ABUSIVE NEO-NAZI KILLED BY WIFE - NO ARREST

Nazi's and abusive men seem to be synonymous these days. How many times do we have to hear about the wife-beating, name calling, swaggering and tattooed neo-Nazi who gets his rocks off at home and in the community by intimidating and generally being abusive to others before we determine that an inordinate number of these people are attracted to the racist realm of white supremacy?


James Cummings and Yankee Jim Leshkevich have quite a few things in common - not the least of which is that they are both dead and that they were both reviling, opprobrious, and abusive Nazi-minded individuals.

Disdain for women is not uncommon among the racist crowd. Derisiveness, abasement, and general belittling of all things feminine among white supremacists is just pretty much the status quo. Living with and among those who nurture their hatred of others and view their women as nothing more than broodmares is a very difficult thing and something that most women flee from at the first opportunity. Others, who lack the means or who are simply beaten into submission often find themselves behind the device that frees them from their captors. Amber Cummings chose a gun.

Early reports call James Cummings an "angry" man. Apparently, he wasn't as "angry" as his wife.

Let's face it - sane people do not worship Hitler. Sane people do not harbor ideas of ethnic cleansing and genocide. Sane people do not brandish swastikas and prize their jack-boots. Only those who have been damaged in some fashion see white supremacy as a means to an end - and it often ends badly for them. Few relationships survive in the cesspool of hate. It is difficult to form lasting bonds when your heart is filled with hatred and racist sputum. We don't know why Amber killed James - but I can hazard a guess - an educated guess. It probably wasn't because she was angry but because she was tired and terrified - tired of being his target and terrified of what he would do next. It probably wasn't because she wanted him dead but because she wanted to be free - free from domination and fear.

Whatever the reason - she hasn't been arrested. Perhaps the police believe justice has been served?



TO ORIGINAL SOURCE


MORE

Slain Belfast man was ‘angry’
Cummings called ‘verbally abusive’

By Walter Griffin
BDN Staff
BELFAST, Maine — As the police investigation into the shooting death of James G. Cummings entered its third day, traits about his personality came to light along with the fact that his father also was shot to death.

Cummings, 29, of High Street was the son of a wealthy California businessman, James G. Cummings Sr., who was murdered a decade ago by a disgruntled employee, according to newspaper reports.

The younger Cummings was reportedly shot to death by his wife, Amber B. Cummings, 31, at their High Street home Tuesday morning. The couple’s 9-year-old daughter was at the house when the killing occurred. Police are investigating the killing as a domestic violence homicide. No arrests have been made, and Amber Cummings and her daughter remain in the Belfast area.

Maine Department of Public Safety spokesman Stephen McCausland said investigators did not anticipate making any announcements about the case Thursday. Results of an autopsy conducted on Cummings the day before are being withheld while the investigation continues.

Two area tradesmen who performed extensive work on Cummings’ house last summer described Cummings as being a disagreeable man whose wife cowered in his presence. They also said he talked incessantly of his love of guns and had a fascination for Adolf Hitler.

“It didn’t shock me at all when I heard about it,” said Mike Robbins, who spent a month painting and roofing the Cummings home last summer. “He was a very angry person and was verbally abusive to his wife all the time.”

Robbins described Cummings as a heavyset man who liked to walk around his house wearing a cowboy hat and an ankle-length black leather coat. He said Cummings would often sit outside on a lawn chair and watch him work and make disparaging comments. He said Cummings had a mean streak and was particularly abusive toward his wife.

Robbins said Cummings also spoke about how he “really liked the Nazis” and claimed to have a large collection of Nazi memorabilia, including pieces of Hitler’s silverware and place settings.

Another contractor who worked on the Cummings house had similar recollections. The man declined to be identified because he was preparing legal action against Cummings’ estate because of unpaid work. He said he and Cummings disagreed about the work he performed and that he decided to walk away without getting paid because of Cummings’ explosive personality.

“Normally I’d go after payment, but in this case I walked away. He was absolutely the worst customer I ever had,” he said Thursday. “I just perceived that the guy was dangerous and capable of real violence. I was afraid of the guy. He talked all the time about guns, one of those guys that would let you know he had guns.”

He added that “this guy was a huge fan of Adolf Hitler, he had silverware and dinner sets Hitler used.” He described Cummings as “verbally abusive to his wife and just about everybody. You’ve heard of short guys with a Napoleonic complex; well, this was a fat guy with a Napoleonic complex.”

If Cummings directed any of his volatile tendencies toward his wife and child, police were unaware of it. Belfast Police Chief Jeffrey Trafton said the only time the police were called to the home was over an animal complaint.

The Cummings family moved to Belfast in August 2007. According to records at Belfast City Hall, the home was “trashed” when the Cummings bought it in a foreclosure sale through a Florida mortgage company. The couple paid $153,900 for the property, which the city has assessed at $164,100.

Robbins said Cummings told him that he was raised in California but moved to Texas because he could not get along with his family. He did have a job and could afford to pay for extensive renovations to his home, where he spent most of his time, as far as Robbins could see. Cummings claimed to have made his money in Texas real estate, Robbins said.

“I doubted that,” he said. “He didn’t seem to be the kind of guy who could make it in real estate. He was too much of a jerk.”

It appears that the real source of Cummings’ wealth was his father, who was killed on July 30, 1997, at age 77 by a disgruntled part-time employee, according to news accounts from that time found online. The employee later confessed to shooting the elder Cummings.

The senior Cummings was a prominent landowner in the Northern California city of Fort Bragg, a coastal community of 7,000 in Mendocino County, according to Katherine Lee, editor of the Fort Bragg Advocate News. He made his fortune in land, restaurants, motels, a fish-processing plant, malls and other businesses, she said.

Lee said the elder Cummings owned large parcels of land along the Fort Bragg waterfront and that a trust was established in his name after his death. An Internet search of the James G. Cummings Trust revealed Thursday that the trust has an estimated annual income of $10 million.

“It was a real sad turn of events,” Lee said Thursday of Cummings Sr.’s murder. “He was kind of a colorful guy around here. Everybody knew him.”

Lee could not provide any information about the younger Cummings. She said the paper, a weekly published every Thursday, had yet to receive an obituary for the son.

According to an Associated Press story published around the time of the father’s murder, Cummings Jr. had once used a video camera to secretly tape his mother’s alleged drug use. However, authorities dropped the charges after discovering that a substance seized from the woman’s apartment was not black-tar heroin, as was suspected.

Robbins recalled that Cummings also hated public schools and refused to let his daughter enroll. He said Cummings was constantly berating his wife and harping at her to home-school the girl. He said Cummings had a controlling personality and wanted to know his wife and child’s every move.

“He was a bad guy and that’s just what I saw working for him. I couldn’t imagine living with the dude,” he said.

VENTING CREATES CRISIS FOR BILL WHITE

As many of you know, I have been following the events and circumstances surrounding the arrest of Roanoke Nazi, Bill White, from the beginning. Today in Federal Court the Judge, once again, denied him his freedom and a forensic psychiatrist testified to the effect that White is not mentally ill but does have a personality disorder, something that I have been claiming for a number of years.

From Wikipedia...

Personality disorders are defined by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) as "an enduring pattern of inner experience and behavior that deviates markedly from the expectations of the culture of the individual who exhibits it". [1] These patterns, as noted, are inflexible and pervasive across many situations, due in large part to the fact that such behavior is ego-syntonic (i.e., the patterns are consistent with the ego integrity of the individual), and therefore, perceived to be appropriate by that individual. The onset of these patterns of behavior can typically be traced back to late adolescence and the beginning of adulthood, and, in rare instances, childhood.

The DSM-IV lists ten personality disorders, grouped into three clusters. The DSM also contains a category for behavioral patterns that do not match these ten disorders, but nevertheless exhibit characteristics of a personality disorder. This category is labeled Personality Disorder NOS (Not Otherwise Specified).

Cluster A (odd or eccentric disorders)

Paranoid personality disorder: characterized by irrational suspicions and mistrust of others
Schizoid personality disorder: lack of interest in social relationships, seeing no point in sharing time with others
Schizotypal personality disorder: also avoids social relationships, though out of a fear of people
Cluster B (dramatic, emotional, or erratic disorders)

Antisocial personality disorder: "pervasive disregard for the law and the rights of others."
Borderline personality disorder: extreme "black and white" thinking, instability in relationships, self-image, identity and behavior
Histrionic personality disorder: "pervasive attention-seeking behavior including inappropriate sexual seductiveness and shallow or exaggerated emotions
Narcissistic personality disorder: "a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and a lack of empathy"
Cluster C (anxious or fearful disorders)

Avoidant personality disorder: social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, extreme sensitivity to negative evaluation and avoidance of social interaction
Dependent personality disorder: pervasive psychological dependence on other people.
Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (not the same as Obsessive-compulsive disorder): characterized by rigid conformity to rules, moral codes, and excessive orderliness

Anyone care to pick a disorder as it relates to Bill?




