Sunday, August 27, 2006

NO HATE IN GETTYSBURG

Floyd Cochran arrived in Gettysburg and went right to work. With three interviews under his belt, and after speaking to a crowd of over 1400 people, he sounded upbeat and ready for another day. Check out the video of an excellent interview at the battlesite: HERE.

Well, Floyd is off to Gettysburg where he will spend this week speaking to number of groups and schools in the area. Community Unity has done a fantastic job of pulling the community together in taking a stand against the Klan who is planning to rally at the Gettysburg Memorial next Saturday.

This article gives Floyd's schedule of "public" engagements. There are several others that are not open to the public. It also tells us of the other activities being held during the week and on September 2nd. We will be bringing you updates throughout the week.

TO THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Former supremacist to speak on civil rights


Civil rights activist's events lead up to Klan rally Sunday

By ANGIE MASON
Daily Record/Sunday News



At bottom: · Cochran's schedule · Sept. 2 events · On the web
Aug 27, 2006 — Floyd Cochran expects to be tired by the end of this week.
The former white supremacist, now a civil rights activist, will speak at several Gettysburg-area locations and schools this week before the World Knights of the Ku Klux Klan rolls into town for a protest Sunday.

Cochran was invited by the organizers of Community Unity Day, an event being held the same day as the Klan's demonstration.

Cochran will speak about his own life. He became involved with the Ku Klux Klan at age 14 and worked with the racist movement for about 20 years, he said. He was a recruiter and spokesman for the Aryan Nation at one point, his Web site says.

In 1992, he renounced his racist beliefs and began speaking out against them the following year, according to the site.

"It is just fascinating to understand the mind of how the Klan works and how the supremacists work," said the Rev. Judith Guasch, one of the organizers of Community Unity Day. Cochran is "just amazing to talk to. To hear his full presentation will be very informative and educational."

Cochran said he's been impressed with how quickly the unity event was put together.

"Any tourist in town will know that this is Gettysburg, not the folks over here in white sheets," he said.

The unity event is one of several activities planned to counter the Klan's demonstration, which leaders said was planned to protest the war in Iraq and promote white unity.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans will host speakers at the Gettysburg Battlefield Amphitheater at Pitzer's Woods on West Confederate Avenue.

Speakers will address the history of their organization and the Klan, to show "there's definitely no connection between the battle flag, the Klan and the Sons of Confederate Veterans," said James Palmisano, Pennsylvania division commander for the group.

Klan leader Gordon Young dismissed the multitude of counter events as "silly" Friday and said he's used to such activity. The demonstration is going on as planned, he said.



Reach Angie Mason at 771-2048 or amason@ydr.com.



Cochran's schedule
· 7 p.m. Monday at Fairfield Mennonite Church, Fairfield. Seating is limited.

· 7 p.m. Tuesday at Unitarian Universalists of Gettysburg, Gettysburg. Seating is limited.

· 7 p.m. Wednesday at Knott Auditorium, Mount St. Mary's University, Emmitsburg, Md.

· 7 p.m. Thursday at Christ Chapel, Gettysburg College, Gettysburg.




top

Sept. 2 events
Events taking place Sunday, Sept. 2:

· World Knights of the Ku Klux Klan demonstration, 1 p.m., lawn of the Cyclorama Center

· 37th Texas Cavalry counter protest, lawn of the Cyclorama Center

· Community Unity Day, noon to 5 p.m., Gettysburg Recreation Park

· Sons of Confederate Veterans speakers, 1 p.m., Gettysburg Battlefield Amphitheater on West Confederate Avenue

· Gettysburg College Diversity Celebration Picnic, noon to 4 p.m., Stine Lake






On the web
http://www.citizensagainsthate.com

http://www.adamsunity.org

Saturday, August 26, 2006

Separate But Equal Opportunity


Divisionary issues and tactics are usually the things that anti-racists fight against vehemently. In a world that is constantly labeling and dividing its' peoples along the lines of race, religion, ethnicity, and sexual orientation the multicultural tableau takes one hell of a beating.

Others have often marveled at the American landscape of diversity and how well it all works together. In fact, this amazing achievement may well be our crowning glory - our most venerable triumph.

Rather than celebrating this stunning accomplishment, however, there are those who exploit it, those who decry it, and those who loathe it. As we move further into the 21st Century it appears that extremism will be the fare of the day. It also appears that the extremism will be further fueled by extreme sports, extreme music, and reality TV.

Recently CBS announced their air date and time along with the changes for this year's Survivor series to the consternation of many, including veteran viewers. Waning in the popularity polls and drawing fire over its' obvious lack of minority participants, the producers desperation manifested itself in a bizarre and heavily criticized twist.

Normally, Survivor is made up of sixteen contestants. This year there will be 20 - five white, five Hispanic, five Asian, and five African-Americans. And, if you haven't already heard, there will be four teams divided along racial lines. In other words, the Race War starts here?

Admitting that they realized that their decision would be a controversial one, the Producers emphatically denied that the decision was made to improve the ratings. Jeff Probst, the host of the show said, "It's very risky because you're bringing up a topic that is a hot button. There's a history of segregation you can't ignore. It is part of our history."

Probst went on to tell the Associated Press, "For that, it's much safer to say, 'No, let's just stick with things the way they are. Let's don't be the network to rock the boat. Let's not have "Survivor" try something new, but the biases from home can't affect you. This is an equal opportunity game."

Survivor might very well be an equal opportunity game, but is dividing the contestants on racial lines but what is the potential blowback of such an action? To say in one breath that the history of segregation cannot be ignored and then claim equality is an absolute throwback to the whole "Separate but Equal" tenet that ruled this country shamefully.

The pot of gold at the end of the series of one million cool ones might be enough to allow the contestants to set aside the obvious racial issues that are sure to arise, and the producers may truly believe that they can handle this situation responsibly. But the question still remains - are they oblivious to how far this could set back the progress that has been made towards multicultural acceptance.

The road to equality has been an arduous one. People have died and blood has been shed. Although the battle is not yet over, the gains made in the areas of civil and human rights have been commendable. Anything that threatens those accomplishments should be met directly and resisted at all costs. Throughout cyber-space there are those vowing not to watch this season. To them I would say - Oh! Please DO watch. Watch and listen not only to the show but to what is being said by the conservatives, by the shock-jocks, by the racists, and by everyday people. And when racism raises its' ugly head, have a verbal slap down handy - because the fight just took on a whole new look.

Personally, I believe this move to be reprehensible. To say that I am disappointed that, supposedly responsible, adults have stooped to this level in order to make a buck would be a gross understatement. All-in-all, however, it just means that we have to be more vigilant and more active. It also means that we all need to be citizens against hate who take up the banner of multicultural acceptance. Nothing that divides us is good.

Please join us at CITIZENS AGAINST HATE
and for up to the minute news, check out ONE PEOPLES RADIO

Thursday, August 24, 2006

NO HATE IN GETTYSBURG


Well, the Klan may be going to Gettysburg next week, but they won’t get much in the way of recognition from the good folks in Adams County. From the way it’s shaping up, the Klan will be shouting at the members of its’ own choir while Adams County residents have a beautiful day in the park celebrating their diversity and strengthening their unity.

