Check out this article about Obama and white supremacists. No, the movement is not dead; it was not driven into obscurity by the groundswell of populist racial solidarity that seems to have swept through the country last fall. But when was the last time you read a story or watched a TV feature about some off the hook neo-Nazi or KKK family? If you’re under thirty, and even if you’ve been paying attention to the popular media feature stories in recent years, I’ll wager that you’ve probably never heard of the Aryan Nations, David Duke, W.A.R., Posse Comitatus, and the A.N.P. That last acronym, by the way, stands for the American Nazi Party.
I can assure you that such stories were commonplace in the 1980s and most of the 1990s. There was talk of the entire state of Idaho being taken over by white supremacists–and some people argued that we should let it happen in order to “just get rid of this country’s rogue elements.” You could hardly turn on the daytime television without surfing past a story about a family that thinks Satan lives on earth disguised as a Jew or that black people “rose out of the mud.” The news of marches and beatings and secret societies captured the public imagination back in those years. And while these groups never went away, they’ve certainly not captured the interest of mainstream media outlets for well over a decade.
But they’re back. The skinheads, the Nazis, and the Bruders Scheweigen–they’re all back and they have some things to say to everyone who is not a convert. They want to talk about this Barack Hussein Obama guy. They have some things to discuss about Mexicans and gays and lesbians…and this country’s future. And if we are to believe the following article, pretty soon we’re all going to once again start finding their recruiting leaflets on our windshields when we return to our cars after a fun day of search for blue light specials at K-Mart. I’d like to imagine that we’ve moved beyond such polarized thinking, but I’m afraid that that has not happened. And so we are probably in for some rather interesting 20/20 episodes–”Are there Nazis working somewhere in the White House?” On the bright side, the return to the limelight of these nefarious characters will surely keep Jerry Springer on the air for another four years.
“Obama Called a ‘Visual Aid’ For White Supremacist Recruiting”
You lose that bet, Sam. Yes, I have heard of the Aryan Nation. We twenty-somethings have not been that sheltered from the cruel idiots of the world. Documentaries on National Geographic and Discovery Channel in the past several years featured and profiled members and repentant members in prison. The first season of a TV show (based on memoirs by the head of a motorcycle gang) just finished on FX called Sons of Anarchy.
As for neo-Nazis, there was a great film from 2001 called The Believer. It features a pre-The Notebook Ryan Gosling as Daniel Balint. The character of Balint is based on Dan Burros, a Neo-Nazi and kleagle (recruiter for the Ku Klux Klan) who killed himself in the 1960s after a New York Times reporter revealed that Burros was Jewish. The writer and director of The Believer, Henry Bean, published his marked-up screenplay, along with a great series of essays on self-hatred.
What about American History X? This Is England?
In the article, “White community adapts to Obama reality,” I was surprised that the author, Andrea Shalal-Esa, included the quotation from the Muslim hospital administrator. She quoted him complaining that co-workers ask him if he had a nice Christmas. As a Jew, I am asked that every year and wished a Merry Christmas, but I understand that it is a natural assumption in the United States that someone is a Christian. The author and speaker also disregard the fact that Christmas is a time of year. “How was your Christmas?” can also mean “how was your time off from work?” Christmas can stand for all of the holidays. People never send ill will when sending Christmas cards. If it is not your holiday, take the card as a “thinking of you,” which it is. Such a thing is not something to lose sleep over.
Tackle the big issues. The six year olds and their battle cry to assassinate Obama? That is disgusting. Thou shalt not kill any living thing. I am pretty sure that commandment includes the American president. Skinheads will be skinheads. Their ideas may continue, but the violence and crimes committed by them does not. If the gangs are recruiting, then children should be taught about them. Children should be educated, introduced to culturally diverse environments, not forced into the lives of their parents (as with the child name Adolph Hitler, mentioned into a previous posting). Hateful discussion and behavior should be combated.
By the way, has anyone seen the first season of The West Wing? A group of white supremacists, mainly teenagers, attempted to assassinate President Bartlett’s daughter because her boyfriend was black. I do not think that Aaron Sorkin, West Wing’s showrunner, who wrote the episode in either 1999 or 2000, could have imagined that we would have a black president today. Or at least he would have overestimated the public’s response.
[Reply]
People have beliefs. It takes a lot to step back from where you are and look at their views from the other side. Yet, sometimes you just have to wonder “how the hell do they see sense in that?” That whole article about Obama’s election causing a movement or rather, an increase, in white supremacist is startling. In a way, it’s almost expected. America is the land of the free, sure, but it is impossible to ignore that people are still set in their ways when viewing other races, and religions. Many people worried for Obama’s safety (and some for the opposite), but the question was in people’s mind: will Obama be assassinated before even stepping into office? As much as people are set in their ways with racism, some people just refuse to see that there are still different and more violent beliefs when it comes to blacks. “Almost every president has received death threats. This isn’t any different,” was an argument spoken by many Americans. Do they have their heads in the sand? This is a historic moment in American history, just as the Montgomery bus boycott was. Desegregation happened, but it is not over. People still live with hate in the hearts towards those who are different from them. It’s hard to read the examples that article gives about violent crimes that have happened since the inauguration. It is simply going through a repeat of the past. During the Civil Rights Movement, when blacks were fighting for their rights, each little step closer came with an expense: whether it was a brutal beating or even a life, people sacrificed so much, and look where it has taken them. Obama means so much to people on both sides. On one side he is the symbol of change. On the other side, he is a step back from their goal. Despite the examples within the article though, the most disgusting thing to me is the fact that they call Obama a “visual aid” as if he is not a human being. Then again, that is a part of their lifestyle, part of their beliefs. At the same time, to fight fire with fire, you can call Obama a “visual aid” in helping suppress these white supremacists’ goals. He is a “visual aid” in that he is a symbol of what can happen when people overcome what is right and what is wrong. It’s interesting though, as said in the beginning people have all different beliefs. Most of the time, to step back and look at all races and religions objectively offers a lot of insight. Yet, in a long-lasting debate such as this one, will there ever be an answer, or rather can either side ever step back and say “oh, I see what you mean.” No. It won’t happen. So these white supremacists’ ranks have surged with Barak Obama’s election. Well, so has the faith in every person who believes in equality; must be because of that “visual aid” now running the country.
[Reply]
I had heard rumors that even if Obama was elected it would have not lasted long since there were many ready to kill him right after. A scenario a la Kennedy where people were hopeful that change was about to happen in America but would have ended up being very short lived. I always regarded these remarks as nothing more than the usual daily risks that a President is faced with.