FROM ROANOKE.COM

White denied bond by federal judge in Chicago
By Laurence Hammack

Related
Previous coverage
White pleads not guilty to charges in Chicago (November 13, 2008)
Did neo-Nazi White go too far this time? (October 26, 2008)
Neo-Nazi fails to persuade judge to release him (October 23, 2008)
Roanoke white supremacist remains jailed (October 19, 2008)
White's Web site closed by FBI (October 17, 2008)
Documents
Read the indictment against White handed down by a Chicago federal grand jury
(PDF, 17 KB)
Read the criminal complaint filed against White by the FBI
(PDF, 714 KB)
View overthrow.com postings presented as evidence by the government
(PDF, 485 KB)
Editors' note: These documents contains language that some readers might consider offensive.
Updated 4:30 p.m.

CHICAGO -- William A. White will not be released from federal custody, a judge has ordered.

Judge William Hibbler this afternoon denied White's bond request, saying he based his decision not so much on concerns about what White might do, but more on what others might do at his urging.

"Unfortunately, there are so many people who are susceptible to suggestions that come from other sources," the judge said.

Updated 3:14 p.m.

CHICAGO – The only reason federal agents arrested William A. White, his attorney said today, was to get him off the streets before the presidential election.

At the time of his Oct. 17 arrest, the white supremacist was preparing to go to print with a magazine that pictured then-candidate Barack Obama, his head encircled by a rifle's crosshairs in the shape of a swastika.

With the image was this headline: “Kill This N-----?”

Although “the headline was catchy,” the accompanying article made no direct threats against Obama, White’s defense attorney, Nishay Sanan said.

Federal prosecutors never said directly at today’s bond hearing that White poses a danger to Obama, whose presidential transition office is located just across the street from the U.S. District courthouse in downtown Chicago.

But in asking that White be held without bond, Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Ferrara noted that the article concluded by stating that if Obama were to be elected, he should not be allowed, “by any means necessary,” to take office.

Authorities are arguing that the magazine for White’s neo-Nazi organization, the American National Socialist Workers Party -- and his Web site to an even greater degree -- are a way for him to advocate violence against those who offend his racist beliefs.

Earlier in the bond hearing, a psychiatrist testified that White would not pose a threat if released.

White’s inflammatory online postings site were a way for him to vent frustration, forensic psychiatrist James Corcoran said.

White shows no signs of mental illness, although he does have a personality disorder, the psychiatrist said.

Following Corcoran’s testimony, Judge William Hibbler recessed court to give him time to read the transcript from an earlier hearing in Roanoke in which White was ordered held without bond.

If White were released, he would return to Roanoke, where he would be watched closely by the FBI, his attorney said.

Hibbler said he expects to make a decision when court resumes at 3 p.m. Central time.

White has been in jail since Oct. 17, when federal agents in Roanoke arrested him on a charge of encouraging violence against the foreman of Chicago jury that convicted a fellow white supremacist.

Federal authorities allege that White posted the juror’s home address and telephone numbers on his Web site -- putting the man at risk to an Internet audience known for racist views and, in some cases, violence.

Although he made no direct threats to the juror, White wrote that the man played a key role in the wrongful conviction of Matthew Hale, who is currently serving a 40-year prison term. The jury convicted Hale in 2004 of soliciting the murder of a federal judge who ruled against him in a trademark infringement case involving the name of his organization, the World Church of the Creator.

Today’s hearing was White’s second attempt to make bond.

At an earlier hearing in federal court in Roanoke, magistrate Judge Michael Urbanski found White was a risk to the community, basing his decision largely on the 31-year-old’s own words.
In postings to his Web site, overthrow.com, White has rambled about his urges to kill – writing at one point that he had developed an intricate plot to murder “about a score of Roanoke’s Negro nuisances and their annoying counterparts at The Roanoke Times.”

Following Ubranski’s decision to hold White without bond, he was transferred to Chicago.

Jumping Overboard

Well, here we go again. Long-time wishy-washy Nazi, Michael Burks, called it quits this weekend. While Burks never amounted to much within the movement, and endured quite a bit of ridicule from other members, he seemed to have found his niche in Bill White's American National Socialist Worker's Party - until White was arrested and the walls came tumbling down. True to form for both Burks and the "movement," he has tucked in his tail and is telling all he knows - which isn't much.

Perhaps the most interesting claim made by Burks so far is that Bill is trying to "sell" his membership list to Erich Gliebe of the National Alliance. With no more members than the ANSWP had that should net around $30.00. As to Gliebe - I doubt that Erich wants anyone on that list - and probably already has all the info anyway.

We ARE happy that Burks is moving on with his life - but guarded in that he has done similar things in the past. This is his statement...



Michael Burks
After nearly seven years of being in the “pro-white” movement I feel its time to retire. After taking the last month in half to think things over I have come to the conclusion that the entire “pro-white” movement is a joke. In my seven years worth of experience I’ve never witness anything good from it. Instead I have met the biggest group of hypocrites, back-stabbers and anti-social misfits one could ever come across. I have much better things to do with my time, energy and money.

I have met enough odd balls in this “pro-white” to know walking away is the right thing to do. Never in my life have I met a group of mentally ill, white trash and anti-social group of scumbags in my life. It’s amazing that so many of these people exist. I think back and one thought kept coming up – “Who has attacked me the past few years?” No, it wasn’t the Jew, the non-white or other “so-called” enemy of my race. It has been my own people. The Randy Grays, Matthew Ramseys, McKinley Mitchells, and Matt Roberts of the world are the ones who have stalked me, harassed me and threaten me. It wasn’t One Peoples Project, the SPLC, or ARA I had to worry about. Instead, it was my “own people” who attacked me.

Looking over my life I realize all my true friends and loyal friends besides a select few, were people that had nothing to do with the “pro-white” movement. I have friends I grew up with since childhood who I’m still close with. Friends from middle and high school are still there in my life. However, besides a very small group of “pro-white” people, hardly any of them remained loyal. Instead these are the ones who back stabbed, slandered or threatened me over the years. And I know that I am better off without these misfits being in my life.

The number of whores, closets homosexuals and liars I’ve met within the “pro-white” movement is something I can do without. These people do nothing useful. Not only are they a total disgrace to the white race, but a total disgrace to all of mankind. Walking away from these people won’t be hard. With that said, I am not joining some ARA group like say Erica Hardwick did. Many of my views such as my religious ones don’t mix well with the ARA mindset. For instance, I can’t accept gay or transgender rights. With that said, I plan on spending much of my free time exposing facts and truths about the frauds within the “pro-white” movement.

I do want to thank a small group of “pro-white” people who were good friends. These people are Phil Anderson, Pastor Visser, Demonica of VNN and Adrian Trenadue. Even though I will no longer being working with these people, I pray that all of us can still be friends and be on good terms. I have nothing bad to say about any of these people what so ever. They were loyal friends and some of the very rare people who actually practiced what they preached.

As for Bill White, I can say this - He will not be set free. And after being questioned by the FBI, I can see why. Bill White did break the law and I regret now that I stood behind him after his arrest. I believe in free speech and don’t believe that Bill should be held for juror tampering. With that said, he did break other laws. He stated on live radio that people should kill Richard Warman. He didn’t say he hoped he died or that he wished the man died, Bill clearly said to “kill him” and gave out his address. Bill also told the news in Tampa that he wished a crazy would kill Leonard Pitts and the people in the Newsroom. Bill also asked me to hide evidence during one of his many investigations – also illegal and yes, the FBI knows all about it. No, I didn’t snitch on Bill White. The FBI had the call taped.

Bill White also lied and truly didn’t care about anyone with the ANSWP. Once he was in jail I stood behind his wife. I wrote people and emailed people asking people to donate funds to her. She was nice and only called when she and Bill wanted me to testify in his behalf. Since that time she has not called to inform me of any updates. Instead she has only told things to Chris Drake and Jarl, leaving the rest of the ANSWP clueless. Bill also went behind my back and wanted to cut a deal by selling his membership list to Eric Gliebe (how ever you spell his name) and have the ANSWP join forces with the National Alliance. Being a Regional Leader, I was supposed to have a say in this matter. Instead, Bill planned this with other ANSWP people behind my back. And that is okay by me. I just want Megan, Bill’s wife, to know that I have no plans to testify in his behalf.

Every group I have joined has been a complete failure. So below I am going to take the time to name the groups and give some facts and personal eye witness accounts of each. Enjoy!

Imperial Klans of America (IKA) – Was the first group I ever joined. Led by Ron Edwards and National HQ based out of my home state of Kentucky. This group was a joke. I met men who beat women and a countless number of drunks. Most of the members were high school dropouts or people of low education. Ron was jobless while his wife was working paying the bills – what a “tough” white man! Once I quit members of the IKA harassed me for the next few years. Lucky the IKA recently lost a 2.5 million dollar lawsuit and will no longer be a factor…. Wait they haven’t been a factor the past two years anyways.