Much hard work and commitment has gone into the festivities of Septemeber 2, when the Klan will attempt to spew its’ poisonous message to the few who will gather. But it isn’t just about September 2nd. Turning a negative into a positive is precisely what has happened with Community Unity. Utilizing all their great resources, this group has garnered support from churches, local businesses, and various organizations to make the week prior to the arrival of hate one that is educational and informative.

Starting today Community Unity will provide a seminar on “What to Do When Hate Comes to Town” that will feature the following speakers:

Ann Van Dyke, the PA Human Relations Commission

Timothy Johnson, US Department of Justice, Community Relations Service

Lt. John Bey, PA State Police, Heritage Affairs Officer

Harold Dunbar, Civil Rights Enforcement Section, PA Office of Attorney General

From the 28th of August until the grand finale, the guest speaker around town will be our very own Floyd Cochran.
During the Klan rally, the citizens of Adams County, by and large, plan on ignoring their bigotry and enjoying a wonderful summer day in the park with tons of food and activities.

This celebration of diversity will provide a direct contrast to the litany of hate brought to the community by those who wish to disturb and distrupt the beauty that is truly America.

We, at Citizens Against Hate, send our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to those in Adams County who have worked so dilligently to counter the message of hate that will fail because of their efforts. This is what Citizens Against Hate is all about – communities saying no to hate while making the world a little kinder and a little gentler.

During the coming week we will be bringing you updates from Adams County so be sure and check back daily. Until then, listen to Floyd’s interview of Reverend Judy Gaush from Community Unity – it will make you proud.

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

BLOOD-LETTING or It Ain't Over Til It's Over

Photo by Isis

When the blood-letting began with the National Socialist Movement and the unveiling of “Satan’s Gate,” it was anyone’s guess where this would all end up. The only thing that we knew for sure was that the casualties were high and the fall-out would continue for quite sometime.

Watching the posturing and chest-pounding has been a great source of amusement for us, and often we suffered tennis-neck from the continuous volleys that ensued. Seeing the National Socialist Movement suffer some crippling blows was well worth all of the hard work and late nights that went into bringing about their fall. However, seeing Bill White bite the dust has certainly been the most rewarding.

Last week we knew that White had stepped on some very large toes and that the fall-out wasn’t over. When Bill had Terrible Tom Metzger on his radio show which aired on the Turner Network, it was obvious that Tom was trying to sway Bill to his way of thinking. Of course, Bill White’s ego wasn’t about to kow-tow to the likes of Metzger or anyone else for that matter. Bill became irritated and instructed Hal Turner to cut Metzger off. Turner complied and we knew that White’s days were not only numbered but repercussions were inevitable. No one in the “Movement” cuts Tom Metzger off.

Last night White’s show aired again. As he girlishly gushed over the first issue of the National Socialist (a magazine from his new group American National Socialist Workers Party) being published, and ranted against the Canadian government in almost taunting fashion, we listened and wondered how much longer he could hold on.

Since the break-up of the National Socialist Movement and the scurrying of the rats jumping ship, Bill has been unable to control himself. In true egomaniacal fashion, he has been airing the NSM’s and their supporters’ dirty laundry on an almost daily basis. What he was unsure of he made up. Thinking that there were dozens of NSM members who would much rather follow him than the likes of Jeff Schoep and a rag-tag outfit that was going no where, Bill started his own group. The hand full of people who hang out with Bill is just that. Week after week he tries to get his supporters to call in and week after week he has been embarrassed.

Oh, they have lofty ideas: uniforms; logos; slick publications; letterhead; and becoming the “premier hate group.” Fat chance. Virtually everyone of import in the movement has washed their hands of Bill White. He has become the pariah of the hate movement. An endorsement by White is considered the kiss of death. From the neo-Nazi’s to David Duke’s eunuchs, Bill White is shunned like the plague and after last night’s radio show the one hand that reached out to him is now tucked safely out of sight behind Hal Turner’s back.

During the broadcast White took issue, once again, with Tom Metzger who had earlier made comments about the Confederate flag with which Bill disagreed. He told Tommy – “You don’t know Jack.” While we were laughing at his stupidity it got worse. When a caller from the Creativity Movement (f.k.a.World Church of the Creator) in Florida asked about the Vinlander’s Social Club, we knew that something was going down. Bill started naming members of the group and characterizing them as Federal Informants and worse. One after another their names rolled out of that phony Southern drawl that White has acquired. The tale of the tape, however, not everyone was able to hear those names. It seemed, for a time, that the show was having technical difficulty. We wondered among ourselves if portions had been pre-recorded then corrupted somehow. However, it appears that Turner was trying to block some of those names from going out over the air-waves.

In addition to the names that White was throwing around came the bizarre invitation by White to the Vinlanders to come to Roanoke and find him and assuring them that he would kill them. White has long come under fire for turning fellow nationalists into law enforcement or taking them to court. Promising to off the Vinlanders took his questionable loyalty to a whole other level.

Now, after “Satan’s Gate,” Hal Turner pulled the plug on the NSM show and Bill White bought the time slot with Hal’s blessings. Initially, during the fray that took place, Hal and Bill got pretty crossways with each other and Bill White published a lot of fabricated things about Hal and what was happening. Once they kissed and made up, we speculated that Bill’s deep pockets had been tapped pretty good by Hal “Send Me The Money” Turner.

But after last night’s airing, money didn’t seem to mean as much to Hal as the number of people that Bill White was alienating. In a rather comical move today, Hal Turner terminated the Bill White radio show.

Of course, Bill went into his usual histrionic side-show claiming that Hal was protecting federal informants and that the Vinlanders had threatened Hal into pulling the plug.

This is pretty close to the end of the line for Bill White. He is persona non gratis in too many white power arenas to ever be effective in anything again. He has successfully and systematically burned the bridges behind him with every group or individual he has associated with in the white nationalist/neo-Nazi circle. Alex Linder, Jeff Schoep, Don Black, David Duke, Tom Metzger, and now Hal Turner have seen him for what we have been reporting him to be for years. In virtually every circle or forum of the movement the very mention of the name Bill White elicits the most extremes in derogatory remarks.

Bill White will continue on his current path for a little while longer. He now envisions hosting his own live radio show – and he might just get there from here. The difference now is those listening to and reading his words will be doing it for the comedic entertainment that it is sure to present. No one listening will take anything he says seriously, ever again. If they do, they run the risk of being ostracized by the majority.

As for Hal Turner – good move, Hal. But we will soon say au revoir to you. You see, people who attempt to incite violence against public officials and Christians who advocate attacks on churches rarely fare too well in the public eye. Now you are left with the likes of James Wickstrom, a tired and old little man without a thing to say; Dave Neesan, the “white power illuminary;” (What a joke!) and a few little KKK guys who open their mouths and prove the stereotype of the Klan weekly on your network. As for Gordon Young – uh…you have got to be kidding! You can clean him up and put him in a suit, but you can’t do much about that inbreeding. Oh yes! I almost forgot about dear Mona Montgomery! She’s a real catch for the “network,” huh? She can give all the goofballs legal advice while educating them to how the Jews ate Jesus. That’s a real panoply of white racist leaders, Hal. Keep up the good work.

Sunday, August 20, 2006

WHO'S THE REAL AMERICAN?

Photos from AP

On Tuesday, the 15th of August, Elvira Arellano was supposed to report to the Homeland Security Office in Chicago for deportation back to Mexico. Although there are current bills waiting to be addressed in Washington that would protect her nothing seemed to moving fast enough to allow her to stay here with her seven-year-old son, Saul.