After reading the article and some of the comments, I understand the problem that some have with the fact that these stories are not considered newsworthy enough to be on primetime newscasts. If these groups are left to do whatever they want with nobody caring because nobody knows about it then obviously they will gain momentum. They will have town meetings, set up websites and nobody will shut them down.
Then again it is also true that by not acknowledging them you do not recognize their existence. They are not considered a threat or an important organization. This means that in the end their message is relatively contained and they will have a harder time reaching wider audiences across America and the world.
But what is most disturbing to me is actually reading about these groups, and their leaders who have no shame in commenting about their ideology and their actions. This is very destabilizing because they truly believe in anything they say and it is not, usually, for purely political reasons or for their own profit that they become white supremacists but rather because they feel that all the ideals they promote are extremely well founded.
The fact that there are and will always be some deviant groups in society is a fact known by many. However most of us never know the disturbing details of such organizations. People in America especially are quick to demonize jihadist, which I understand 100% because they are truly terrifying, but they never realize that there are crazy people everywhere. So in the end even their next-door neighbor might be a member of an extremely racist white supremacist group carrying out violent and cruel attacks on innocent people on a regular basis. Ultimately I think it is better for these groups not to be put at the forefront because it would give them too big a platform to perpetuate their ideals. One cannot run that risk.
Furthermore I think that if there were more news stories about these irrational beings then people would too quickly get paranoid and worry about their daily lives. These groups as shown by the article are generally taken care of and they are prevented from carrying out their most important plans. Therefore people should not have their lives altered by them but they should, if the opportunity presented itself, do anything to end these extremist acts.
[Reply]
This article is scary. It is scary and to be honest, it made me sad. I just do not get how people can have such limited ideas about this country and how it is run. I don’t think it was Obama’s intention to be a visual aid for recruitment so I don’t think he or this historical time in American history should be “thanked” for bringing hate groups together. I don’t think Obama will accept those thanks either. The recruitment is due to people who will not let go of ignorant and unfounded stereotypes and judgments of the past. To think that white supremacy is coming back to light is a frightening and disappointing thought, but I don’t think it is the same as it was before. People aren’t as afraid to stand up and be heard as they were when white supremacy was at its peak. I feel like hate crimes and other things of that nature are less tolerated because for the most part the citizens of this country do not want to see the U.S. go back the time of blatant, outright racial discrimination and hate.
One of the neo-nazis interviewed in the article mentioned that one of the reasons for surges in hate group participation is an economic slump like the one our country is facing now. If that is truly the case, are the white supremacists aware of Obama’s plan to revive the economy? Do they know that he’s actually trying to put money in their pockets or do they want to just not listen to what the president has planned? If the plan was created by a white president would they care about the economic plan? These are just some of the questions rolling through my mind. I just want to get inside the mind of a white supremacist to see what goes on in their head and the basis for the things they promote and believe in.
The article also listed some recent racial attacks since the election. In a different article, I read there was an attack on a black person who was beaten for wearing an Obama t-shirt. Should I be cautious now when wearing my Obama shirt? Do I really have to fear for my life because I support change and a new day? Would white people who support Obama by wearing t-shirts with Obama’s likeness on then be targeted as much as blacks who do the same thing? Nobody should have to ask these questions this day and age. It pisses me off so much that we are still looking at the color of each other’s skin. The U.S. is probably the most diverse nation in the world. There are all kinds of people in all different shapes, sizes, and backgrounds-not color anymore. Why can’t we get used to that?
[Reply]
Over the decades white supremacist groups such as the Aryan Nation and various Ku Klux Klan have operated under the radar. Since the 80s and 90s they have lost publicity and many people are not aware of their existence. The fact is that they are still organized and highly active.
The election of President Barrack Obama is going to spark a new movement within the white supremacist groups. As said in the article, they are using the election of a black president as “propaganda.” Unfortunately, I can see this working for the type of people they want to recruit. The election of a black president violates everything that these people fight for. It is going to increase anger within the groups and we may see an increase of members; however, nothing significant. I can see this “spark” dying out again in a few years.
In the event of an “economic meltdown,” harsh times often cause people to point the finger. It also causes them to seek togetherness by joining certain groups, in order to overcome their troubles. In this case, uneducated white supremacists find it easy to put all the blame on our new black President. It seems too easy. What more could white supremacists ask for to reignite their campaigns?
And when I say that white supremacists are uneducated, I really mean it. I totally agree with a few of the blog comments on the article in that, “(lack of) education is what incubates ignorance.” An education can break down racial barriers, shed light on prejudice, and open closed minds.
I really do not think that these groups will have any more significance in our country. They may see a slight increase in popularity until the movement dies out again. The way I see it, white supremacists are a waste of human capital. They are wasting space, time, and resources. They do not contribute anything productive to our society.
Neo- Nazi Jeff Schoep believes that they can exploit a declining economy. He believes that in hard economic times, his group will be able to stage a comeback. What he does not realize is that we are in a new era of racial equality. The most powerful man in our country is black! These groups may see an increase in popularity for a few years, but it will not last long. Each new generation is becoming more and more open-minded towards race. As a society, we are making great strides when it comes to equality. As I said earlier, these groups are a waste in every aspect; however, they are worth keeping an eye on. After all they do preach hate, violence, and intolerance. These groups are dangerous, and may try to do something stupid.
[Reply]
Why is it that Obama has had more assassination threats than any other president before him? I feel that people really just do not know how to handle change. They do not know how to accept something that is unfamiliar or new to them. White people are so used to being the majority or having control of other things or other people that they do not know what to do when they are being threatened by another group of people. It seems as though many white people can not handle another race or group of people having more power or control than them. But it is not just that way with white people; it seems to also be that way with other groups of people. When a group of people feels that they are being threatened by something unfamiliar or different they respond negatively. Some people respond with violence or threats or tearing down the group or race of people threatening them. It is as if not many people in the United States are open to new things, open to thinks out side of their culture, open to anything that is different or unfamiliar to them. I think if people took more time to be open to and accept what other people have to say or what other people do everything would be a lot easier. Our world would not be so full of hate. It is as if people hate others for no reason other than the fact that they are different or have different beliefs than them. Instead of listening or being open to some one else’s beliefs they just completely shut out or put down anything that is not “normal” in their culture. I think that if people took more time to learn about and try and understand other peoples cultures then there would not be so much hate in the world. With less hate in the world there could be less conflict and problems and war. It could all start if people just took the time to really understand Iraq and how it was not always the way it is now. At one point it was not a place where there was a war going on and where there was so much destruction and chaos. Americans need to take more time to learn about other people and other cultures for them selves. We should not rely on the media to tell us everything about everyone everywhere. The media only shows us what they want us to see, which is not a lot. We can not just depend on the media for everything. We need to take the time to talk to people of different races and different cultures and be open to what they have to say to help us better understand why they do the things they do. This way we can stop being so close minded and judgmental over anyone that is different than us.