White Revolution – I stayed in this group for a quick two months. Knowing the people within this group was enough to make anyone with an IQ over 80 quit. You had Mark Martin, which is laughable. Some 400 girl from Arizona that seemed to stalk Mark Martin, also funny. A mentally ill man in Kentucky who blew his brains out. Their South Carolina leader Billy Brown dated a girl with mixed children. I mean, I could go on but I think you get the point. Oh yeah, Bill Roper was their leader, enough said,

Knights Party – Led by career con-man, Thom Robb. Like money making preachers you see on television, “Pastor” Robb will sell you a $350 brick for “White Christian Revival” – other words the money goes in his wallet. For a “Christian” I question the people I met within this group. Richard Hensley of HQ staff and David Barnett of North Carolina were divorced, a sin last time I checked my Bible. A guy named Phil was a former pot dealer. A woman from New York wore an upside down cross (symbol of Satan). Randy Gray, a high school dropout, seems to have a homosexual fixation on me which is very sick and disturbing to say the least.

American National Socialist Workers Party – At first we did great activism. The last few months I realize we only went after people that made Bill White mad. We no longer did political activism. All our time was spent on people Bill hated. Bill would appoint people like me to leadership roles and never listen to my advice. I told him for months to kick Justin Boyer out. Boyer, who spells like a retarded child, was a disgrace for anyone calling themselves a man. Instead, Bill allowed Boyer to make a complete mockery out of us. I find it funny now that Boyer testified against Bill. I also told Bill to kick Tim Bland out. Bill ripped me for this and took Bland’s side. A few months ago Bland was arrested for selling pot (we have the police record). Of course I was right and Bill was wrong. Bill also ran off my good friend, Mike Garrett by calling him mentally ill and making him looks bad on our yahoo group.

As you can tell, I have created this Blog. I will dedicate this Blog as a “pro-white” news source much like White Reference does. The only difference is that my Blog will expose the frauds and corruption within the “pro-white” movement instead of glorifying con-men such as David Duke, Don Black and others. I am sure many will hate me and threaten me. Wait, they’ve been doing that for a few years now lol.

Burks' new blog can be found at http://whitepowerfrauds.blogspot.com.

Question...

QUESTION: DOES VENGEANCE KEEP HUMANITY SANE?

AMERICA THE ILLITERATE

TO THE ORIGINAL

I am placing this article here for the purpose of discussion. How say you?


America The Illiterate
By Chris Hedges
11-19-8


We live in two Americas. One America, now the minority, functions in a print-based, literate world. It can cope with complexity and has the intellectual tools to separate illusion from truth. The other America, which constitutes the majority, exists in a non-reality- based belief system. This America, dependent on skillfully manipulated images for information, has severed itself from the literate, print-based culture. It cannot differentiate between lies and truth. It is informed by simplistic, childish narratives and clichés. It is thrown into confusion by ambiguity, nuance and self-reflection. This divide, more than race, class or gender, more than rural or urban, believer or nonbeliever, red state or blue state, has split the country into radically distinct, unbridgeable and antagonistic entities.

There are over 42 million American adults, 20 percent of whom hold high school diplomas, who cannot read, as well as the 50 million who read at a fourth- or fifth-grade level. Nearly a third of the nation's population is illiterate or barely literate. And their numbers are growing by an estimated 2 million a year. But even those who are supposedly literate retreat in huge numbers into this image-based existence. A third of high school graduates, along with 42 percent of college graduates, never read a book after they finish school. Eighty percent of the families in the United States last year did not buy a book.

The illiterate rarely vote, and when they do vote they do so without the ability to make decisions based on textual information. American political campaigns, which have learned to speak in the comforting epistemology of images, eschew real ideas and policy for cheap slogans and reassuring personal narratives. Political propaganda now masquerades as ideology. Political campaigns have become an experience. They do not require cognitive or self-critical skills. They are designed to ignite pseudo-religious feelings of euphoria, empowerment and collective salvation. Campaigns that succeed are carefully constructed psychological instruments that manipulate fickle public moods, emotions and impulses, many of which are subliminal. They create a public ecstasy that annuls individuality and fosters a state of mindlessness. They thrust us into an eternal present. They cater to a nation that now lives in a state of permanent amnesia. It is style and story, not content or history or reality, which inform our politics and our lives. We prefer happy illusions. And it works because so much of the American electorate, including those who should know better, blindly cast ballots for slogans, smiles, the cheerful family tableaux, narratives and the perceived sincerity and the attractiveness of candidates. We confuse how we feel with knowledge.

The illiterate and semi-literate, once the campaigns are over, remain powerless. They still cannot protect their children from dysfunctional public schools. They still cannot understand predatory loan deals, the intricacies of mortgage papers, credit card agreements and equity lines of credit that drive them into foreclosures and bankruptcies. They still struggle with the most basic chores of daily life from reading instructions on medicine bottles to filling out bank forms, car loan documents and unemployment benefit and insurance papers. They watch helplessly and without comprehension as hundreds of thousands of jobs are shed. They are hostages to brands. Brands come with images and slogans. Images and slogans are all they understand. Many eat at fast food restaurants not only because it is cheap but because they can order from pictures rather than menus. And those who serve them, also semi-literate or illiterate, punch in orders on cash registers whose keys are marked with symbols and pictures. This is our brave new world.

Political leaders in our post-literate society no longer need to be competent, sincere or honest. They only need to appear to have these qualities. Most of all they need a story, a narrative. The reality of the narrative is irrelevant. It can be completely at odds with the facts. The consistency and emotional appeal of the story are paramount. The most essential skill in political theater and the consumer culture is artifice. Those who are best at artifice succeed. Those who have not mastered the art of artifice fail. In an age of images and entertainment, in an age of instant emotional gratification, we do not seek or want honesty. We ask to be indulged and entertained by clichés, stereotypes and mythic narratives that tell us we can be whomever we want to be, that we live in the greatest country on Earth, that we are endowed with superior moral and physical qualities and that our glorious future is preordained, either because of our attributes as Americans or because we are blessed by God or both.

The ability to magnify these simple and childish lies, to repeat them and have surrogates repeat them in endless loops of news cycles, gives these lies the aura of an uncontested truth. We are repeatedly fed words or phrases like yes we can, maverick, change, pro-life, hope or war on terror. It feels good not to think. All we have to do is visualize what we want, believe in ourselves and summon those hidden inner resources, whether divine or national, that make the world conform to our desires. Reality is never an impediment to our advancement.

The Princeton Review analyzed the transcripts of the Gore-Bush debates, the Clinton-Bush- Perot debates of 1992, the Kennedy-Nixon debates of 1960 and the Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858. It reviewed these transcripts using a standard vocabulary test that indicates the minimum educational standard needed for a reader to grasp the text. During the 2000 debates, George W. Bush spoke at a sixth-grade level (6.7) and Al Gore at a seventh-grade level (7.6). In the 1992 debates, Bill Clinton spoke at a seventh-grade level (7.6), while George H.W. Bushspoke at a sixth-grade level (6.8), as did H. Ross Perot (6.3). In the debates between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon, the candidates spoke in language used by 10th-graders. In the debates of Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas the scores were respectively 11.2 and 12.0. In short, today's political rhetoric is designed to be comprehensible to a 10-year-old child or an adult with a sixth-grade reading level. It is fitted to this level of comprehension because most Americans speak, think and are entertained at this level. This is why serious film and theater and other serious artistic expression, as well as newspapers and books, are being pushed to the margins of American society. Voltaire was the most famous man of the 18th century. Today the most famous "person" is Mickey Mouse.

In our post-literate world, because ideas are inaccessible, there is a need for constant stimulus. News, political debate, theater, art and books are judged not on the power of their ideas but on their ability to entertain. Cultural products that force us to examine ourselves and our society are condemned as elitist and impenetrable. Hannah Arendt warned that the marketization of culture leads to its degradation, that this marketization creates a new celebrity class of intellectuals who, although well read and informed themselves, see their role in society as persuading the masses that "Hamlet" can be as entertaining as "The Lion King" and perhaps as educational. "Culture," she wrote, "is being destroyed in order to yield entertainment. "

"There are many great authors of the past who have survived centuries of oblivion and neglect," Arendt wrote, "but it is still an open question whether they will be able to survive an entertaining version of what they have to say."

The change from a print-based to an image-based society has transformed our nation. Huge segments of our population, especially those who live in the embrace of the Christian right and the consumer culture, are completely unmoored from reality. They lack the capacity to search for truth and cope rationally with our mounting social and economic ills. They seek clarity, entertainment and order. They are willing to use force to impose this clarity on others, especially those who do not speak as they speak and think as they think. All the traditional tools of democracies, including dispassionate scientific and historical truth, facts, news and rational debate, are useless instruments in a world that lacks the capacity to use them.

As we descend into a devastating economic crisis, one that Barack Obama cannot halt, there will be tens of millions of Americans who will be ruthlessly thrust aside. As their houses are foreclosed, as their jobs are lost, as they are forced to declare bankruptcy and watch their communities collapse, they will retreat even further into irrational fantasy. They will be led toward glittering and self-destructive illusions by our modern Pied Pipers-our corporate advertisers, our charlatan preachers, our television news celebrities, our self-help gurus, our entertainment industry and our political demagogues-who will offer increasingly absurd forms of escapism.