Saul is an American citizen as he was born here. Saul also has a learning disability. Elvira had already been deported once before but she was willing to take the chance again in order to assure that Saul had the best in medical treatment. Believing that the current laws concerning illegal immigrants are oppressive, Elvira hoped to make a change. She became an activist and president of a group called La Familia Latina Unida and began working on reforms that would stop families from being torn apart.

In 2003, Elvira was granted a stay of deportation pending the outcome of a private relief bill in the Senate that would have made her a legal resident. The Bill, however, died. Last year two similar bills were written in the House but have yet to be acted upon.

Knowing that deportation was imminent, Elvira refused to show up at the HSC office. Instead, she sought refuge in her church - a little storefront Methodist Church in the Humboldt Park area on Chicago's West Side. Reluctant to enter a church and forcibly remove Elvira, immigration officials claimed that they would get her sooner or later and that she was no more important than any other illegal immigrant to them.

It is probable that this statement by the immigration officials was more of a smoke-screen than anything else as they really don't want to turn Elvira into a rallying point. Their attempt, however, is not faring too well. Elvira's decision to buck the order of deportation has her supporters sending emails and making phone calls, while others show their support outside of the little church.

Not all people hearing about Arellano's plight, however, are supportive. If it is possible, the actions of Elvira and the Church have served to further polarize the immigration debate that has been raging for months in this country.

Mike McGarry, acting director for the Colorado Alliance for Immigration Reform said that illegal immigrants in this country have children hoping that this will allow them to remain here and called her son Saul an "anchor baby."

Gretchen Reuthling of the New York Times reported that Emma Lozano, director of Centro Sin Fronteras, an advocacy group in Chicago, said that "she became for all of us a symbol of resistance to the unjust, broken laws of this country. This cross that she bears for all the undocumented is because she's been chosen.

Adalberto United Methodist Church sits in the heart of a Hispanic, mostly Puerto Rican, neighborhood. Its' Pastor, Rev. Walter Coleman sees helping Arellano as part of his calling. He told the New York Times, " There's a tradition in this country as well as around the world that governments respect the dignity and the faith of the church and don't trample on that." Im much more afraid of God than I am of Homeland Security."

Many across the country are wondering if Elvira's standoff with the Immigration & Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) will serve to galvanize an already heated movement. Both sides are verbalizing their feelings in very discordant fashion. None, however, have been as strident as shock-jock internet radio host, Hal Turner.

Turner, who has been increasingly violent in his rhetoric of late, has called for men, women, and children to be shot as they come across the border from Mexico and for the assassination of various government officials, posted the following on his website in regard to Ms. Arellano:

LETS DRAG HER OUT BY HER HAIR!
SPIC UNDER DEPORTATION ORDER TAKES REFUGE IN CHURCH

Was deported once already and came back again illegally! Now claims ancient right of "sanctuary." Of course, there is no law preventing government from going in there to get her, but government says they won't.

If she doesn't have to obey the law, then WE don't have to obey the law either. If she can push the government around, the WE can push it around too. I say it's time for VIGILANTE action.

I think that if she doesn't come out on her own by next weekend, I might drive to Chicago and drag her out by her hair. Who's wants to come with me?
Who wants to come with him? Well, his suggestion of "vigilante action" drew several comments from his supporters. These are but a few:
Mike said: "'ll go with you, Hal! I'm in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. That's on the way to Chicago for you. Pick me up. Someone needs to teach these spics, and our own government, a lesson that WE THE PEOPLE will NOT tolerate being pushed around in our OWN FUCKING COUNTRY!"

Nationalist Killer said: "hey im on the way too, im in Michigan! Its too dangerous to pick me up thou, i'll kill the spic whore in the church if necessary."
88 had this to offer: "shell the building with mortar rounds her right to sanctuary can be entombed beneath"

Someone using the name Disgusting Spic Animal had the following pearls of wisdom: "This CAN NOT be allowed. A late night raid into the church is called for here. Most churches now a days don't even speak the word of God. They are pussified and want to get all these filthy spics to reproduce (which I have to admit, they are good at churning out babies) and increase their number of donating members. Money donated to the chruch after it was stolen from a legal citizen!

"Sneak in, TASER her, cuff her and get her out!"

Tommy said: "Hal, gas up the car and point it towards Chicago, I'm in."
And the Pennsylvania Grand Dragon of the IKKKK, Nick Z proclaimed: "Hal I'm in Philly, I'll DEF. come with ya!!!"

Charlie Boy was definitely trying to earn some brownie points when he promised: "I am with you Hal, I'll bring some molotov cocktails."

The idea of the Molotov cocktails had to be one-upped by Scythe who said: "Drag her to the border, load her into a catapult, onager, or similar device, set her on fire, and launch her screaming, burning, spic-ass into Cockroachico as both a lesson and a warning to the rest of those fucking humanoid cockroaches."

To the one lone poster who said "Leave her alone," Hal Turner had this retort: "THAT is exactly the atitude that has gotten us into the mess we're in. NO! I will not leave her alone. Anyone who stands with or in defense of her will get some too. No matter who they are or what position they hold."

Will the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency force their way into the storefront church and extricate Elvira Arellano? They say not, but not too many believe that. Arellano claims that if she is arrested on holy grounds she will know that God wants her to be an example of the hatred and hypocrisy of the current policy of this government.

On the other hand, Rosanna Pulido, director of the Illinois Minuteman Project, told the New York Times ". Shes spewing all this anti-American stuff, Ms. Pulido said. The thing that scares me the most is her defiance, it really does."
Defiance or self-preservation? Right or wrong? The debate rages and Elvira Arellano remains behind the walls of a little church on West Division Street with her seven-year-old son, afraid to leave, and determined to stay in America.

COMMENTARY: It is difficult to write such a story in an unbiased fashion. Looking at the pictures of Elvira Arellano and her precious son, Saul, and hearing her words pull at every mother's heart strings. We all want what is right and just and best for our children. We want those things for our country and future generations to come as well.

Has Elvira Arellano broken the law? Yes she has. And, she has very little legal standing in this fight. Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, and a bevy of other activists have broken laws as well. They did so to bring about change to laws that were unfair, unjust, and inhumane. Were they wrong? I submit that even though they broke the law, they were not wrong and history makes that quite clear.

The windows of the church are now covered in letters from supporters who are wishing Elvira well. Among those letters are one from Representative Luis V. Gutierrez, Democrat of Illinois, who introduced the House legislation, and another from Mayor Richard M. Daley.

The growing population of Hispanic people in the United States frightens some. They see this as a threat to the power the white man has so cunningly wielded throughout the ages. This type of racism is based in nothing more than fear and ignorance. And speaking of fear and ignorance, there are those who, like Hal Turner, will attempt to use this situation to bolster their arguments against all non-white peoples. And, unfortunately, there are those who may see Turner's call for vigilante violence as something they want to heed.

Individuals like Hal Turner are nothing more than glory seekers who prey on the angst of others. They realize that what they say can have a very adverse affect on those who are unstable and unable to understand consequences. They bank on that and revel in being the catalyst behind the violence of another much like Matthew Hale did with Ben Smith. Eventually, however, they reap what they sow.