[Reply]
First of all, I would like to comment on the tattoo that’s on the white man’s back. It was really done well, I wonder who did it? I would like to get my first tattoo from the same person that did his, but my tattoo would be the face of Malcolm X with a machine gun in the back ground and around the tattoo it will say in big letters “The Future Belongs to Those Who Prepare for It today.” I am not a person that believes in violence but I also believe in the concept that if you hit me best believe that when I retaliate it would not be pretty for that person. I understand that racism is very much still alive, but I really think it’s a big joke for those people who base their sole existence on hating someone that different from you. Many of the whites, who hate blacks, hispanics, gays, etc, are the whites who could not make noting of themselves, living in trailer parks, on welfare and so forth. They have to find ways to get their anger out and put the blame on other races when it’s their fault that they are in that predicament. Most of these racist whites are those who belong to the bottom of the pyramid (white trash.)
I think President Obama my African brother is a genius. He couldn’t find any other way to piss the white people off than to run for the highest post in the Nation, and then he won which made a lot of white people even angrier. In the article it said white supremacist groups websites crashed because of the overwhelming of viewer wanting to complains. Believe me when I say I would want to complain or join a group if I was a raciest and that person that’s in charge of my country is black, I would want to do more than complain. That’s why after the election the number of hate groups in the United States was up by 50 percent from 602 to 888 groups. While reading these figures all I could do was smile, saying to myself that’s a lot of angry white people. This also means President Obama has done his job before even stepping in his new office in the White House, which I call the State House. At the end of the article there were some incidents involving angry whites mentioned, one was of a black man beaten by a couple of white guys in La for wearing a President Obama shirt. In that case those white guys came across a black man that did not know how to defend himself so they took advantage of him, but I know if they would have came across a different guy then it would be another reporting. The one case that was shocking to me was the second and third graders in Idaho that were chanting “assassinate Obama.” If thoughts like these are implemented in little children then how can we ever have chance in eradicating racism? And of course I was not shock when a poster of President Obama was found in a Milwaukee police station with a bullet going through his head. In my opinion 75% of cops are racists and that’s something that I have noticed. I laugh at all these people who take so much time out of their lives hating others.
[Reply]
I believe Americans as a whole have a tendency to put blame on others for their own problems. It’s far easier to blame someone for your misfortune then to take ownership of your own issues. I believe Americans have a victim mentality that entails that everything that is bad is a product of other people’s actions. This is why racism occurs, because it’s easy to pass blame on a group of people because of the way they look. This was seen in America after 9/11, when several racist attacks were made on innocent Middle Eastern Americans. People who had anger about the attacks felt like they had a right to treat Middle Eastern Americans as lower class citizens.
I believe Neo-Nazi groups have followers because there are people who need to blame something for their misfortunes. I also believe people join neo-Nazi groups because they need to feel a part of something. I remember watching a movie in middle school called “The Wave”. This movie was about a high school teacher who started his own “club” called the wave. This club was made to show the students how so many people followed Adolf Hitler in Nazi Germany. Once the wave was started, people became really involved in the group and became obsessed with the club. The students made posters with a picture of a wave, had chants that repeated the same phrases, and hosted rallies in the gymnasium. The student body as a whole was changing and was becoming obsessed with the wave. It was a positive movement for those who didn’t previously fit in. Students who were once considered losers before the movement became more accepted once they joined the wave. The class outcast, Robert, became one of the top officials of the Wave and was suddenly liked by his previously unaccepting peers. Sadly for Robert, after the Wave was terminated, Robert went back to his previous social status as a loser. I can see people like Robert joining current Neo Nazi type groups to try to fit in and be a part of something. In my opinion, these types of people should just join a club or get a less violent hobby.
In a way, I think some of the die hard McCain supporters are partially the reason why these racist groups are receiving more members. Many have bitterness about the outcome of the election, and the bitterness can cause racism against Barak Obama. I remember on the day of the election my roommate, who is a friend from high school, was crying and saying the anti-Christ was elected the president. I sat in shocked as I saw my friend say such an ignorant remark. Because her candidate didn’t get elected, she put all her bitterness and anger and channeled it as racism toward the future president. I think all of the excitement people can have for a candidate can be made into hatred of the same magnitude for the opposing candidate. However, this election has this to a higher degree because of the racial issue. I believe the white supremacist groups are using McCain followers disappointment as a means of recruitment.
[Reply]
Well, radical people in this country will never cease to amaze me. I honestly feel sorry for white supremacist, Nazis and other fascist because the amount of unguided hate in their hearts for no reason is laughable. I feel sorry for minorities who have to live in fear in these areas. I agree with the person, who made the first anonymous post on the blog , in that the portrayal of the movements in these group not being in the media has its pros and cons. The benefit of this is that we are not giving these factions any attention or air time; that would only serve to strengthen their movements and cause panic. However, ignorance about this is a dangerous thing because people need to know that these groups are out there so that we Americans with morals and intelligence know what to do about them. True, these groups are a minority and the majority of the United States voted for Obama on November 4th. I honestly don’t know what to say. If it wasn’t for the fact that these groups were crazed and dangerous , I would have no problem just having an argument with one of them about how disgusting they are. However I don’t think that half of them could hold an intelligent conversation and back up their beliefs with factual evidence. I don’t know. I kind of like trouble sometimes. I really don’t care what any racist has to say about minorities because we have proven them wrong over and over. I hope they all drown in their hate and ignorance. I think there probably are a few of these people in the White House. There probably aren’t many because I think many die hard white supremacist would have already done something crazy by now, now that some black guy with a terrorist name is our president. It doesn’t surprise me that Obama has already gotten more death threats than any president in US history. Obama is the manifestation of their insufferable lack of knowledge. His existence exposes them as the sub humans that they are. I’m sorry but it’s the truth. If you’re going to hate a certain type of people, then fine, go ahead, just stay out of my way because I know that you don’t deserve to be in my presence. But when your beliefs turn into extreme, nonsensical actions and violence, then that’s where there is an issue. Ordinary people who are just angry all the time for no reason amuse me, so people who are actively angry and hate others for no justifiable reason are hilarious. They waste so much time and energy on something that is completely fruitless. They will eventually disappear of the face of this earth because quite frankly, there is no room for them. They are not forward thinking in the least bit.