The core values of our open society, the ability to think for oneself, to draw independent conclusions, to express dissent when judgment and common sense indicate something is wrong, to be self-critical, to challenge authority, to understand historical facts, to separate truth from lies, to advocate for change and to acknowledge that there are other views, different ways of being, that are morally and socially acceptable, are dying. Obama used hundreds of millions of dollars in campaign funds to appeal to and manipulate this illiteracy and irrationalism to his advantage, but these forces will prove to be his most deadly nemesis once they collide with the awful reality that awaits us.
__________________

SAY GOODBYE MR. EDWARS

SPLC Wins $2.5 Million Verdict Against Imperial Klans of America


The Southern Poverty Law Center today won a crushing jury verdict against one of the nation's largest Klan groups for its role in the brutal beating of a teenager at a county fair in rural Kentucky.
The $2.5 million verdict will likely cripple the Imperial Klans of America, which has 16 chapters in eight states.

"The people of Meade County, Kentucky, have spoken loudly and clearly. And what they've said is that ethnic violence has no place in our society, that those who promote hate and violence will be held accountable and made to pay a steep price," said SPLC founder and chief trial attorney Morris Dees, who tried the case. "We look forward to collecting every dime that we can for our client and to putting the Imperial Klans of America out of business."

The SPLC brought the lawsuit on behalf of Jordan Gruver, who was 16 when he was attacked in July 2006.

The jury deliberated for approximately five hours before delivering the verdict against IKA Imperial Wizard Ron Edwards and two former IKA members, Jarred Hensley and Andrew Watkins, both of whom served two years in state prison for assaulting Gruver. The SPLC earlier reached settlements with Watkins and one other Klansmen.

The verdict included $1.5 million in compensatory damages — apportioned among Edwards, Hensley and Watkins — and $1 million in punitive damages against Edwards.

The SPLC argued in court that the Edwards and the IKA incited the racial hatred that led to the attack at the Meade County Fair in Brandenburg in July 2006.

Several Klansmen were at the fair on a recruiting mission when they spotted Gruver, who is a U.S. citizen of Panamanian descent. They threw whisky in his face and called him a "spic." Gruver, who stood 5-foot-3 and weighed just 150 pounds at the time, was surrounded, beaten to the ground and kicked by the Klansmen, one of whom was 6-foot-5 and 300 pounds. He was left with a broken jaw and arm, two cracked ribs and multiple cuts. He now suffers from post-traumatic stress syndrome and has permanent arm and jaw injuries.

The attack on Gruver is symptomatic of a rising tide of hate and violence directed toward Latinos in the United States. The SPLC has documented at 48 percent rise in the number of hate groups since 2000 — an increase fueled by the anti-immigration furor. Recent FBI statistics show a 40 percent increase in hate crimes targeting Latinos between 2003 and 2007.

During the trial, the SPLC demonstrated how the IKA and Edwards fostered an atmosphere of hate and violence. The IKA's compound in Dawson Springs, Ky., is home to Nordic Fest, an annual music festival that brings together Klansmen, skinheads and members of other violent hate groups.

Former Klansman Kale Kelly testified at the trial that Edwards instructed him to kill Dees during the SPLC's lawsuit against the Aryan Nations in the late 1990s. Kelly said he planned to track Dees in Idaho, where the trial was held, and that Edwards would supply the weapon. But in April 1999, within days of the plot being executed, an FBI undercover operation foiled the plan. Kelly served time in federal prison on weapons charges. Edwards was never charged.

Over the past 25 years, the SPLC has crippled some of the nation's largest and most violent hate groups by helping victims of racial violence sue for monetary damages. Its victories include a $7 million verdict against the United Klans of America in 1987 for the lynching of Michael Donald in Mobile, Ala.; a $12.4 million verdict against the White Aryan Resistance in 1990 for the brutal murder of an Ethiopian student in Portland; and a $6.3 million verdict against the Aryan Nations in 2000 that forced the organization to give up its 20-acre compound in Idaho.

THE U.S. VERSUS THE FIRST AMENDMENT?

Graphic from OPP


TO ORIGINAL ARTICLE

chicagotribune.com
White supremacist leader denies threatening juror
By MIKE ROBINSON

AP Legal Affairs Writer

11:14 AM CST, November 12, 2008

CHICAGO

A white supremacist leader pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges that he threatened one of the jurors who convicted another racial activist of soliciting the murder of a federal judge.

William White, 31, of Roanoke, Va., appeared briefly before U.S. District Judge William J. Hibbler, who set a Dec. 5 hearing on his request for bond. White whispered to his attorneys but said nothing aloud, and was escorted away afterward by a phalanx of federal marshals.

White is charged with threatening the foreman of the jury that in April 2004 convicted white supremacist Matthew Hale of East Peoria of soliciting an undercover FBI informant to murder U.S. District Judge Joan Humphrey Lefkow.

Hale is serving a 40-year federal prison sentence.

White is commander of the American National Socialist Workers Party. Attorneys said he has made his living by purchasing houses, rehabbing and reselling them.

Defense attorney Nishay K. Sanan told reporters after the hearing that his case would focus on White's right to express himself under the law.

"This case is going to be the U.S. versus the First Amendment," Sanan said.

NEW KKK RECRUIT SLAIN IN LOUISIANA

A noose found dangling from a tree, 10 neo-Nazi's demonstrate in Tyler, TX, 50 swastika waving white nationalists march in Missouri, a cross is burned in the yard of a black family in New Jersey, and Americans barely even notice.

Thinking the Klan is dead and organized racism is a thing of the past, local residents expressed shock and disbelief when the body of a woman was found in St. Tammany Parish and eight KKK members were arrested in her death.

While we struggle to alert and educate communities and organizations around the country, it is still largely believed by the populace that these groups are nothing more than an anomaly in our society and pose no danger...think again. The potential for violence is always present.

TO THE ORIGINAL STORY

FOR A PHOTO GALLERY OF THOSE CHARGED AS WELL AS EVIDENCE GATHERED



WDSU.com
Related To Story


WDSU
St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's deputies recovered these KKK robes from a campsite where they say a woman being initiated into the Klan was shot and killed.


MORE INFO
Woman Killed After KKK Initiation Argument
Hate Groups Not Re-surging, Agent Says
Residents React To News Of KKK Slaying

Images: Suspects In KKK Slaying



Slaying Linked To KKK Initiation; 8 Arrested
Woman Traveled From Oklahoma To Join

POSTED: 1:20 pm CST November 11, 2008
UPDATED: 6:43 pm CST November 11, 2008


COVINGTON, La. -- Eight people were arrested Tuesday in connection with the killing of a woman who apparently tried to back out of a Ku Klux Klan initiation ritual, St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Jack Strain said Tuesday.

The woman was slain Sunday morning, allegedly shot to death by a Klan leader from Bogalusa. Her body was found Monday in a ditch in the small St. Tammany community of Sun, about 60 miles north of New Orleans, the sheriff said.

Raymond "Chuck" Foster, 44, is charged with second-degree murder for allegedly shooting the woman. Seven others -- Raymond Foster's son, 20-year-old Shane Foster; Frank Stafford, 21; Timothy Michael Watkins, 30; Alicia M. Watkins, 23; Andrew Yates, 20; Random Hines, 27; and Danielle Jones, 23 -- are facing obstruction of justice charges.

All the suspects are being held in the St. Tammany Parish jail.

Strain said the woman lived near Tulsa, Okla., and was recruited over the Internet to come to Louisiana for initiation into the Klan. Deputies have not been able to confirm her identity.


She arrived in Slidell last week and was met by two members of the group, Strain said. She was taken to a campground near Pearl River for the initiation ceremony, and when she asked to be taken back into town, there was an argument. That's when Foster allegedly shot and killed her, Strain said.

The other members of the Klan group are accused of helping cover up the crime by burning items at the campsite, including the woman's personal effects. A clerk at a nearby Circle K alerted police after two of the suspects went into the store bathroom to wash blood out of their clothes, Strain said.

Investigators found Klan paraphernalia at the campsite, including flags and six Klan uniforms. Strain said Raymond Foster is chief of the "Sons of Dixie" or "Dixie Brotherhood" KKK branch.

Strain said the case does not appear to be connected to the recent election of Barack Obama as president. He told WDSU he was surprised to find out about this KKK group because it hadn't been very visible before.

BECAUSE OF YOU...

It was one of those indelible moments. You know, the ones where you will never forget where you were or what you were doing when it was announced. Through my tears, I watched Barack Obama address a sea of faces – all kinds of faces – young, old, black, white, Asian, and Hispanic. I listened to his message of hope and unity and I thought about where we have been, where we have come from.

I thought about so many of you who have worked so hard and so tirelessly to educate and to unite our communities. I thought about the decades of work that have gone in to this fight against racism and bigotry and the people I have met along the way. Each and every one of us HAVE made a difference – we haven’t won the war – but we HAVE left our mark.