We at Citizens Against Hate and One People's Radio stand behind Elvira Arellano. We believe that there is no such thing as an illegal human being. We believe that Elvira has every right to choose where she wants to live and where she wants to raise her child. We find it curious that there are those who extol the virtues of America, yet cannot understand why a woman would go to such lengths to live here. As citizens of the world, we understand that Earth is a small but complex place and that human rights must be protected at all costs. We urge each and every one of you to let your voice be heard. Contact your Senators and Representatives and enlist their support of Elvira. Contact the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and tell them to let Elvira remain. And even more importantly, contact the Chicago Police and the FBI at the first indication of violence or violent intent when spewn by the likes of Hal Turner. We further suggest that law-enforcement would be much more efficient if they were to look at Hal Turner as a domestic terrorist and consider those like Arellano the victim. All they have to do is look at both and ask themselves, "WHO'S THE REAL AMERICAN?"

Send you cards and letters to Elvira Arellano at:

ADALBERTO MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
2716 West Division Street
Chicago, IL 60622, (773) 782-8464)

Send your concerns about violence to the Chicago Police Department
police@cityofchicago.org

Or to the Federal Bureau of Investigation:
2111 West Roosevelt Road
Chicago, Illinois 60608
(312) 421-6700

Saturday, August 19, 2006

NO MORE MS. NICE GUY

After much consideration and considerable debating with myself I have realized that sensible, rational, civil discussion is impossible in this forum. The time and effort that it takes to keep up with deleting garbage from the comment section of this blog would be much better spent in an area more productive.

This is truly unfortunate since many good discussions have been conducted in this forum. As seems to always be the rule, a few ignorant and selfish people spoil things for those who try to do the right thing. In retrospect, I believe that we here on this blog have been more than fair and have tried to accomodate people with all viewpoints. However, the smut, the personal attacks, and the racism that has been permeating the comments section of this blog is simply untenable and requires too much time to clean up.

From this point forward, no anonymous posters will be allowed to post in Nikki's Nest. You will have to register to post. Additionally, some articles will have a comment section only available on our new forum at CAH - including this one.

COMMENT

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Floyd Cochran - Going To Gettysburg


Often times I am asked by community activists, what they should do when a hate group/racist gang is planning on coming to their community?

My answer to the community is to turn a negative, into a positive - instead of playing into the hate group's hands, look for ways to counter their messages, use the opportunity to reach out to others in the community, find creative ways to blunt any impact the racists may have on a community.

From Project Lemonade to eduction, to offering community wide alternative events, take the ball out of the hands and hoods of the bigots.

Recently, I received such a call from people in the community of Gettysburg,Pennsylvania - the Ku Klux Klan has a permit to "rally" on the Gettysburg Battle field Saturday Sept. 2.

After speaking with residents and community activists in Gettysburg, offering ideas and suggestions, I later received a call back from them asking me if I would like to be part of their program. As a result, I will be in the Gettysburg, Pennsylvania area for six days, starting Aug. 28 thru Sept. 2 - speaking at local events, colleges, meeting with people, reaching out and helping the community of Gettysburg deal not just with the KKK and Hal Turner (racist from NJ ) but helping to put together long term goals that will deal with everyday bigotry and racism, not just when it comes with a hood and hateful rhetoric.

It is an honor to work and build relationships with the people from "Adams County Unity " who's creed is "Celebrate unity in our community" - the Adams county people have put together a whole week of activities and on the day of the KKK rally are offering alternative events that invite everyone who believes in unity, diversity and equality.

Declaring the following on the Adams County Unity web site:
"Here in Gettysburg, when others would seek to point out their reasons to spread hate, we prefer to unify in love and friendship as a gathered people living in the Adams County area.

"It does not matter the color of your skin or hair, your age or beauty, gender or sexual orientation, marital status or religion...all are welcome; all are friends!"

With that I ask all my friends Pennsylvania and elsewhere to join with the people of Adams county during the week of August 28 Thur Sept. 2 to help us build Unity in the community.

During the week of August 28 till Sept. 2,while I am in the Gettysburg area, I will keep you posted on the activities and happenings via our friends at citizens against hate web site:

Hope to see you all in Gettysburg - Floyd

One Peoples Radio and Citizens Against Hate

Saturday, August 12, 2006

EXTREMES

Video games, sports, movies, music, and society, in general, are often peppered with extremes in one form or another and with every generation the envelope is pushed just a little further. Thrill seeking, adrenaline rushes, how high, how far, how fast, how big, etc. seems to define that search for the utmost in whatever the endeavor.

Reality shows leave us breathless, exhilarated, or shaking our heads at the lengths some people will go to for fortune, fame, or just one moment of ecstatic accomplishment. All of this begs the question, how extreme is too extreme?

In summer extreme heat is responsible for the deaths of many people just as extreme cold is in winter. In sports, death and injuries are not at all uncommon and the statistics rise even higher with the nature of the challenge. Over the last three decades movies and television have come under great criticism as the violence and sex portrayed is decried as unnecessary and without reason.

Music has experienced its’ own share of extremes with the genres of rap, gothic, death metal, and hatecore. Lyrics have become brutal and often gruesome and without melodic content. Often the lyrics are hateful and hurtful and, unfortunately, most appreciated by the youth.

But extremism isn’t reserved just for sports, or the arts, or games. Just as those areas seem to increase in fanaticism so does crime, fashion, and even our speech or the acceptance, thereof.

The ideology of white nationalism or neo-Nazism has long been considered the dogma of the “lunatic fringe.” However, as society becomes more tolerant and accepting of other forms of extremism, the intemperate speech of those who adhere to those tenets becomes more strident, more obstreperous than ever before.

While lobbyist groups take to the Hill in an effort to censor or curb the extremes of certain sports, music, games, etc., little is done to hinder the spoken word for to do so, would surely mean the demise of the Constitution and all that is protected under that document. Yet, it is interesting to note that in the area of extreme sports much has been and is being done to make such activities safer. Within music, many rap artists have chosen to make their lyrics reflective of everyday life without the extreme obscenities that have generally characterized the genre. Congress has insisted that movie-makers, at the very least, issue a parental rating scale with each new production and the same is true with video games.

Given the obvious attempt to provide safety or some sort of warning when it comes to certain areas of our lives, it is difficult to understand the hesitancy to provide the same when it comes to the incitement of violence by a public figure. Take, for example, Hal Turner.

Hal turner is an internet radio shock-jock who is racist, anti-Semitic, and who considers himself to be the great white hope and somewhat of a messiah when in reality, he is a bigoted, though talented, blow-hard with a microphone and a penny-ante broadcasting network.

Turner has long been lambasted by the anti-racist crowd for his bilious defamation of non-whites, Jews, and homosexuals. Recently he has turned his wrath to illegal immigration and those who are Jewish.

In 2005, Turner offered himself up as a “leader” in the white supremacist movement, saying “"There is a leadership vacuum in the pro-white movement and it looks like I'm going to have to step up and fill the position. I'm ready if you'll have me. Because the people who have been saying, 'Oh violence, you can't talk violence,' you're fags. You have achieved nothing. Get out of the way.


"If you want social change in this country, if you want the homos shoved back in the closet, if you want the border with Mexico sealed, if you want the illegal aliens rounded up and deported out of the country, if you want the niggers and the spics to stop beating up, raping, robbing white people; well, guess what folks, it's going to take violence. ... That's the reality. It is going to take violence."