[Reply]
This was my first time reading the article, Obama called a “visual aid” for White Supremacist Recruiting but I have witnessed numerous other stories, similar in message and sometimes almost identical in the tactic being issued. The two major topics discussed, white supremacy/racial inferiority and our economy in present day, correspond with Sam’s last lecture which was held on Thursday.
This is probably one of the few things that I agree with, while reading the article that usually when an issue is at hand people tend to look for someone to blame and the persons at the lower level or standard on the first for target. Being that Blacks, along with Native Americans are among the lower economic class, ‘technically speaking’, it seems to justify the reason that they would be blamed for our current deficit and with Obama being of that descent and being the ‘leader’ of this recession generation, x marks the spot.
I ask you, with Obama being in office approximately 23 days, how could he be responsible for the estimated $10,000,000,000 debt the United States is in. If any one individual can built up such a severe affect on the nation in less than a month, I personally would like to meet them and question their intelligence and rationally by bringing their internal developments to a forefront. Not to blame anyone, but if our country has been in a recession for the past couple of years and we have had one man as our president for the last eight years, who really is the blame?
With that in mind, these hate groups and hate websites, as mentioned in the race relations blog are simply looking for a reason to foster their hate and this man seems to be like an enzyme that has sparked a certain cycle. Clearly with proposed laws such as Proposition 8, it can seen that this 21st century is not only facing issues of race, but of sexual preference, something to me that does not seem like a big deal. Someone should be able to love who they want to, wherever they want to and with Obama having similar views to this Proposition 8, he is now the target for blacks, Jews, and now the LGBQT community.
Honestly, my views are hate groups such as these are often skewed, maybe I cannot see why this is necessary and still an issue after all that our nation has been through, and where I thought we have come. Maybe it is me, because I cannot really imagine hating anyone, and if I ever do end up hating someone it would never be for a stereotype, their appearance or personal views, to me its just blatantly wrong.
The country’s future should not be based on the stereotypical prospects of one race, sexual preference or belief. Everyone does not fit the description of what the set income is or what the certain education of a particular race should be. For example, if anyone was to judge me by those two factors, they would be wrong on both ends. I am highly intelligent, and although my family’s income may support the statistics for a black household, my income certainly does not and makes the statement seem somewhat like an absurd assumption.
With these being said, I do not see how it is possible to judge a country on one man, one type of people or even on a negative aspect. To me, that is like taking George Bush and what he achieved as a president (not being much) and taking that as a way to say that white people are not intelligent, and they should not be allowed in those Yale’s, Harvard’s and Penn States. I do not think that the respondents would be of over joyance.
This article and those ignorant individuals still making threats and all kinds of destruction, should be thought of as the barrier that has our economy is such a crude position. Think about it, they are not trying to help but yet trying to influcuate hate, when we as a nation need to influcuate a solution to this present crisis.
[Reply]
While watching the inauguration ceremony for Obama, the thought that he was going to get assassinated crossed my mind. I actually, thought about it for awhile, thinking that there must be so many close-minded individuals out there who are dismayed by his election and want nothing more than him to be shot. This idea terrifies me, because honestly I think that Obama is the best face we could possibly have for the USA right now. So many people around the world hate us. They see us as very close-minded individuals who are rich snobby white people. They think that we must have all wanted Bush to be our president because he was elected not only once but two times. Unfortunately there really are people in the US who do fit the description and they ruin everyone else’s reputation. I have come to absolutely hate the way media portrays things. I don’t actually think it is possible to have completely unbiased media no matter where you are in the world. The media goes out of the way to scare us, and we all buy into it. The reason I was terrified that Obama would get assassinated is because the media was talking about it. They pointed out the extra security measures, if they hadn’t done this I don’t know if the thought would have ever crossed my mind. Reading this article, I am terrified for this nation, but really how big is the problem? What percentage of the US actually fall into the category of supporting and participating in extreme white supremacy? And of those who do fall into this category, do we really need to be fearful of them? According to the media, yes we do need to be fearful.
Last year I did a paper about school shootings. Going into it, I felt as though school shootings were rampant and that they were a huge public problem that we all need to be extremely fearful of. Through my research, I learned that I felt that way because of the media portrayal of the subject. In reality, the chance of being involved in a school shooting is extremely low. Ever since that paper, I have become extremely cynical and critical of everything I read in the media. I always try to put it in terms of the bigger picture. So there have been an increase in racist groups, I’m guessing they are all people who have always thought about joining and now have more motivation. But really, will they do anything. Millions of people join groups everyday but never act to do something about their cause (good or bad). I’m concerned that more people are being vocal about there racism, but I don’t think the numbers of racist people have actually changed. And hopefully Obama will be able to prove them all wrong.
[Reply]
White Supremacists need to “thank” themselves-for they truly show mw how there are exceptions to my rule of “everyone has good in them”; I’ve been proven wrong.
I just don’t get it- how can a person think that they have a better life, more of a right, a superior power over anyone else? We all have evolved from the same species and we all have a mother and a father. We all have a family and a right to think for ourselves. So- how can you be better? I learn in school, yes-to a degree, but I think some of the best knowledge and most insightful conversations I have had are with my friends, with classmates, with family and even strangers.
We learn from each other and gain insights and perspective in the most unexpected places, so how can someone go around feeling they have the right and authority to empower, hurt, and even kill another? How did they get in that position in the first place-another human being? So what if the person who helped them get to where they were were in fact helped by a black man, or a Jewish man or an Iraqi? Essentially-wouldn’t that mean they, by following the line of power-were helped by the same people that they are trying to dehumanize?
You can’t just write off a race or a religion or nationality because they are different. If everyone went around doing that- who’s to say I won’t be targeted next for having red hair, or for you for being a “nittany lion” alum? I wonder if someone ever took on the perspective of these supremacists/ a.n.p’s/etc…and turned the tables around on those pointing fingers at people not good enough for them, how they would feel?
I guess it’s just hard for me to wrap my mind around this concept because I love people-ANY people. Laughter is the same in any language, so where is the barrier? Shouldn’t we all be striving for happiness, and why can’t we help those that may come into our lives, no matter what religion, race, age, gender, etc. try to find their own happiness too?
When we get to the core of ourselves, we all feel- happiness, grief, broken hearts, love-if we’re lucky. The world would be in much better hands if we didn’t follow all the bullshit and just saw the core of ourselves and each other-life’s already short enough.
I don’t really want to write anymore because I don’t think it’d be a truth-I know we have to have 450 words, but if I write 50 words over crap, I wouldn’t be able to accept myself for doing so- sorry if that seems a little blunt, but I don’t want to post my name on anything I don’t believe in.