Through my joyous weeping, I dedicated every tear to anyone who had spoken out against racism, who had refused to silently accept bigotry, who had stared hate in the face and turned it away. Because of you – last night was possible. Because of you – the American dream that all things are possible became a reality for millions more. Thank you.

AMERICA...

Yes We Can!

VOTE TODAY - EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT!

FOR LIVE RESULTS AS THEY COME IN CLICK HERE

HATE CRIME LEGISLATION - THE LIMITS OF THE LAW

I found this to be quite an interesting read and thought I would share it for the purpose of discussion.

TO THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Nick Herbert: Hate Crime - the limits of the law
Nick Herbert MP, Monday, November 3 2008

Thank you for inviting me to talk to you today. I am especially pleased to be speaking to you on a subject - hate crime - which is of such great importance and relevance to our society today.

Next Sunday, 9 November, is Remembrance Sunday. But it is also the 70th anniversary of Kristallnacht, which saw 92 Jews murdered in the Third Reich and tens of thousands shipped to concentration camps.

The Holocaust which those events began, and the regime that devised and directed it, surely remains for us the most horrific example of the harm that human hatred can cause.

It is the triumph of the 21st Century that so much of that hatred has passed, yet its tragedy that so much remains. 70 years later, the scars in Germany and elsewhere are still so deep that the criminal law is deployed to ensure that history is not revised. When the President of Iran grotesquely describes the Holocaust as "a legend", it is not hard to understand the motivation for ensuring that such views can never take root again. Last month the Australian academic Frederick Toben was controversially arrested in this country, pending his extradition to Germany for the crime of Holocaust denial.

Denying the Holocaust is explicitly or implicitly illegal in 13 European countries. Yet such a law has never been accepted here, and in the United States, Holocaust denial is protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution. No issue could be more sensitive, and none could demonstrate better the acute dilemma which is created by the notion of hate crime, that between the desire to protect minorities from harm, and the desire to preserve free speech.

Striking the right balance has preoccupied Parliament since legislation to protect minorities was first conceived. When, two years after I was born, the Race Relations Act of 1965 was brought in, the Conservative Party opposed it, fearing that making racial discrimination a crime would only exacerbate race relations in areas where it was already a problem. But the Party's view changed. In 1986 we ourselves brought forward the Public Order Act which makes it an offence to stir up racial hatred. This began the move towards outlawing words designed to fuel hatred.

We also supported the current Government's plans for aggravated sentences for hate crime which were introduced in the 2003 Criminal Justice Act. But as the sphere of hate crime legislation increases, our concerns about the potential restrictions on free speech have grown. We pushed for the introduction of a free speech clause in the 2006 Racial and Religious Hatred Act. Most recently, on the issue of incitement to gay hatred, we supported the principle of the new offence, a position which demonstrates the compass of the modern Conservative Party and of which I am proud. But we also moved to ensure that free speech concerns were addressed.

Why hate crime legislation is necessary

In amending the Public Order Act 1986, the Government placed incitement to gay hatred on the same footing as that of racial and religious hatred, a change which led to serious concerns about the balance between protection for vulnerable groups and free speech.

Referring to this latest piece of hate crime legislation, the commentator Johann Hari said:

'Hate crimes laws undermine one of the most persuasive arguments of the gay rights movement. At every step of the way, all we have asked for is the same rights enjoyed by straight people: to have sex, to get married, to adopt. The anti-gay lobby has always claimed we are asking for "special rights", and it has always been a lie. But hate crimes laws do, finally, turn us into a special category. It says that stabbing me is worse than stabbing my heterosexual brother.'

Now I accept that, by its very nature, hate crime legislation singles certain groups out for special treatment, but this is not simply for being gay, or black, or disabled, or Muslim, but for being the victim of a particular type of crime. An assault against a gay man is not treated more seriously because the victim is a gay man, but only if the assault was motivated by the fact that the victim was gay. And the legislation does this for two very good reasons: the heightened emotional effect of such crimes on specific individuals, and because of the fear which cane be aroused in the affected communities.

When a young man is attacked in a random act of violence, or mugged for his ipod, or beaten up in a drunken affray outside a pub, this causes a substantial amount of personal trauma and may contribute to a general climate of fear and concern about crime, but it does not instil a particular fear in the wider community in which it takes place.

But when a black man is beaten up by racist thugs, or a Muslim family's house is daubed with Islamophobic graffiti, or a young gay man is kicked to death on Clapham Common by people shouting homophobic insults, the effect on their respective communities is far more pronounced.

Victims of hate crime experience a form of stigmatisation which carries a clear message that they, and their community, are a target, and that they are of marginal value. These crimes also create mental crime maps of harassment for communities. They contribute to creating no-go areas for some people.

Research suggests that that hate crimes can especially hurt individuals. For example, when looking at evidence of psychological and emotional harm caused to victims of crime it is clear that those who were victims of racially motivated crime present increased cases of shock, anxiety and depression when compared to victims of crimes which were not racially motivated.

I do not intend for one moment to diminish the serious impact of the majority of crimes, but rather I want to draw attention to the particular emotional harm which can be caused by hate crime. Victims of racial hate crime also fear more for future victimisation than victims of almost all other forms of crime, except rape.

It is because hate crimes against individuals make victims of whole communities that Parliament took the decision in the 2003 Criminal Justice Act to signal that crimes fuelled by hatred - hatred of something normally outside the victim's control, be it their race, or sexuality - have wider consequences and must be dealt with more harshly than, for example, acquisitive crime. Whilst enhanced penalties had existed, under the 1991 Criminal Justice Act, courts were not making full use of these powers. For example, in 1997-98, only a fifth of cases where racial motivation was a factor were sentences increased on that basis.

But despite the evidence of a harm 'premium' associated with hate crime, there nonetheless remains a body of opinion that questions the very basis of such legislation. Such criticism of hate crime laws is found on both the Left and the Right of the political spectrum.

The conservative or libertarian objection has been ably articulated by commentators like Melanie Phillips, who has argued that hate crime legislation is an 'Orwellian response to prejudice', and that, by attempting to legislate for people's thoughts and 'bad values', the State oversteps the limits of acceptable boundaries.

These are serious points, but on careful reflection I disagree with them. I believe that hate crimes, where the perpetrator's values strike at the core of the victim's identity, are deserving of a response which targets those very values. Moreover, hate crime legislation no more punishes offenders for their values than does the rest of criminal law.

Those who steal, assault, rape or murder - for whatever reason - make value judgements before committing those crimes. These judgements may be subconscious, and will likely be coloured by many other factors, for example, conditioning borne of childhood experience, the influence of addiction, or mental health problems, but there will be a value judgement made nonetheless. Just because the punishment of 'bad values' in hate crime legislation is more explicit does not mean that the rest of criminal law ignores or downplays these judgements. In fact, in almost all crime the major aggravating factor in determining the punishment is motivation; indeed, the presence of a guilty mind is of course an essential component of criminality. The idea that an offender's thoughts are irrelevant to the offence that has been committed simply does not accord with the fundamentals of our criminal law.

Another prominent commentator From the Left who invoked Orwell was Peter Tatchell, who in 2002 attacked the Government's equality agenda by paraphrasing Animal Farm's proclamation that 'some people are more equal than others'. Curiously, just four years earlier, he had unsuccessfully attempted to get anti-gay hate crime legislation introduced in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 in order to achieve equality with the protection available to other, specifically racial, groups. That such a prominent gay rights activist has changed his mind is a sign of the dilemmas which hate crime laws throw up. Last year Tatchell argued forcefully that the proposed gay hatred legislation was not the right way to tackle prejudice.

Concerns about the use of hate crime legislation to drive equality cannot not be dismissed out of hand. But I think the best response came from Martin Luther King, who said:

'It is true that behaviour cannot be legislated, and legislation cannot make you love me, but legislation can restrain you from lynching me, and I think that is kind of important'

He repeated:

'While it may be true that morality cannot be legislated, behaviour can be regulate. It may be true that the law cannot change the heart but it can restrain the heartless.'


Free speech

But where the opponents of hate crime legislation really have a point is in relation to the potential infringement of freedom of speech. These concerns will be exacerbated if offences aimed at tackling incitement to hatred are not carefully drafted and enforced.

Free speech is a fundamental and historic liberty in Britain, and Parliament has always been rightly cautious about restraining it. It would be very easy to push harder and harder against the door of liberty in the name of protection for sensitive minorities or the easily offended, but the balance must always be struck so that people are free, and feel free, to voice opinions and disagreement which, even if objectionable, are not directly harmful.

During the passage of the recent Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill we grappled with this issue, attempting to strike the right balance between liberty and protection, and it is a balance with which we also struggled when approaching the religious hatred provisions the Government introduced in 2005.

It was my view during the passage of the latest Bill that we had to delineate between what Stonewall described as 'temperate criticism', which must never be illegal, and language which is so inflammatory that it causes harm or triggers violence. And it is important that the criminal justice system, and those who practice in it, understand that this is the balance on which we as legislators have settled.