Since that point he has advocated murder and genocide on a routine basis and continuously attempts to incite others to violence both on his internet broadcast and his website. For most in the anti-racist movement it is difficult to understand how such outright cries for wholesale blood-letting can go unnoticed or unpunished – especially in a post September 11th world.

Last year, August Kreis, new head of Aryan Nations, announced that he wanted to form an alliance with Al Qaeda, for the purpose of “instilling the same jihadic feeling in our people.” Earlier this year, Kevin Alfred Strom of National Vanguard sent a letter to the Iranian government hoping to do much the same thing. This seems to be the trend – and Hal Turner wanted on the bandwagon.

Attempting to capitalize on the unfortunate events that have unfolded between Israel and Lebanon, Hal Turner has decided that helping Mid-Eastern warriors to cleanse the area of all Jews would be in the best interest of all white people therefore he is now calling upon those Middle-Eastern terrorists, along with other “White Patriots,” to commit murder both in the Middle-East and here at home.
With headlines such as:

WANT REVENGE?
TIRED OF ISRAELI VIOLENCE AGAINST INNOCENT PEOPLE?
WANT TO RETALIATE?
HERE'S WHERE THE JEWS LIVE! !


"The Hal Turner Show" is pleased to provide this detailed information on where jews live in the New York City area! Have fun!

Of the 1.67 million people in Jewish households who live in New York City and Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester counties, 84% live in 26 Jewish neighborhoods.

Moreover, one out of four people in Jewish households live in five areas: BROOKLYN: Flatbush/Midwood/Kensington (107,800), Borough Park (82,600), MANHATTAN: Upper East Side (73,300), Upper West Side (71,800), and WESTCHESTER CONTY Central/Southeastern Westchester (64,300).
And…

Target List?
LOCATION OF EVERY JEWISH TEMPLE & SYNAGOGUE IN USA
JEWS SHOULD BE "CONFRONTED" OVER THE MURDERS DONE BY THEIR GOVERNMENT

The link below will allow you to find the location of EVERY jewish Temple and Synagogue in the USA. I would describe this as a "target rich environment."
Hal strives to incite others to seek and destroy those targets claiming that there is no such thing as an “innocent Jew” and that if the Jews can kill innocent people then we should be able to do the same.

As we speak of extremism, it is only natural that we look at the extremism of Hal Turner. Just a few days ago, he published the following on his website:
"If it's legitimate for Israel to assassinate Palestinian and Lebanese Government officials, then it is legitimate for everyone else to assassinate Israeli Officials"

"If it is legitimate for Israel to bomb Palestinian and Lebanese Embassies, Consulates and Government Buildings, then it is legitimate for everyone else to bomb Israeli Embassies, Consulates and government buildings"

"If killing innocent civilians in Gaza and Lebanon is legitimate for Israel, then killing innocent jews is legitimate for everyone else.

“Get the ovens ready. I like my kikes well done.”

In this age of extreme goings-on, it might be natural for many to think that the above, while outrageous, is just another ‘over-the-top’ ranting of some shock jock and that no one would take him seriously – no one in their right mind, at least.
Well…let’s see what some of his “fans” think about what Mr. Turner is suggesting. Here are some of the statements in response to Turner’s suggestions:

In response to Turner’s comment about the ovens, William the Conqueror says, “I’ll take mine dipped in hog lard, iff’n you please.”
Lou in Philly enters and asks if it is okay to kill innocent Jewish children, to which Jessica responds:

“Yes.

“We've shown mercy in the past, and we have suffered for it. The 'Final Solution' is long overdue.”

Additionally, Jessica offers to forward Michael Dell’s (Dell computers) address to Hal so that he can be added to the target list.
And…Locked and Loaded is ready…

“I'm getting really fucking bored folks, let's start killing. Give me a list of Jews in the San Joaquin area and let's get to work! Might give me your address too, so I can gather us all for a big assault.”

Justin Jew H8ter has a couple of Jews on his list for annihilation and he targets Virginia Senator George Allen:

Here's a KIKE in dire need of a rendevous with a huge BASEBALL BAT he's best buddies with SCUMBAG PIECE OF SHIT LIAR Sean Hannity who is also in dire need of a baseball bat across the face ... repeatedly untill dead dead dead !

On and on they rant leaving us questioning, once again, when is extreme too extreme? As laws and ordinances are passed governing the safety of those participating in extreme sports; as music and movies have to specify their appropriateness for certain age groups; and as the threat of terrorism, both foreign and domestic looms over us, is there not as much concern over the Hal Turner’s of the world who incite others to violence?

Even those in the racist movement openly admit that they attract more than a disproportionate share of unstable individuals. Knowing this, one would think that messages of violence such as Hal Turner perpetrates would not find themselves on public venues. As the racist right strives to put forth a new and more acceptable face to mainstream America, one would also think that antics such as Turner’s would be met with severe derision and denounced publicly.

While some individuals do take umbrage with Turner and his approach, there are far too many who cheer him on and urge him to continue his litany of hate. Sooner or later, someone WILL take Hal’s words to heart and attempt to act on them. Let’s hope that whoever that might be is unsuccessful and that Hal Turner takes the fall for his part in the crime.

Generally, extremes of any kind are not seen favorably by most of the world. Certainly, the kind of extreme speech we have discussed is not met with acceptance by many. However, as with any extreme, there will always be someone who has to go a little faster, a little higher, or a little harder. Given the state of extremes that we now have – one should wonder “what next?””How do we top that?” When talking about hate speech – the next step is really frightening – it isn’t a very big leap from talk to action these days.

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

WHO'S TO BLAME HERE?

TO ORIGINAL STORY

What a sad, sad tale this whole thing is.

July 29, 2006, 11:38PM



Suspects struggled with identities, emotions
2 suburban teens at center of brutal pipe-beating case
By BILL MURPHY
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

They met at the Crawfish Festival in Old Town Spring on a Friday night, nothing out of the ordinary for groups of teenagers in the suburbs on a weekend.


But this gathering included David Tuck and his longtime buddy Keith Turner, and that always carried the potential for disaster.

Turner, a troubled 17-year-old with a big mouth and a hair-trigger temper, had a drug problem and was prone to challenge people to fights.

And even those who counted 18-year-old Tuck as a friend knew they needed to be on guard around him, needed to gauge his state of mind. Would Tuck give them a laid-back "wazzup," or would he slip into his violent or intolerant skinhead mode?

On that particular April night, when Turner, Tuck and a 15-year-old girl named Holly met up at the Laser Rage with Gus Sons and his Hispanic friend, things seemed cool.

Tuck "didn't start any crap or anything," said Holly, who asked that her family name not be used.

The group passed the evening uneventfully. They later stood by a store, looking like any other youths waiting for relatives to pick them up and schlep them elsewhere.

For Turner, Sons and his 17-year-old friend, the choice was to head to Sons' home in Spring and party. Initially, Tuck declined the invitation, but he hastily changed his mind as Sons' mom pulled up to give her son and friends a ride.

Within hours, for reasons still not absolutely clear, the night turned ugly and violent. The Hispanic youth ended up unconscious, naked and near death in Sons' backyard, sexually assaulted with a plastic pipe, burned by cigarettes, his face beaten nearly beyond recognition.