-j.swerdon
[Reply]
I have heard more than once that Pennsylvania is home to one of the largest populations of KKK members or similar type of white supremacy group. Every time the stat is thrown in my direction I find myself questioning its validity. How does one go about counting these members? This is made even more difficult by the fact that members of such groups often keep such membership secret, (think white hoods over their faces). Additionally, if membership is so high how come I have never once met a member of such a group given I have spent my entire life in this state?
Obviously I am not naive enough to think that hate groups in PA are nonexistent. Also, as someone who is not racist I doubt that anyone who would belong to a hate group would divulge this to me, explaining how I never come across any. I will say that I have heard many things which make me keenly aware of animosity towards minorities among my peers. A friend of mine from childhood serves as an example. I grew up in a small town with a racial diversity similar to the one seen on campus. My friend lived up the block and was your typical hick. He cut wood in his backyard, went hunting and listened to country music. He also had a large confederate flag on display at his house, though it was located in the garage. At school we had many of the same friends, some of whom were Black and Spanish. The funny thing is as I think of him I realize two of his best friends in High School were minorities (One black, One Ecuadorian). When not in the presence of friends who were minorities he would make racist jokes, some that many would find offensive. This to me relates to the swelling in numbers that hate groups now claim. Much like my friend kept his Confederate flag behind a garage door, there is a segment in our population which feels animosity towards minorities but keeps this somewhat hidden.
The election of a black man may be enough to push some in this group towards aligning with a hate group but I find our current economic condition as a better predictor. For now these people find the judgment of their peers as enough of an obstacle to keep such feelings hidden. If the country falls into a deeper recession with a minority at the helm things could change drastically. With their quality of life in question those on the fence will find it much easier to scapegoat minorities they have secretly been suspicious of for years. This could create yet another obstacle for minorities hoping to gain entrance to public office in the future.
[Reply]
Throughout history people have always looked for a scapegoat. Whether it was religion persecution in the middle centuries, witch-hunts in colonial America, or the race wars of the civil rights movements, groups of individuals have always wanted to blame others for things they don’t understand. On November 4th, the first African-American President was elected to serve for the next four years. As our country toils in Iraq and the economy stumbles, people again want someone to blame.
There has always been a movement of racism in this country. Dating back to the formation of our country, through the civil war, and into the 1960’s racism was much more prevalent, if not encouraged by the masses. Thankfully, the past fifty years have been a tremendous improvement over the fifty before. The election of our new president shows that the overwhelmingly majority of Americans have moved past superficial differences and embraced the full spectrum of this country. Unfortunately, Obama’s election has spurred a huge spike in the ranks of hate groups and related crimes. With all the hope and promise that accompanies our new President comes a darker and deeper fear. Even his most faithful supporters have a scary thought deep inside their minds. When Obama approached the podium in Grant Park that chilly night in Chicago everyone had a moment of fear. Please get through this speech. Please just get through this speech. You could see the Secret Service had the same idea by constructing bulletproof panels to surround the President Elect.
As reported by numerous hate and white supremacist the new President has spurred more than just hope, but also hatred. These groups have and most likely always will exist in this country as people continue to hate what they don’t understand. However, unlike in the past when these groups had a faceless, ambiguous enemy, they now have a face. They have a face, a name, and an entire first family to hate. Their enemy now has unprecedented success; success many thought wouldn’t come for several decades. Obama’s election is more than just a political statement to the world. It is a social statement. While some think the new President is merely a reaction to the past eight years, he is something so much more than that. Barack Obama is the reaction to the entire history of our nation. This nation was founded on an amazing set of ideals with freedom promised to all her citizens. Hopefully people can soon accept the words of our founding fathers and embrace all the peoples of our great nation.
[Reply]
After reading this article, it does not come as a surprise for me. To some people it seems as though these groups have settled down over the years when in reality the media coverage for them is what settled down. I think the way people make themselves feel better about the world and terrorism is by lying to themselves about the supremacist groups that still exist in our world. To me it seems like these groups would be more prevalent now especially after we just elected our new black president Barack Obama.
The reasons people are involved in these hateful groups are unexplainable unless you have that mindset. I cannot imagine any explanation that would be acceptable to me about why these groups exist. Although I do not understand the point of it, I still am not surprised about it. I read some of the students’ responses and they were saying that after they read the article they were so shocked. What I do not understand is why anyone would be surprised about this. There are always going to be people that will be rebellious and will disagree with society. Obviously right now with Obama as our new president, many people are very judgmental about this.
The article proves that now maybe even more than ever, these types of groups are forming and not going anywhere. People use these groups as their way to express their true feelings with other people that agree with them. It sounds as though they have become more of a colt rather than a non-dangerous group of people. These groups of people scare most others that just believe in peace. Unfortunately these groups are always associated with danger and always will be. No matter what the political or economic state the world is in, these groups will exist and it will scare people. It all comes back to how people in general are afraid of change. Racism and change will always exist in certain peoples’ eyes because different groups of people will always have different opinions.
It is also really scary that a lot of these groups go on without anyone really knowing about it. Secret societies are always found out about. I think this is the scariest kind of macist groups there can be, because they seem to have been the most destructive. They are the ones planning ways to hurt certain people or strategize against them. These groups include the KKK, skinheads, Nazis, etc. Events such as the Holocaust and other wars have happened to stop these racists and hatred. The ironic thing about it is that war obviously does not prevent or get rid of hatred because war itself can be described with the word, hatred. People resort to destructive ways of proving their points or preaching their beliefs. How can we ever expect this to help the problem?
[Reply]
When I was in high school, I took Tolerance 101. This class was centered on taking us out of our comfort zones and seeing the world differently than our suburban lifestyles. We focused on many different units – genocide, Israel and Palestine issues, other Middle Eastern issues, and white supremacy. In order to better understand how white supremacy is alive and well in America, we watched this video. The video was about a group of white supremacy neo-Nazis living in a cabin in the middle of the woods in the middle of Alabama. A middle age white man owned a cabin, and let young men live with him. The man who owned the cabin was spreading his ideas on white supremacy, owned way too many guns, and was an active member of the Ku Klux Klan. The young men living with him were teenagers, who were so impressionable and persuadable. It was absolutely disgusting how these young men would sit around, drink all day, and spread these disgusting ideals. At one point during the movie, this group organized a public street march in the Birmingham. The man in charge made a speech at the end of the parade saying that Alabama needs to become a white homeland. It was actually quite disgusting watching this video. I honestly wanted to go down to Alabama and scream. But now I think that that wouldn’t have done much good. At one point during the video, the neo-Nazis were passing out pamphlets explaining on why we need a white homeland.