It is a fair criticism that, whilst Parliament signalled this broad balance, what actually ended up on the Statute Book does not make it fully clear where the delineation lies.
The so-called 'free-speech clause' which was ultimately added to the Bill in the House of Lords by former Home Secretary Lord Waddington says that 'the discussion or criticism of sexual conduct or practices or the urging of persons to refrain from or modify such conduct or practices shall not be taken of itself to be threatening or intended to stir up hatred'.

This rather dislikeable provision was, I regret, the best which Parliament could do in the restricted time which the Government made available. It now falls upon Ministers to issue clear guidance to the police and prosecutors on how it is to work in practice. It will then be for the courts to declare the right balance when cases present themselves.

However, the balance which I believe should be struck in deciding whether a hate crime is proved, and which reflects Parliament's will, is - to use the expression in the US Supreme Court decision R.A.V. v. City of St Paul - that 'fighting words' fall on the criminal side of the line, but merely offensive comment should not. Parliament has not introduced an offence of thought crime; nor should we.

The police and the CPS must pay attention to crimes of hate, and I applaud the DPP's speech last month on disability hate crime, where he both highlighted areas where prosecutions are failing and signalled a determination to do better. But the response of our law enforcement agencies must always be proportionate and must target the criminal, not just the immoral or unpleasant. Parliament did not intend that harmless abuse should be subject to criminal sanction. People who set out their views about gay practices in a temperate way might still cause offence, as might those who call Irishmen leprechauns, but such comment is not criminal, and should not attract heavy handed policing, still less prosecution. There have been some notorious examples of clumsy enforcement over the past few years. They have undermined public and media support for hate crime laws, and they have rightly made Parliament more cautious about extending the ambit of the criminal law. They have almost certainly also damaged the interests of the minorities which hate crime laws were meant to protect.

The police and Crown Prosecution Service should focus on those who seek to spread violent hatred. They should not be wasting resources on the politically-correct pursuit of neighbours who engage in tasteless insults. We must guard against a culture that allows criminal justice agencies to pursue easy targets while simultaneously allowing preachers of hate to call for the stoning of gay people.

Legislation alone cannot create a civilised society

But as well as things which legislation should not do, that is, infringe free speech without very good reason, there are also things it cannot do.

Hate crime legislation is designed to tackle the outward expression of values, but it also has a purpose in sending out a signal that certain views and values are anathema to civilised society, and that harmful actions emerging from those views will not be tolerated.

All criminal justice legislation must, by its nature, have some element of deterrence in it, and so when Parliament sets out in Statute that incitement to hatred on the grounds of race, religion or sexuality is to be outlawed, we intend that people sit up and take notice. Whether you are a white supremacist encouraging hatred of blacks, or an Imam preaching hatred of gay people, the message from Parliament is clear.

In fact, it is not only criminal justice legislation which seeks to change behaviour, or send a signal about what society considers acceptable. The legal status of marriage, for example, originally authored by the Established Church, clearly demonstrates that this is behaviour which society endorses and, indeed, actively promotes.

However, it would be wrong for politicians to assume that legislation is the only, or even the primary, means to govern public morality. Law making, however much it may send a signal or set a framework for dealing with events, cannot be the sole driver of social change. Whilst we in Parliament can plant a flag on an issue, declaring our intention, we cannot fundamentally alter people's views. Legislation cannot make windows into men's souls.

Let me give you one striking example. Despite all the laws and much progress over recent years, a poll in the Observer last weekend found that 24 per cent of the public think that gay sex should be made illegal. Eight years after the age of consent was equalised, and three years after civil partnerships were introduced, a quarter of the British public want to reverse these changes and take us back to the situation that existed before the 1967 Sexual Offences Act. Some might say that this argues for more laws. I am not so certain.

Attitudes may be constrained by laws, and sometimes led by them, but ultimately it is only by fostering a shared feeling of responsibility that we can promote a tolerant society where people are considerate towards others and their feelings, and where they exercise judgement in what they say and do. If the furore this week about Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross has any lessons for us at all, it is that consideration and judgement can lead to the avoidance of offence. Their offensive behaviour was not just a failing of management at the BBC. It began with a failing of personal responsibility. I am pleased that one of those involved reclaimed a bit of that personal responsibility by choosing to resign.

So we should not believe that laws are a panacea. We will never outlaw hate, any more than we can outlaw anger. But we can set a careful framework to outlaw hatred which really harms, while protecting fundamental liberties. As the former US Attorney General John Ashcroft said, after famously changing his mind and invoking federal hate crime law, "hatred is the enemy of justice".

HARDCORE CHALKSTERS

TO SOURCE
The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 31, 2008


Two white supremacists accused of plotting to kill Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and dozens of other black people drew attention to themselves by etching swastikas on a car with sidewalk chalk.

A federal magistrate on Thursday granted a defense request to delay a hearing in Memphis, Tenn., for 20-year-old Daniel Cowart and 18-year-old Paul Schlesselman. He ordered the two to stay behind bars.

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED

"The anti-Whites at places like NN are not to be engaged. They are a mix of amateur and professional character assassins, criminals and cultists. They specialize in lying about prominent Whites in order to spread doubt and disunion among us. We we make their job easier by mixing with them. It is a great mistake to think there is anything fun or funny about what they do, or that it is a trivial matter to play with them on their boards. I won't allow anyone who routinely engages with them to post here"

CHI - TOWN LOOMS FOR WHITE

TO ORIGINAL SOURCE

No delay in White's transfer to Chicago
His attorney wanted the delay so the neo-Nazi could be examined by a psychiatrist.
By Laurence Hammack
981-3239

Neo-Nazi leader William A. White will soon be on his way to Chicago to face a charge of encouraging violence against a federal juror.

At a hearing Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Roanoke, Judge James Turk denied a motion by White's attorney to delay his transfer from the Roanoke jail to one in Chicago.

William Cleaveland had asked for a stay so White could be examined by a psychiatrist who may testify at his next bond hearing, scheduled for Nov. 12 in Chicago's federal court.

Last week, magistrate Judge Michael Urbanski ordered White held without bond, citing the white supremacist's online rantings about his "intricate plot" for the mass murder of the city's "Negro nuisances and their annoying counterparts at The Roanoke Times."

White had hoped to appeal the decision to a federal judge in Roanoke. But his indictment last week by a grand jury in Chicago means he must wait until his transfer there before making another request for bond, Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Hogeboom said.

A 31-year-old landlord and head of the American National Socialist Workers Party, White is accused of using his Web site to solicit violence or threats against the foreman of a jury that convicted fellow white supremacist Matthew Hale.

Hale was convicted four years ago of plotting the murder of a federal judge in Chicago. He is serving a 40-year term, described by White as a "criminally long sentence" in a post to his Web site that included the juror's name, home address and telephone numbers.

It was not clear Tuesday how soon White will be shipped to Chicago.

"All they have told me is that they will move him promptly," Cleaveland said. "I took that to mean days and not weeks."
jobs.roanoke.com| homes.roanoke.com| cars.roanoke.com .....Advertisement.....

A LOOK BACK & FORTH

Wow! It is pretty amazing what we can learn through comparison. The events of the last couple of weeks surrounding the indictment and arrest of the Roanoke based neo-Nazi, William White, have been like a throw-back in time and caused me to go to the archives and files from almost five years back.

As the debate over the indictment of White continues among White Nationalists, neo-Nazis, and even those unaffiliated and unsympathetic to all things supremacist, one common thread is the pros-and cons of the reasons behind the arrest - did the federal government have cause to act? Another is, where’s the evidence?


As the charge against White concerns the jury foreperson in the trial of another supremacist, Matt Hale, who is currently incarcerated for the solicitation of the murder of a federal judge, I thought it might be interesting to look at the similarities and differences in the way that this unfolds.

Within a couple of days of both arrests the Department of Justice issued statements to the press regarding the charges. The statements are strikingly similar and might offer, in the case of Bill White, some insight into what the future might hold.

One of the major differences lies in the fact that the investigation into Hale was conducted by the Joint Terrorism Task Force, and that Hale was held under Special Administrative Measures as a domestic terrorist while White doesn’t appear to have drawn the same distinction.

In the statement made in 2003, the Department of Justice established the nature of Hale’s organization, the scope of the organization, and that he was, in fact, the person in charge…

“According to the indictment, The World Church of the Creator (WCOTC) is an unincorporated association that holds itself out as a religious organization “[d]edicated to the Survival, Expansion, and Advancement of the White Race.” Based in East Peoria, the WCOTC has branches and members in multiple states and in foreign countries. It disseminates information about its principles and teachings through various means, including written documents bearing the 2 WCOTC’s name and the through an Internet site bearing the WCOTC’s name. Hale allegedly controls the operations of the WCOTC and influences and attempts to influence and control many of the activities of its members, and is known within the WCOTC as its “supreme leader” and “Pontifex Maximus.”