Tuck and Turner found themselves charged with aggravated sexual assault and facing up to life in prison.


Those who knew Tuck

Chelsea Pasquill, 21, thought that her friend David Tuck had figured out how to keep his emotions in check.

So did Pasquill's sister, 15-year-old Andrea Sulak, who continued to view him as the friendly neighborhood boy who had played with her at a Forest North subdivision pool years ago.

So, too, did Holly's 20-year-old sister, Amanda, who thought Tuck was maturing.

They all knew what would happen to him if he continued to see challenges and confrontations where others saw none. They also knew that after numerous encounters with the juvenile justice system, his next misstep could land him in an adult jail.

After his latest release from juvenile detention, an unofficial support group of girls and young women began to look out for Tuck, a handsome, fair-skinned youth with thick forearms and a solid frame that has yet to fill out.

Where others saw only a potential source of trouble, they saw promise.

They took his calls when he was feeling lonely and down. They listened when he had been drinking and was feeling like he might do something crazy. They watched TV with him until his demons went away or his anger passed. They watched over him, hoping to impart a modicum of tolerance to someone ideologically opposed to the concept.

They thought they were making progress.

"I thought he was maturing and changing," Pasquill said.


Tuck's life at home

Tuck's parents, Sherri and Henry "Butch" Tuck, divorced when David was 1. While raising her three children, Sherri Tuck often worked the second shift at a restaurant, sometimes sleeping late the next day. She wasn't always on hand to supervise her kids.

Butch Tuck saw David every other weekend, at most. The boy had few good role models. Into this vacuum stepped Sammy Bohanon, a half-brother 11 years his senior.

As an older teen, Bohanon dabbled in Satanism, but he ultimately settled on neo-Nazi beliefs after reading Hitler's Mein Kampf, Butch Tuck said.

Through the years, Bohanon flitted among several skinhead groups, including the Hammerskins and the Aryan Circle, said Butch Tuck and Fred Lee, stepfather of Bohanon's former girlfriend, Nichole Perkins.

Bohanon's skinhead friends became Tuck's friends. Some lived off and on in the Tucks' one-story, modest home on Nutwood in Spring's Forest North subdivision, a few miles west of Interstate 45, where they often partied. Bohanon liked to hold forth after getting a few drinks in him.

"He wanted to sit there and talk about Hitler being a religious leader," Lee said. "All he wanted to do was get up on a soapbox and preach. Tuck would just preach what Sammy taught him."

Bohanon, now 29, had an odd, disturbing appearance then. Hitler's face was tattooed on his chest, and he had other skinhead tattoos on his body.

Not only did he sport the bald dome favored by skinheads, he also shaved his eyebrows. He gave Amanda and others the creeps, in part, by cultivating the perception that he was unpredictable.

Once when she, her then common-law husband, Mark Smith, and others were partying, Bohanon picked up her pet iguana and stuck the reptile's head in his mouth. Amanda was stunned even though he didn't hurt the creature.

Butch Tuck and his second wife, Kathey, unsuccessfully tried to combat Bohanon's influence when the younger Tuck visited them on weekends at their north Houston home.

Kathey Tuck taught her stepson Bible stories and once gave him a crucifix. He told her how it came to be mistreated after he took it home. "Sammy broke the head off on purpose," she said.

In time, Tuck's visits to his father's home became less frequent. He preferred the unstructured environment of his mother's home.

"He would not come have a life with me because there's a set of rules to live by here," said Butch Tuck, a line worker in a jet-parts factory.

Even though some had a low opinion of his half-brother, Tuck admired him.

"He was brainwashed," Lee said. "He thought his big brother was God. David is really a victim of Sammy."


Turner's story

At Klein Collins High and out on the street, Keith Turner was hard not to notice. He moved, talked and dressed like a rapper or a gang member.

Kids at Klein Collins have a name for white guys like him — "wiggers," said Paige Strother, 15, who dated him two years ago.

He dressed the part as well, wearing T-shirts and black baggy pants or shorts that he allowed to ride far below his waist. He favored rap music.

Privately, Strother and her friends viewed Turner's mannerisms as a bit of a joke.

For Turner, playing the role of a wigger also meant acting menacing. He isn't a big fellow, but he has a big mouth, frequently confronting others with a barrage of call-the-other-guy's-bluff street patter.

"He would like to start stuff all the time if he didn't like the look you were giving him," said Eddie Sulak, 17, a Klein Collins student who knew Turner. "He was always starting a fight."

Turner grew up in a long, two-family, white-shingle house on Stargrass, a street near Forest North and Dovemeadows, the subdivision where Gus Sons lived.

The yard is shaded by tall trees. Beneath them sits a statue of St. Francis of Assisi. Water gurgles in a small fountain. His grandmother lives next door.

Turner and Tuck became friends while attending Schindewolf Intermediate School, part of the Klein Independent School District.

Back then, Tuck shared Turner's admiration for rappers. A photo of Tupac Shakur hung on Tuck's bedroom wall, and Tuck talked like a rapper, said Jessica Skains, 17, his former girlfriend.

Tuck "used to try to be ghetto," said Skains, who became his girlfriend when they were in the seventh grade and didn't break up with him until early 2005. "When he was younger, he didn't have a problem with other races."

Despite being bombarded with anti-drug messages at school, Turner began experimenting with marijuana when he was about 11, Skains and others said.

He was soon hanging out with pink- and purple-haired Goths and other disaffected youth — and taking more potent drugs. Xanax, an anti-depressant known on the street as "bars," became his drug of choice.

He was arrested several times and served time in a juvenile detention facility. Every time he was arrested, he was high on Xanax, Skains and others said.

Turner received counseling, was put on medication and went into a rehabilitation facility, all to no avail.

"In recent years, Keith has had problems with drugs and violence," his parents said in a statement released after his most recent arrest. "The unfortunate outcome is that he continued to make bad choices."

At times, Turner's combative tendencies became too much even for Tuck, his bigger and stronger friend who would sometimes tell him to lay off somebody and chill out. And even though Turner counted minorities among his close friends, he sometimes would express racist views in Tuck's presence.

"Keith has never really known who he is," Skains said. "Sometimes he is a white supremacist. Sometimes he is a wigger. It all depends on who he is hanging out with."


What neighbors say

For years, Tuck's home on Nutwood was seen by deputies in the Precinct 4 constable's office as a potential spot for major trouble.

Neighbors felt intimidated when Bohanon, Tuck and other skinheads, drunk or high on something, would yell neo-Nazi slogans or racist comments at those walking or driving by.

Jay Sutton, who lives down the street from the Tucks and counts blacks among his friends, said Bohanon would drive by and yell insults out the window.

Precinct 4 deputies were in a bind. They wanted to avoid ordering Bohanon, Tuck and their friends to stop voicing their skinhead views because that could be construed as stepping on First Amendment rights. On the other hand, the skinheads were provoking neighbors.

Often, it was their hair-trigger tempers, not their racist vitriol, that landed Bohanon and his friends in trouble. They could and would turn on anyone regardless of race.

Five years ago, James Preece and his stepson, who are both white, felt they had to take a stand against some of the skinheads outside their Forest North home. Bohanon and a fellow skinhead, Jeremy Klintman, were walking down the street, drinking beer. Preece's wife and stepson were in their front yard. Bohanon and Klintman approached them, cursing and threatening them, a police report said.