Although white supremacy has been around for many generations, one of the main supporters was Adolf Hitler. Although he was a big advocate for anti-Semitism, the same principles still exist. When Hitler was in prison, he wrote a book called Mein Kampf. This book has become the cornerstone of many white supremacy groups. In fact, this book is being treated like the Bible. The movie I was talking about before, the leader read religiously out of this book. Hitler was such a foundation to this group that they even celebrated his birthday. They made a birthday cake, with swastikas in the icing. It was utterly disturbing.
In the article, it was talking about acts of violence done towards Obama’s picture. Something like that actually happened in my hall. On the guy’s floor, someone had put up a picture of Obama. Another person came along and drew on his face (and maybe wrote something as well). This prompted my RA to hold a house meeting about all the racism that occurs on campus. I personally thought that this was a tad extreme because newspapers poke fun at important political people all the time. If one of those cartoons was offense, then we would be having meetings all the time.
[Reply]
This article is nothing short of stunning. After reading that an entire black church was burned down in my hometown of Massachusetts, I was stunned. Shouldn’t these kids have been celebrating the decriminalization of marijuana instead of burning down a school? The idea of white supremacy is obviously still alive and kicking, and I for one do not understand it. What will it take for this country to get together and realize that we are all the same? This is painfully obvious after learning in class that human beings share 99.9% of all genes. The white people burning down the black church share 99.9% of genes with the minorities whose churches they burned down.
It is too bad that such a historic event is also a breeding ground for racist groups to pick up support. The problem that Obama can address and help is the economy. As Jeff Schoep explains, “When the economy suffers, people are looking for answers. … We are the answer for white people.” If Obama’s stimulus plan can fix this economy, young and confused people would be more likely to look at other outlets besides supremacy groups. I can understand that people become more desperate as their money dwindles, but there are certainly other outlets besides supremacy groups to join. Hopefully the plan stimulates the economy and even close minded people will be forced to concede that Obama, a black man, is helping our countries economy get back on track.
What is also troubling is how little media coverage these events are getting. Although obviously they are receiving some coverage, neither of my parents had heard of this event when I asked them about it. Springfield is only one hour from my house. In our current age of the 24 hour news cycle, that there is relatively no coverage is unbelievable to me. Aren’t these incidents more important than what shirt Paris Hilton was wearing today? I for one would love to know exactly what these kids were thinking when they burned down this church. Was it because they were against the particular religion or was it really because they hated Obama? Where are all of the reporters from the numerous news stations currently airing? We need to know what these people are thinking. Was it the way their parents brought them up or have they formed these opinions on their own?
I hope that we can figure out a way to slowly eliminate the intolerable people of this country. There are a lot of them and with the way science and technology are improving, there is no way that people should still think like pre-civil war times. Together we can unite and respect everybody. Blacks, whites, gays, lesbians, straight people: we are all Americans and we need to act like it.
[Reply]
This topic is really disturbing to me. I find it extremely disheartening that this racism is still constant in the United States today. I mean I don’t expect that since Obama was elected there would be no racism, but I expected that since slavery ended there would be a significant drop in the racist comments and discrimination all in the United States. Being from a family that celebrates Hanukah as well as Christmas, I’m very sad that there are still racists and prejudice people in the world, let alone in the United States. It is extremely impossible to ask for the entire world to get along and become friends, but to ask for a drastic change in most people’s attitudes is not so drastic. Seeing that picture with Adolph Hitler tattooed on that man’s back just shows how horrible some people truly are in America. It is like the article where that family named their son Adolph Hitler Campbell and their daughter JoyceLynn Aryan Nation Campbell. Why are people so ignorant? Do they think they are proving a point that what Hitler did was right? It makes me incredibly mad that there are people that think this way. What Hitler did was one of if not the worst massacre of all-time. Words cannot describe how mad and disappointed I am at what the Germans did to the Jews.
Looking at another topic, the racism in this country is absurd as well. I heard a story of two white kids who were going to hold up and kill 88 black people in an all-black school. The 88 was for the 8th letter in the alphabet H; double H for the Nazi salute “Heil Hitler”. This once again shows the immaturity and just plain disgrace of some of the citizens in the United States. I am very sad that there are people like this in our country that was built on principles that, “all men are created equal” but we fail to actually carry out this concept.
Talking about Barack Hussein Obama, I am very glad that he represents our country as our president. Some people will always use racist or prejudice comments to characterize him, but I am proud when I say that I voted for the 44th president of the United States. A person that cannot see past the fact that Barack Obama is black really is juvenile. Obviously, everyone can see that Barack Obama is black, but it is the difference between seeing he is black and listening to what he says and just dismissing his speeches and throwing a racist comment at him. In conclusion, some people in our society are very disheartening. I guess I expect too much some of the citizens of the United States. I hope that our society can someday become less prejudice and just more understanding.
[Reply]
I recognize the awesome thing that occurred when Obama was elected President, because it is a step in the right direction. But some people don’t see how far it is we still have to go. Just today I had someone say to me something along the lines of “I hate when people start talking about race, it’s only a problem when we make a big deal about it, we all have equality.” Yeah right. While I think these articles portray the most disgusting humans, it is almost another step in the right direction. For once people (mostly white people) who claim there is no racism, have to stop being passive about it. I think not all those who don’t realize how much of an issue it still is are racist, but now maybe they can open their eyes.
Obama being elected was a start, but in so many places, in so many minds, blacks and other races and cultures are still discriminated again. I come from a town of many closed minded people. I haven’t seen active KKK members or other radical groups, but I have heard countless racist comments. It is sad that organizations like these exist, sad and terrifying. We learned about “groupthink” in Dr. Richards Soc 001 class and these groups are exact representations. But now the groups are out in the open, being exposed and recognized. How do these groups come into existence? Is it the under educated? Is it an environmental thing, families, religions? Or is it solely “groupthink”? If the people with these beliefs were divided and questioned individually how many of them would have a solid argument? I would guess none. As many ignorant people walk around this earth, I still can’t figure out how they remain that way, convenience I suppose. Really having to think scares a lot of people.
And just as terrifying as the fact that these groups exist, is the fact that these things were occurring right in gas stations and police stations, completely out in the public. What do we do when the people in charge of our safety hang posters of our President being shot? But more importantly, what do we do to change it?
Now those who were taking a passive stance on racism will have to make a choice. And those who have an active stance against it will have more obstacles. But in all of these situations we are finally “coming face to face with the enemy.” And the enemy is the closed minded citizen sitting right here in our schools, behind the counters of our gas stations, and armed protectors of our peace. It is a scary thought and one ignored by so many, the inequalities that clearly still exist. How do we open the eyes of those who don’t even know their eyes are closed?