Similarly, in the statement of October 22nd, 2008, the DOJ establishes much the same as pertains to White…

“According to the indictment, White created and maintained a website, "Overthrow.com," which was publicly accessible on the Internet. The Web site purported to be affiliated with the "American National Socialist Workers Party" (ANSWP), and claimed the organization was comprised of a "convergence of former [white supremacy] 'movement' activists who grew disgusted with the general garbage that 'the movement' has attracted and who formed the ANSWP under the Command of Bill White." Members of the ANSWP were described as "National Socialists...who fight for white working people."

The statement given about Hale then elaborated sparingly upon the indictment by announcing…

“The indictment alleges that between Nov. 29 and Dec. 17, 2003, Hale, acting with intent that another person engage in felony conduct -- specifically, forcible assault and murder of Judge Lefkow – and under circumstances strongly corroborative of that intent, did solicit that other person to engage in such conduct. It also alleges that during the same period, Hale corruptly and by force endeavored to influence Judge Lefkow in the discharge of her duty while she was presiding over the trademark lawsuit”

In much the same way, they addressed the indictment of White…

“Between Sept. 11 and Oct. 11, 2008, White allegedly used the website to solicit another person to injure Juror A on account of Juror A's role as the foreperson of the jury that convicted Matthew Hale, the leader of a white-supremacist organization known as the World Church of the Creator, who was found guilty and sentenced to 40 years in prison for soliciting the murder of a federal judge in Chicago.”

Not affording the same brevity to White, the DOJ went on to say…

“The indictment alleges that as part of the solicitation, inducement and endeavor to persuade a person to use, attempt to use or threaten the use of force against Juror A, White caused derogatory comments and personal information about Juror A, including Juror A's home address and phone numbers, to be posted on the Overthrow.com website on September 11. The solicitation allegedly occurred under circumstances strongly corroborating White's intent that another person engage in criminal conduct using, attempting to use or threatening the use of force against Juror A.”

In both statements, the government has brought forth allegations of intent to cause another person to bring harm on a particular party. The language used in both statements is strikingly similar and conveys the message that both Hale and White were and are white supremacists whom they believe were “leaders” with considerable influence over their followers and who endeavored to solicit or induce others to commit acts of violence.

Even more apparent is that the case against White is starting off much like the case against Hale. In the initial documents filed against Hale excerpts from the White Man’s Bible and other publications were used much like White’s own postings and publications are being used against him in an effort to establish, motive, intent, and general mindset.

It should also be noted that more charges were subsequently filed in the Hale case, as I suspect they will be in the case against Bill White. What was not immediately evident in the case against Hale, and not against White either, was the extent of the evidence. Should this take a similar road to conviction, one could speculate that the witness list will include at least one, if not several, who will testify against the self-proclaimed leader of the American National Socialist Worker’s Party.

There are differences, however. The contradistinctions come not so much in the charges or the government’s case, but in the individuals themselves.

Matthew Hale had a following. His claim to be “the fastest growing” hate group in America, was not a false one and he was of great concern to those of us who reported on such things. He utilized the internet to recruit, yet it was his speeches, hot-line messages, and weekly radio broadcasts that garnered the attention of most of his fellow racists. Those things combined with his appearances on various talk shows and his meetings held in public libraries helped to contribute to his success as a “leader.”

Bill White never quite approximated Hale. Probably the closest he ever came to a meaningful following was during his brief tenure with the National Socialist Movement and that blew up in his face. Given his background as an anarchist and a communist, Bill always had a cloud of skepticism and mistrust to overcome.

Much like a bull in a china shop, White alienated many within the “movement,” not just through his own viscosity, but because of his intemperate need to always be noticed, to always be right, to always be on top - not that Hale wasn’t ego-driven – he was to a degree.

One of my favorite comments ever made about and to Bill by someone in the movement came from the Vanguard News Network forum…

“The main problem that I have with you is that you tend to bring that same mentality to disputes with people who are (presumably) your allies. You remind me of a hyena that is so hopped up on testosterone that she chews off the ears of her littermates and mother in misdirected fits of aggression. Other people have "issues" as well, but one thing I've learned from life, is that the world is so full of irrational people that you do yourself a disservice by adding to their numbers.”

But, I digress. While Hale was able to enlist the numbers, he lacked the ability to enlist quality adherents. Most of those rallying around the quirky, and somewhat nerdy, Hale were young skinheads and other misguided miscreants. White has consistently lacked the ability to enlist more than a handful into his fold and has also been a magnet for the unstable and the uneducated.

For a short period of time, after leaving the National Socialist Movement, it appeared that White was going to pick up many of those who jumped the sinking ship of Schoep’s bunch, setting off more than a few alarm bells. However, one-by-one, they swiftly realized that Bill White was not the Great White Hope.

What has been left behind to follow in lock-step has been nothing more than a rag-tag contingency of malcontents and misfits who have been made to feel important and lack any direction in all things meaningful.

Matthew Hale had the legal prowess to walk the fine line between legal and illegal. He did, however, like so many others within movement that cannot stand on their own merit, lack discretion in choosing those who could be trusted. Bill White, on the other hand, doesn’t have the legal acuity, the discretion, or the following to choose from.

So, where, you might ask, is the danger? With Hale the danger always came from either within the group or those who ascribed to a belief rife with hate as well as an unstable propensity for violence. That is always the peril facing society with groups such as Hale’s. The danger with White, is no less real, and perhaps even more so.

What Bill White and his ANSWP lacks in following is made up for in audience. Hale made a few headlines, but his message was by-and-large reserved for those who would dial his hotline, tune into his radio show, or attend his meetings. Additionally, Hale had learned a couple of things. He knew that given the right subject, he could groom and cultivate a follower who would do almost anything for him, i.e. Benjamin Smith. He also knew that he had to be very careful in what he said in any public forum so as not to find himself tied to anything illegal that his adherents might do.

Also, it is true that Hale and his WCOTC advocated genocide and removal of all things white from our society. Such things, however, while loathsome, are not easily accomplished by a group who is so sorely in the minority. Until the Lefkow ruling, Hale rarely publicly designated individuals for murder. He railed against “the Jews,” he ranted about “JOG,” and he castigated “muds,” but was very careful about specifics.

Conversely, Bill White used his internet website to advocate violence against specified individuals from all walks. He sent threatening emails and letters to specific groups and individuals. He published personal information and publicly invited others to engage in activities, the range of which were only limited by the moral compass of his readers.

Using an internet website as a tool of terror or a tool of inducement requires no mental acumen and no cultivation of loyalty to the webmaster. All that is necessary for the manipulation of an unstable individual under the influence of such a person is a malicious and twisted sense of moral turpitude and a desire to exact vengeance on an unsuspecting victim or society. It also has the ability to reach a vast number of people.

Through the adept use of metatags and search engines and internet ingenuity a good webmaster can assure that his website is viewed by a large cross-section of people. White’s website was visited by those within the movement, those opposed to the movement, the curious, and the unsuspecting. People surfing the net didn’t have to attend a rally or a meeting or tune in to a radio program they simply had to point a mouse and click.

One has to only look at the fact that the family of Judge Joan Lefkow, the very judge that Matt Hale solicited the murder of, was killed savagely after her personal information was posted on white power websites across the net, to understand the dangers in utilizing the net for such purposes. Those murders were committed by someone outside of the movement who is thought to have come across that information.

While the cases of Matt Hale and Bill White have very strong similarities, there are stark differences as well. Hale resides in a maximum security prison these days and the future residence of Bill White has yet to be determined. There are those who attempt to give martyr status to both – neither are worthy. And while that is a subject for a whole new article, it is important to note that both of these men engaged in acts that could have had extreme consequences for extremely innocent individuals.

A statement issued by Thomas Kneir, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, following the arrest of Matthew Hale, pretty well summed up the attitude of law-enforcement…

“As Americans, we live and abide by the rule of law. These laws are designed to protect all of our citizens, and when individuals take actions to thwart justice by intending to harm any person, those of us in law enforcement will use all available resources to prevent any harm from occurring.”

Perhaps Hal Turner is next?

Again, I digress. What information and testimony is forthcoming in the Bill White case won’t immediately be known and if it takes the same path as with Hale it will be slow in emerging as well as eye-opening to those awaiting particulars. It took over a year and thousands of pieces of paper to bring Matt Hale to trial. It took another year before he was sentenced.

However, unless extenuating circumstances exist that none of us are privy to at this time, we won’t have to wade through one frivolous motion and continuance after another in the Bill White saga. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out and whether or not the Bill White case goes down much the same trail as Hale’s.

One thing for certain – the internet is a little better place to be tonight than it was a couple of weeks ago. At any rate, we should all remember the words of the DOJ at the end of both statements…

“The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.”

CONNECT THE DOTS...

For the purpose of discussion, I thought it would be interesting to look at the similarities in the press releases given by the Department of Justice in the Matthew Hale case in 2003, and in the William A. White case this week...

