scheduled for Saturday may not take place because of financial concerns, according to reporter Robert Patrick's story in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.