[Reply]
Cayla Rasi
I’d really like to just say that it seems like it won’t matter what’s going on in the world, there will always be some excuse for people to fight and hate and kill each other; and right now, having a black president leading the most powerful nation in the world is a “reason” for people to be mad at each other and threaten and some times kill one another to try to make a ridiculous point (what is the point? I wonder if those people even know themselves).
I was watching a movie the other day—it’s actually a pretty old movie but I always enjoy watching it—it’s Independence Day with Will Smith as the lead actor. At the very end of the movie the president in the movie makes a very good speech; he says something along the lines of the fact that this horrible experience (aliens trying to take over the world) is something that is uniting everyone. Everyone is united because everyone is being targeted for the same thing? Will it really come down to that—people won’t be able to love each other and help each other unless they are all being targeted for the same thing and their lives are being threatened for the same thing? I hope that it never comes down to that, but I really think that people need to just stop the damn fighting and start loving (I know, that’s so cheesy, tacky, and hippie’ish to say… but really, come on!).
I don’t even want to imagine though how Obama feels right now just stepping into office. For one thing he has so much pressure not just because he is half black, but because Bush really screwed things up and he is obligated to fix Bush’s mistakes. But now, his presidency is a result in violence because people are racist? I would be heart broken to find out that people were beaten because they were wearing a “Vote for Cayla” pin.
When I really think about the following situation:
In Shreveport, La., a black man wearing an Obama T-shirt was brutally beaten by a group of white men screaming “f–k Obama” and “n—–r president.” The attack left the man with a broken nose, broken eye socket and broken tear duct, requiring multiple surgeries.
This situation is ridiculous. One, it is illegal to physically batter someone. Two, it is illegal to assault. Three, it is illegal to discriminate.
Even when Obama leaves office people will find reasons to hate and hurt each other. With Obama in office it is giving racist people a reason to target those who are not. Wow, people are being hurt because they are anti-racist? Huh? This is so bizarre.
[Reply]
I am not necessarily convinced by what I read in this blog. I understand that there are these white extremist groups out there who have a deep hatred for our new president and feel very threatened by him and how much power he possesses. However, I don’t think these groups will ever be able to gain such a following to make the kind of impact they wish to make. Obviously these hate groups have been multiplying, especially after Obama’s nomination but I really don’t think they will be able to reach enough people and persuade enough people to ever bring down Obama. These extremists are a very small minority in our country. I think also that my generation and the generations to follow would be the least susceptible to falling into this racist trap. My generation was brought up in a time where segregation was not present and racism was not something seen in our everyday lives. For us to see a black president is definitely something different but I think the majority did not mind seeing some “change” in the White House. It really saddens me to hear about people who are so narrow minded and so hurtful just because the color of a persons skin. Maybe I’m just really naïve to what is going on around me but I really think our country has come a long way. I am scared of the fact that these groups are using violence but I think in time it will die down. I think as long as there are more people in the country being taught and raised to see every race as equal than those who are being taught differently, than the good of our country will prevail. It will take some time for everything to die down but I really think that once we start seeing change brought about by Obama, people will slowly begin to accept him. I think once the economy picks up there won’t be as many vulnerable white people to persuade. Also, as long as the media doesn’t give them the attention these groups want, things will not blow up as much. They can hand out leaflets and hateful propaganda all they want but if we can manage to keep the mainstream media from giving them attention and forwarding it on to the public, I think they will have a very hard time succeeding. Something else to touch on, I think my generation doesn’t get informed enough about topics such as this. If I wasn’t for this class I would have never known there were these groups forming. I think our education systems should put more of an emphasis on letting students know what is going on in our country because it’s harder for students to grasp what exactly is going on by just watching the news for a couple of minutes or reading some unreliable story in the paper. That’s just something I have always felt especially after taking this class because I learn so much about our world from this class and I really think every student should be learning this stuff too.
[Reply]
After reading this article, I felt a little uneasy and pissed off that there are people out there like this. I knew this kind of thing was bound to happen with the election of our first African-American President, but it still never fails to make me sick to my stomach. I’ve had bad feelings about what is going to happen to Barack Obama in the upcoming years. There will certainly be attempts at his life, but we can only pray that these will not be carried out. I think with the amount of security surrounding the President, he will not be in any serious danger. Most of these hate groups like to talk about what they are planning to do, but never do anything about it. Not to mention most of the members of such groups aren’t smart enough to figure out how to crack the security surrounding Obama. With that being said, I am still deeply disturbed to hear that such racist activities are happening across the country. To hear that people are being beaten to near death for wearing Obama T-shirts is despicable, and a terrible reflection on our country. We need to be coming together in times like these, not tearing each other apart. As long as white supremacists and people of the like exist, we can never move forward as a country. The sooner we realize that, the better.
Also, I think it is pretty scary that white supremacist leaders are using Obama as a “visual aid” to recruit members. We need to support our president, whether we agree with the choice or not. I think it was horrible what happened with former president Bush, regardless of how bad people think he was. The liberal media criticized his every move. I am in no way supporting most of the decisions he made, but I feel that if you don’t support the team, get the hell out of the stadium. Now, back to why this is so scary for America. In a time of depression like we are experiencing right now, it is much easier for groups like white supremacists to recruit members. It was a similar type of situation in Europe before World War II. Hitler took advantage of the situation because people were looking for a direction and looking for someone to blame for their problems. I am not saying that the same type of mass movement will take place, but it is definitely still scary to think about. There will certainly be an increase in membership in white supremacist groups, as seen in the article. That is never a good thing, and we can’t afford to move backwards after all the progress we’ve made towards combating racism. After all is said and done, I think that most people will end up supporting Obama, but it will take some time. The racism will eventually subside, but there is no room for it in the first place.
