Random | April 29, 2009 | 15 comments

Hate Groups Are Benefiting From Obama's Election

source: http://www.newsweek.com/id/195085

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ClipsFC
With an African-American president and the economy in bad shape, extremist groups are trying to enter the mainstream—and they're having some success.
Newsweek article: By Eve Conant | NEWSWEEK

It's not about hate, it's about love. Love of white people. That's the message in songs, speeches and casual conversation during a weekend retreat in Zinc, Ark., sponsored by the Christian Revival Center and the Knights Party, an offshoot of the Ku Klux Klan. There's no overt threat of violence here. No cross burnings (or "lightings," as the KKK prefers to call them). The only fire at the grassy compound, located at the end of a long, rocky road circled by turkey vultures, is a bonfire for the Knights youth corps to roast their s'mores. The kids draw pictures of white-hooded Klanspeople and sing songs about the oppressed Aryan race; rousing sermons are read from Bibles decorated with Confederate flags. Aryan souvenirs are for sale, including baseball caps proclaiming IT'S LOVE, NOT HATE and advertising THE ORIGINAL BOYZ IN THE HOOD.

This would all be funny (Jon Stewart, where are you?) if it weren't so disturbing. "Do you know why people are so afraid of us?" asks Thomas Robb, the soft-spoken national director—don't call him grand wizard!—of the Knights. "Because we're so normal." In his speeches, Robb is more likely to make a joke about his short stature than he is about minorities. His Web site includes careful statements about nonviolence, green energy and women's rights. But among his ideological kin, Robb equates minorities to fleas and favors a program for "voluntary resettlement" to home countries. Illegal immigrants, as well as blacks serving time in prison, should be deported, he says. "Why is it that when a black man wants to preserve his culture and heritage it's a good thing, and when a white person wants the same thing, we're called haters?" he says.

Some of the roughly 50 attendees at the Arkansas lovefest wear Knights uniforms with Confederate flags and, along with their children, raise their arms "Heil, Hitler"–STYLE to shouts of "white power!" Robb sometimes dons his white robe and hood and doesn't see why that carries any baggage: "Why do judges wear robes? It's tradition." The Klan's past is misunderstood, he insists—no history of brutal lynchings, torture and intimidation; it's gotten a bad name from, for example, federal provocateurs who instigated violence. While Robb questions the authority of other Klan groups, he happily notes that "a rising tide lifts all ships."
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15 comments // Hate Groups Are Benefiting From Obama's Election

  • ClipsFC
    • 0
      ClipsFC  

    • I think everybody has a right to proud of their heritage. White black yellow or green. The problem is when a group of them get together and decide that their way is the 'right way' of some forcefully send out the message by using violence. There is absolutely nothing wrong with congregating, debating and even have an organization - as long as you stay on the right side of the law. It's called Free Speech.

    • 2 years ago
  • Ihatethemall
    • 0
      Ihatethemall  

    • Why aren't white people allowed to celebrate their heritage? Why aren't white people allowed to want to preserve their heritage without being called racists? I'm white and I'm proud so if I say I have white pride I'm labeled a racist, why is that? Not that I really care, i just thought some of you do gooders could give me some insight to those questions. I know the answers to them I just want to see if you all do.

    • 2 years ago
  • current89
    • 0
      current89  
    • Ihatethemall:

      I don't know what you're talking about, I've always been able to preserve my Irish heritage(white people don't have a heritage as a whole), my Canadian heritage, my German heritage, and my Acadian heritage.

      And last time I checked the KKK had nothing to do with heritage and everything to do with ignorance and hate.

    • 2 years ago
  • Ihatethemall
    • 0
      Ihatethemall  
    • Ihatethemall:

      oh yeah, so you think you can preserve you irish heritage. Well I would check on that. there are cities that are doing away with St. Patricks day parades because of the fact that they do celebrate celtic heritage. Chicago is one of them. Maryland is also following suit. Before you go waving that shamrock to proudly, I would check to see what the local laws are in your town on that.

    • 2 years ago
  • mik661
  • courage
  • guidedtotarget
  • unclecharlie
  • mik661
  • unclecharlie
    • 0
      unclecharlie  

    • It's a damned shame that Napolitano equates returning Iraqi war veterans with these nutcases. There will always be these guys, 'cause they pass this BS on down through generations....and these grow up to be the McVeighs of this world.....who eventually grow to hate anyone who doesn't share their "gospel", no matter what color they are......

    • 2 years ago
  • gh8643
    • 0
      gh8643  

    • Brings back painful memories of Oklahoma City bombing by a supremacist. I hope they keep tight control on these guys. I knew that they would come out of the wood works with Obama being elected. Shame it should still be that way in this country.

    • 2 years ago
  • gh8643
    • 0
      gh8643  

    • Brings back painful memories of Oklahoma City bombing by a supremacist. I hope they keep tight control on these guys. I knew that they would come out of the wood works with Obama being elected. Shame it should still be that way in this country.

    • 2 years ago
  • ssnigg
    • 0
      ssnigg  

    • They only fuel the hatred. Groups like kkk have always been around they are just not as active as they used to be. Many people did say when Obama was elected that this would happen. I saw an article just a week ago about some supremacist web's where shut down.

    • 2 years ago
  • ClipsFC
    • 0
      ClipsFC  

    • Quote from article: -- Indoctrination often starts on the Internet. Some crazies posting on MySpace, for instance, have called for armed revolution; at least one has referred to Barack Obama as "a dead man." But many leaders of white-supremacist groups and Web forums are toning down their rhetoric. The aim is to attract the kind of person Robb describes as "the guy down the road who until now had his plasma TV and car in the garage, but just lost his job and won't find a new one because some illegal already has it."

    • 2 years ago
  • ssnigg
    • 0
      ssnigg  
    • ClipsFC:

      That statement he's making is so lame. Like only an illegal is going to take the freggin plasma tv. Probably his own people in the neighborhood that took it, if at all. I just posted that I saw some sites where taken down. I would have to go back to bookmarks and I can give you some urls

    • 2 years ago
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