Matt Hale

TO THE CACHED STATEMENT

United States Attorney
Northern District of Illinois Patrick J. Fitzgerald Federal Building United States Attorney 219 South Dearborn Street, Fifth Floor
Chicago, Illinois 60604
(312) 353-5300 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRESS CONTACT: WEDNESDAY JANUARY 8, 2003 AUSA/PIO Randall Samborn (312) 353-5318

WHITE-SUPREMACIST CHURCH LEADER ARRESTED ON CHARGES OF SOLICITING MURDER OF U.S. JUDGE PRESIDING OVER TRADEMARK CASE CHICAGO – Matthew Hale, the leader of The World Church of the Creator, a white-supremacist organization based in East Peoria, Ill., was arrested today on charges of soliciting the murder of a federal judge in Chicago and obstruction of justice.

Hale, 31, of East Peoria, was taken into custody by FBI agents and members of the FBI’s Joint Terrorist Task Force, early this afternoon at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse in Chicago, just before he was scheduled to appear at a contempt hearing in a civil trademark infringement case involving the organization.

Hale was charged in a two-count federal grand jury indictment that was returned yesterday and unsealed upon his arrest, announced Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. The indictment alleges that between Nov. 29 and Dec. 17, 2002, Hale solicited an individual to forcibly assault and murder U.S. District Judge Joan Humphrey Lefkow and that he obstructed justice by corruptly and by force endeavoring to influence Judge Lefkow who was presiding over the trademark infringement case, TE-TA-MA Truth Foundation - Family of URI, Inc., v. The World Church of the Creator, 00 C 2638 (N.D. Il.)

Hale had been ordered to appear before Judge Lefkow at 1:30 p.m. today for a hearing to show cause why he should not be held in contempt of Court. Instead, he was expected to appear in court later today for an initial appearance on the criminal charges. Mr. Fitzgerald announced the charges with Thomas J. Kneir, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Terry Hillard, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. The FBI’s Joint Terrorist Task Force (JTTF) is comprised of the Chicago Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Customs Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Immigration and Naturalization Service and the U.S. Marshal. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois also assisted in the investigation. The investigation is continuing, they said.

“Freedom of speech does not include the freedom to solicit murder. Under no circumstances will anyone in law enforcement tolerate the activities of any individuals or groups that engage in conduct intended to result in the injury or death of others. The conduct alleged in this indictment is disturbing on many levels, but particularly so because it targeted a judge, whose sworn duty is to apply the law equally and fairly to all who appear before her,” Mr. Fitzgerald said. Mr. Kneir said: “As Americans, we live and abide by the rule of law. These laws are designed to protect all of our citizens, and when individuals take actions to thwart justice by intending to harm any person, those of us in law enforcement will use all available resources to prevent any harm from occurring.”

According to the indictment, The World Church of the Creator (WCOTC) is an unincorporated association that holds itself out as a religious organization “[d]edicated to the Survival, Expansion, and Advancement of the White Race.” Based in East Peoria, the WCOTC has branches and members in multiple states and in foreign countries. It disseminates information about its principles and teachings through various means, including written documents bearing the 2 WCOTC’s name and the through an Internet site bearing the WCOTC’s name. Hale allegedly controls the operations of the WCOTC and influences and attempts to influence and control many of the activities of its members, and is known within the WCOTC as its “supreme leader” and “Pontifex Maximus.”

In May 2000, the TE-TA-MA Truth Foundation – Family of URI, Inc. (TE-TA-MA), a religious organization located in Oregon that had registered the term “Church of the Creator” as a trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, filed its lawsuit against the WCOTC in Federal Court in Chicago alleging that the WCOTC had violated federal trademark law by its use of the term “Church of the Creator.” The indictment alleges that Hale participated in, and at times directed, the WCOTC’s response to the lawsuit brought by TE-TA-MA. On Nov. 19, 2002, Judge Lefkow issued an order that, among other things:

• permanently enjoined the WCOTC and anyone associated with it from using
the name and mark “Church of the Creator or any colorable facsimile thereof,
including specifically World Church of the Creator, WCOTC, COTC, or the
words ‘Church’ and ‘Creator(s)’ together in the same name or mark;”

• required the WCOTC and anyone associated with it to cease using Internet
domain names using the infringing marks, and to “immediately transfer
custody and control of the domain names” used to operate the WCOTC’s
Internet site, “churchofthecreator.com,” “wcotc.com” to TE-TA-MA;

• required the WCOTC and anyone associated with it to “deliver up for
destruction (or, where feasible, removal or obliteration of any infringing
mark from) all” printed and other materials bearing the infringing marks;

• required the WCOTC within seven days to notify in writing, and by
electronic mail, all of its members of the Court’s Order, and to deliver a copy
of the Order to them;” and

• required the WCOTC to file a written report, under oath, with the Court,
within 30 days “setting forth in detail the manner and form in which the
World Church has complied with the terms of this court.”

3 Also on Nov. 19, 2002, Judge Lefkow denied the WCOTC’s request to stay enforcement of the court’s order pending appeal. On Dec. 13, 2002, Judge Lefkow issued an order granting TE-TA-MA’s motion for a rule to show cause why the WCOTC should not be held in contempt of the court’s order on Nov. 19, and ordered that Hale appear before the Court today at 1:30 p.m. to show cause why he should not be held in contempt of court.

The indictment alleges that between Nov. 29 and Dec. 17, 2003, Hale, acting with intent that another person engage in felony conduct -- specifically, forcible assault and murder of Judge Lefkow – and under circumstances strongly corroborative of that intent, did solicit that other person to engage in such conduct. It also alleges that during the same period, Hale corruptly and by force endeavored to influence Judge Lefkow in the discharge of her duty while she was presiding over the trademark lawsuit.

If convicted of soliciting murder, Hale faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, and the obstruction of justice count carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Court, however, would determine the appropriate sentence to be imposed under the United States Sentencing Guidelines. The government is being represented by Assistant United States Attorney David Weisman. The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.


WILLIAM A. WHITE

TO THE PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CRT

OCTOBER 22, 2008 (202) 514-2007

WWW.USDOJ.GOV TDD (202) 514-1888

U.S. Department of Justice
United States Attorney
Northern District of Illinois

Patrick J. Fitzgerald
United States Attorney

Federal Building
219 South Dearborn Street, 5th Floor
Chicago, Illinois 60604
(312) 353-5300

PRESS CONTACTS:
AUSA Michael Ferrara (312) 886-7649
Randall Samborn (312) 353-5318
www.usdoj.gov/usao/iln


SELF-PROCLAIMED WHITE-SUPREMACIST WILLIAM WHITE INDICTED
FOR ALLEGEDLY SOLICITING VIOLENCE AGAINST HALE JURY FOREPERSON

CHICAGO-A self-proclaimed white-supremacist who was arrested last week in Roanoke, Va., was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury in Chicago for allegedly soliciting injury to the foreperson of a federal trial jury in Chicago that convicted another white-supremacist in 2004, federal law enforcement officials announced today. The defendant, William White, was indicted on one count of solicitation, the same charge that was filed against him in a criminal complaint that led to his arrest last Friday, announced Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

White, 31, also known as "Bill White," of Roanoke, remains in federal custody without bond in Roanoke pending transfer to Chicago to face prosecution. He was scheduled to appear at 3:30 p.m. today (Eastern Time) in Federal Court in Roanoke. No date has been set yet for him to appear in U.S. District Court in Chicago.

According to the indictment, White created and maintained a website, "Overthrow.com," which was publicly accessible on the Internet. The Web site purported to be affiliated with the "American National Socialist Workers Party" (ANSWP), and claimed the organization was comprised of a "convergence of former [white supremacy] 'movement' activists who grew disgusted with the general garbage that 'the movement' has attracted and who formed the ANSWP under the Command of Bill White." Members of the ANSWP were described as "National Socialists...who fight for white working people."

Between Sept. 11 and Oct. 11, 2008, White allegedly used the website to solicit another person to injure Juror A on account of Juror A's role as the foreperson of the jury that convicted Matthew Hale, the leader of a white-supremacist organization known as the World Church of the Creator, who was found guilty and sentenced to 40 years in prison for soliciting the murder of a federal judge in Chicago.

The indictment alleges that as part of the solicitation, inducement and endeavor to persuade a person to use, attempt to use or threaten the use of force against Juror A, White caused derogatory comments and personal information about Juror A, including Juror A's home address and phone numbers, to be posted on the Overthrow.com website on September 11. The solicitation allegedly occurred under circumstances strongly corroborating White's intent that another person engage in criminal conduct using, attempting to use or threatening the use of force against Juror A.

White allegedly was aware that individuals associated with the white-supremacist movement, who were the target audience of his website, at times engaged in acts of violence, directed at non-whites, Jews, gays and persons perceived by white-supremacists as acting contrary to their interests.

Prior to the alleged solicitation against Juror A, White on multiple occasions allegedly caused postings to the website disclosed what purported to be the home address and/or personal identifying information of individuals who were targets of criticism on the Internet. Certain of these postings during the same time period expressed White's desire that acts of violence be committed against these specific individuals, including author and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, individuals known as the "Jena 6" and a Canadian civil rights lawyer.

The Government is being represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Ferrara. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Roanoke is providing local assistance.

If convicted, White faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Court, however, would determine the appropriate sentence to be imposed under the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.

The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.