Coming out of his garage, Preece ordered the pair off his property. Klintman threatened to kill him and his family; Preece punched him in the head. Bohanon whipped out a knife.

Preece's stepson grabbed a baseball bat from the garage, and Bohanon and Klintman retreated but later came back, each with a baseball bat. Deputies arrived before the confrontation could escalate.

Bohanon was charged with aggravated assault. Klintman was charged with making a terroristic threat.

Bohanon's rage was sometimes directed at friends and relatives.

Two years ago, he turned on Nichole Perkins, an estranged girlfriend nine years his junior who had come under his influence and lived with him for a while at the house on Nutwood.

He hadn't taken it well when their relationship soured and she moved out. He took to drinking more than usual and found solace in sad country and western music, which made him weep.

She made the mistake of going to the house to pick up something March 20, 2004, thinking he wasn't there.

But he was. They argued. Bohanon turned violent. He punched her in the face, head and back. He kicked her in the legs and spit in her face, according to a Precinct 4 constable's report. Before she could leave, he smashed her car's rear window and a side window.

He left her a phone message, saying that her mother and grandmother "are going to suffer a Doc Martin dental plan," the report said. Perkins "explained that a Doc Martin dental plan is where he would kick them in the mouth with his steel-toed boots."

Since 1996, Bohanon has been arrested more than 20 times in Harris and Montgomery counties. He has been charged with assault six times and with drunken driving and burglary.

He is serving a 28-month state prison sentence at the Dominguez unit in San Antonio for retaliation and assaulting Perkins.


Tuck in transition

In his high school years, David Tuck put away his Tupac CDs and started playing metal and punk music by Skrewdriver, the Bully Boys and other bands that promoted white-supremacist ideology or are associated with it.

He became increasingly violent, clearly influenced by Bohanon and his skinhead friends. He landed in juvenile lockups at least three times.

Once when he was drunk at a party, he became angry at a girl because she was criticizing his girlfriend at the time, Jessica Skains.

Tuck sought revenge by cutting the girl's hair with a knife. When she resisted, the knife point sank into one of her arms, causing a deep cut. She was stitched up at a hospital.

Tuck said the stabbing was accidental. A judge put him in a juvenile detention facility nonetheless, Tuck's father said.

After he was sent away for the stabbing, Skains remained loyal to Tuck and waited for him to be released.

A tall, willowy and pretty teen who is part Native American, Skains became an early member of Tuck's female support group. She disagreed with his skinhead beliefs and would tell him so. He would listen to her and sometimes calm down. But he would not be swayed by her views.

It wasn't long before Tuck's temper and skinhead beliefs landed him in juvenile court again.

In January 2003, according to police records, he was at home hanging out with skinhead buddies Mark Smith and Charles Douglas Brannan, 23, of Hockley, swapping white-supremacist views.

They headed to a convenience store on Spring Stuebner near Forest North. Brannan spotted a middle-aged Hispanic man pumping gas outside the store.

He attacked the man. Smith and Tuck later joined the fray, and the man was beaten unconscious. One or more of the attackers shouted "dirty Mexican," "border jumper," "spic" and "we kill people like you."

Tuck was arrested after he told deputies that he had kicked the man.

Brannan and Smith are serving time in federal prisons for their part in the civil rights crime. They pleaded guilty last year to using force to intimidate and interfere with the man's right to use a public accommodation because of his race, color or national origin.

It is not clear exactly how Tuck's case was adjudicated, although Skains, his father and others say he served time in juvenile detention for that or some other incident.

When he was released, he still had a hair-trigger temper.

While walking near his home, he encountered a minority child. He struck or head-butted the youth, his father and Skains said.

When deputies came to arrest him, he kicked an officer trying to put him in a cruiser. Instead of being charged with attacking the youth, Tuck was charged with assaulting a peace officer.

This time, he didn't serve his sentence at a county juvenile detention facility. He was sent to a Texas Youth Commission lockup, where more serious offenders are held.

He was released in February or March.


The scene of the crime

Gus Sons and his family lived in a rental home on Glenbranch in Dovemeadows, a subdivision of mostly newer and sometimes bigger homes than those found in nearby Forest North.

It was there that Tuck, Turner, Sons and the 17-year-old Hispanic boy gathered in April after meeting at the Crawfish Festival in Old Town Spring.

Much of what happened that night is still unclear. But left to their own devices, the teenagers did some serious partying that, fueled by drugs and liquor, spiraled into violence.

What sparked it is a matter of some dispute, but police think that, in part, it began with a kiss.

The 17-year-old victim kissed or tried to kiss Sons' 12-year-old sister, Danielle, authorities said. Showing no mercy, they said, Tuck and Turner went to work on the youth.

They punched and kicked him, with Tuck allegedly delivering damaging blows to the head with his steel-toed boots. The youth was stripped and burned with cigarettes. Bleach may have been poured on him, possibly to cover up evidence.

His skin on his chest was cut with a knife, and police are investigating whether these wounds were a failed attempt to carve a swastika.

Turner put a plastic pipe used to hold a patio umbrella in the teen's rectum, and Tuck kicked it up inside him, damaging his internal organs, authorities have said.

At least one of the suspects allegedly shouted ethnic slurs during the beating.

After they were done, they let him lie naked on his back in Sons' backyard for as long as six or seven hours.

Sons' mother called 911 at 9:49 a.m. April 23, authorities said. She apparently slept through the attack and didn't discover the traumatically injured youth until her son went out to feed the dogs.

In his only interview after his arrest, Tuck told a local television station that he was high on vodka, Xanax, cocaine and marijuana.

He and Turner were told the 12-year-old had been raped, not merely kissed, Tuck told KTRK.

"When you tell people who are on drugs something like that, you're going to fight," Tuck said. "Xanax to me is like a demon. It takes control of me."

Carlos Leon, the victim's lawyer, said he has no idea whether his client tried to kiss the girl or pocketed drugs, as has been alleged. Regardless, nothing would justify brutalizing his client the way he was, Leon said.

The boy, who is not being named since he was the victim of a sexual assault, has come a long way since he was found unconscious in Gus Sons' backyard.

He wasn't expected to survive the attack. Now, he has begun to make gains toward at least a limited recovery.

He remains at Memorial Hermann Hospital, where he recently began to walk short distances, Leon said. A tracheotomy tube, which prevented him from talking, has been removed. He can now talk but not well. He does not remember being assaulted.

Although he was kicked in the head with steel-toed boots, he does not appear to have suffered brain damage. He continues to undergo surgeries to repair damage to his internal organs and has begun rehabilitation to regain basic physical skills.

"If this had happened to someone my age, I'd be dead," said Leon, 37. "It happened to a pretty strong 17-year-old kid. That's why he's improving."


Public outcry

In late May, Turner and Tuck were indicted on a charge of aggravated sexual assault, for which they face up to life in prison if convicted.

The crime was so horrific that it spurred local minority leaders, the NAACP and the League of United Latin American Citizens to call for changes in state and federal hate-crime laws. The FBI said the current federal hate-crime law does not apply to crimes at a private home, only to discriminatory acts in public settings.

Prosecutors remain unsure whether the beating, as despicable as it was, constitutes a hate crime under Texas law.

Harris County Assistant District Attorney Mike Trent said the victim's ethnicity may not have motivated Turner and Tuck to begin assaulting him, but it may have caused them to beat him more severely.

Trent knows that some say the victim pocketed drugs and that the attack might not be a hate crime if Tuck and Turner were angry over such an act.

"I am aware of these rumors but have no evidence confirming or dispelling them," Trent said.

It also would undermine the hate-crime theory if Sons threw the first punch at the victim, another theory that has been investigated. Trent would not discuss who threw the first punch.

He also pointed out that Tuck and Turner were charged with aggravated sexual assault, not assault — the type of charge that could be brought against somebody who punched the victim.

Even if he continues to recover, the victim will never be the same, his mother has said. His parents and siblings have been devastated by the attack.

The attack has brought deep shame on Tuck's relatives who never shared his and Bohanon's ideology.

"Everybody is saying in the press, 'The Tuck family, they're a Klan gang.' That's a bunch of b.s.," said Tuck's father, Butch. "I thought I knew what it meant to be humiliated. But I've never really known what it meant to be humiliated until now."

The crime still weighs heavily in Spring. During a homeowners association meeting several weeks after the beating, Dovemeadows residents lamented how such a crime could have happened in their neighborhood.

But they would be surprised to learn how pervasive drug use is among some high school students and how much simmers beneath the surface in the area's seemingly boring, idyllic subdivisions, said Paige Strother, who dated Turner two years ago.

"There's always something going on," she said. "It's not as bright and shiny as it seems."

bill.murphy@chron.com

Hammerskin Gets Hammered


Jury convicts Rowlett carjacker on 8 federal offenses
TO ORIGINAL STORY

By JIM GIBBS Staff Writer

Gary Dale Stanley Jr., 41, of Kaufman, pictured, and his mother Margaret Menough, 58, were convicted Wednesday by a jury on eight federal counts related to a carjacking in Rowlett last year. Stanley could receive a life sentence.
It took less than 30 minutes for a federal jury in Dallas to convict Gary Dale Stanley Jr., of Kaufman, and his mother, Margaret Menough, on eight counts related to a pair of Rowlett carjackings late last year and the subsequent attempt to threaten the victims in those carjackings.

Stanley, 41, was convicted late Wednesday on two separate counts of carjacking, using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, two counts of tampering with a victim/witness and two counts of conspiracy to tamper with a victim/witness. Stanley faces up to life imprisonment and a $2 million fine for this conviction. He will be sentenced Oct. 18 by Judge Jorge A. Solis.

Menough, 58, was also charged in the indictment. She has signed documents agreeing to plead guilty to two counts of tampering with a victim/witness. She faces a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years imprisonment and a $500,000 fine.

Evidence was presented at trial that on the morning of Sept. 21, 2005, Stanley, a convicted felon and self-professed white supremacist, began a robbery spree in Rowlett, committing two carjackings, one using a loaded pistol.

Minutes after attempting to rob a Rowlett woman of money at gunpoint as she sat in her vehicle preparing to bring her daughter to school, Stanley then carjacked a Rowlett woman of her vehicle at gunpoint as she prepared to leave for work. The carjacking victim immediately called 9-1-1 and informed the authorities of what had just happened to her.

“All of the Rowlett Police officers worked very hard to bring this case to a successful prosecution,” said Lt. David Nabors, a spokesman for the Rowlett Police Department. “The jury in this case came back with a verdict in 30 minutes and I think that says a lot about the strong case we had against Stanley.”

A Rowlett officer in a marked police unit spotted the vehicle and attempted to stop it. Stanley began a high speed chase and eluded capture; however, he crashed into a utility pole in the process and immediately abandoned the vehicle, with the engine running, and the loaded pistol inside. He then came upon another vehicle, with the keys inside, parked in a nearby driveway and drove away, only to abandon this vehicle in the front yard of another residence a few minutes later.

After jumping fences and running through an alleyway, Stanley confronted his second carjacking victim, a Rowlett school teacher, as she prepared to leave for school, and he took her vehicle by force. The second carjacking victim immediately called 9-1-1 and reported the incident.

Within a matter of minutes, officers with the Rowlett Police Department intercepted the vehicle and a frightening high-speed chase ensued. Stanley even drove through a school yard to avoid the police and he re-entered the roadway and accelerated to a speed in excess of 90 mph, zipping through school zones and passing school buses.

In light of those circumstances, the police terminated the chase. Stanley later abandoned the vehicle in a wooded area in Collin County and stole a bicycle from a nearby residence. A Lavon police officer spotted him and took him into custody after he attempted to avoid the officer on the bicycle.

Stanley was later transferred to the Rowlett Police Department, where investigators there questioned him.

“He wasn’t always real forth coming and truthful during his interview,” Nabors said. “But, we have some detectives who do an excellent job of interviewing suspects. Stanley was covered in Nazi tattoos and Hammerskins tattoos. A lot of those tattoos are tattoos that gang members get when they get in jail. There’s nothing on his body that is there for show, though. It all has a message.



“He had been in prison before and in those cases, it is very difficult to get any information on the case at all because those guys won’t tell you anything. It was really a tribute to our investigators that they were able to get him to talk and tell us much of the information that led to his conviction by this jury in just 30 minutes.”

Nabors added that Stanley, who lived in the 1000 block of Highland Acres in Kaufman, had previously lived in Arizona and that there are no known Confederate Hammerskins in Rowlett.

“Stanley had been in the state penitentiary in Arizona for robbery twice as well as for burglary, theft, aggravated assault, possession of stolen property, flight to avoid prosecution and damaging property,” Nabors said.

Nabors added that while Stanley is a member of a white supremacist group, the car jackings were not race related.

“Stanley is a member of the Confederate Hammerskins, a white supremist group but his attacks were not racially motivated,” Nabors said. “He was just out to get some money.”

The Confederate Hammerskins were formed in the 1980s in the Dallas area and is made up exclusively of white males inclined to violence, Nabors said. Since that time, dozens of groups have formed around the United States.

“The reason that we decided to prosecute this at the federal level is because, at that level, when they are convicted, they go day-for-day on that sentence,” Nabors said. “There’s no time off for good behavior like there is in state court. In the federal courts, there are mandatory sentencing guidelines. He can get as little as seven years through the guidelines, but when they start looking at all the other factors that are involved in this case n the fact that he used a gun, has a prior record, is affiliated with a gang n all those things play into the sentencing.”

“So he could get anywhere from seven years to life and my guess is that he is going to get a pretty long sentence. He should be very old by the time he gets out of prison.”

Stanley was originally indicted in October 2005, for the carjacking and weapons offenses and the case was set for trial in federal court in January 2006. In mid-December 2005, however, the two carjacking victims received threatening telephone calls from a female caller, who informed them that if they did not drop the charges and refuse to testify, that their lives, as well as the lives of their family members, would be in danger.

State and federal authorities conducted an investigation and learned that Stanley’s mother, Margaret Menough, was the person who telephoned the victims and threatened them. Specifically, the authorities intercepted telephone calls between Menough and Stanley, who was incarcerated at the time, discussing their plans to threaten and intimidate the victims. In January 2006, charges were added to include victim/witness tampering, as well as conspiracy to commit these offenses, against Stanley and Menough.

U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper praised the investigative efforts of the Rowlett Police Department, the Lavon Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Gary Tromblay and Chad Meacham.