[Reply]
An upsurge in Racist Xenophobic groups at this point in time makes complete sense. An cyclical downturn within the economy leads to vast layoffs leading to hard time of those who don’t have a secure income. Within the population of whites within the country the stereotypical slogan of “they took our jobs” becomes louder and they becomes broadened passed those ethnic groups synonymous with recent immigration. The “they” begins to include other ethnic groups who were seen as not responsible from the formation of this nation, therefore anyone who is not Anglo-Saxon truly white. Therefore the disdain for racial groups is once again focused on blacks, specifically African-Americans. Anyone outside of the White group who is employed is seen as taking a job from the unemployed white person who may be a victim of affirmative-action, furthermore even if Affirmative action was not involved they would still see this as unjust because it is there race who is responsible for the establishment and maintenance of the country and therefore there is a sense of self entitlement over any race other than theirs (ie. Birth of a Nation (Predating Affirmative-Action)). If the conditions went already at the perfect conditions to promote radical racial beliefs, add to that the fact that the first president not 100% of European descent, and with a father of African origin. The first signs of racial tension after the election of Obama were seen in the Murder of Oscar Grant on New years day in Oakland, California. An unarmed Grant who was suspected of fighting was subdued by 5 police officers, after being pinned on the ground his hand securely in those of the officers he was mortally shot in the head by one of the officers in front of hundreds of witnesses and a couple of video camera phones. The Incident ignited a Riot. In the aftermath, the DA acted properly by charging the officer with murder, something that did not happen in another incident in Mississippi. Billey Joe Johnson, 17, was a top college recruit out of Mississippi he is now dead. Police claim Johnson committed suicide after being stopped for running a red light. The forensic detail claim that is physical impossible. In a town of 2,400 It was know that Billey Joe once dated a white female, 17, who attended his high school. The officer was acquitted by a jury of 14 whites and 2 blacks. This is just another case of police using their power to subdued the ethnic groups that maybe not the system but the officers individually despise. There are many cases across the country of proof of this new years eve this happened in my city, Houston, Texas. In the wealthy enclave of Bellaire, TX where Robert Tolan, a Minor league Baseball player son of former Phillies Pitcher Bobby Tolan, was shot by police in his own drive way a victim of Racial profiling. Robert Tolan’s case will become showcased on HBO by Brian Gumbel. In conclusion, Racial bias and hatred is not surprising I lived with the fact it a driving force within our society I just wish it was not in the hands of those who have a license to kill.
PLEASE WATCH
STORY OF ROBERT TOLAN
http://www.khou.com/video/index.html?nvid=319098
AN INSIDE ACCOUNT
http://www.khou.com/video/index.html?nvid=322597
[Reply]
When I first read this article I was appalled by the fact that people are still like that in the world today. When you think about it racism should be dead the civil rights movement happened so long ago. We can not say that we have made an improvement when things are almost the same as they used to be. I guess we feel that we have changed because the news does not really fill us in as to what is really going on in the world. I would never think like these groups so it is still hard to get my mind around the fact that they still exist. There should be something we can do to stop groups like this from ever forming, but I guess they form underground so no one knows about them. Maybe as our generation grows older we will have fewer occurrences of these types of action, but who knows because ideas tend to be passed down from generation to generation. I guess you could say that we have no reached Martin Luther King Jr’s dream, we should not have to worry about these things, and there should be no threats against the life of our newly elected black president. We should be able to live in peace and harmony, and not have to worry about how people think because of our race or our ethnicity or religion.
We talked about the symbols that have some bad feelings around them in my section last Wednesday, and how most people get a sick felling down in their stomachs when they see things like that. I personally said that when I see a Nazi symbol it makes me feel uncomfortable; it just has such a bad idea behind it. That symbol just makes me think of the many Jewish people who were killed because of the Nazi regime. It makes me even more uncomfortable when I see it tattooed on someone’s in present time today. We also discussed the confederate flag and the feelings that we have when we see that. Some people said that they really did not care because it could just be a sign that you are against the government. I do not have as strong of feelings against that symbol because I feel that the flag has lost its meaning over time, it used to the anti-slavery flag. Now I just think that it has come to symbolize southern pride. If you go down south you see them everywhere. You can see them on people’s cars and hanging from their houses, but you tend to see black people in the house or in the cars with those white people. So I would say that some symbols carry more meaning than others and we just need to be aware of that.
[Reply]
I knew that this election would spark up a new hatred towards all groups of people. It definitley gave a reason to dislike more black people. The day after the election the racists came out with there very vulger shirts and bumper stickers on facebook. Anyone who says this election was not about race was not living in my america, but in a world where everyone has a chance. i know this may seem shocking to some people. But i wasnt surprised at all, because I know racism is still very prevelent in this country. it was even more assured when I moved to State College for school. Working with people who have called state college there home for there whole life and possibly for genreations makes it even clearer the state of minds of many isolated areas in America. However this news does little to scare me from the world I live in. While there are many racist people in america there are more rapists and murders and people who will do harm reguardless of race. There are more radical people itching to harm and they care not the color of my skin. This “new” up roar of people hating others because of there skin color or there religion isnt anything new at all. It is only now more in the open because they have a new reason to cause problems. More people running to join these groups dosnt surprise me. People who did not want obama to win because of the color of his skin now have a reason to voice there opinon and make a change because he is our president and there is nothing they can do about it expect be angry for four years. Mean while America has had its fair share of presidents who have lied, cheated , and manipulated the pople , but having a black president is more of a reason to rally for a change. Luckily these arent the views of the majority but the minority. Many people were ready to vote for a politician with good platforms reguardless of race or sex. America is taking a turn for the better whether or not these few groups are changing along with it. They will eventually get left behind and soon people will stop listening to there radical defenses and accept the change for what it is. This election has been a milestone for not only African Americans but , all americans. We have come together to elect the first black president and for that i am proud. So these gorups can put out there flyers , and post there negative blogs, because my America is no longer threatened by these radical groups , and behind the minority are the voices of the majority. We have risen together and we will fall together against all odds.
[Reply]
Although I missed the generation where racist groups, like the Ku Klux Klan and Skinheads, were very out and active in their mission of white supremacy, it does not surprise me that many of these groups have erupted in protest to the election of Barack Obama, our nation’s first black president. The fact that beatings, threats, and strong public protests have occurred in the onslaught of the election is not a shock to me, and I’m sure not to most Americans either. In fact, I feel like we saw this coming all along. Having a black president is an incredible and momentous moment in the history of our nation, and a moment that triggers strong emotions for people of all races and ethnic backgrounds. However, the polar difference in emotion is where the problem occurs. While most minorities and liberal white people are exalted and excited for the new president, extremely conventional and racist white people are horror struck.
As absurd as it may sound that some people may be so distraught, furious, and scared for the election of a black president, it is so true. I remember watching the final result of the election with my friends in the dorm room and then becoming so overjoyed to finally hear the news that Obama had won that I ran outside with my friends to celebrate in the street. Nothing but pure joy and relief could have caused us to run out and scream and yell and dance in the streets. In the streets we celebrated with a large group of African Americans because an all black sorority is located in the building next to us. As we all celebrated together, I couldn’t help but feel like, ‘Yes! This is what this is all about!” in reference to the unity we all felt sharing the same happiness over our new leader. Yet, as we returned to our dorm rooms, still buzzing from all of the excitement, my friends and I were shocked to hear another one of our friends crying hysterically in her room. Not only was she crying because her candidate of choice lost, but because she was genuinely afraid to have a black man lead our country. She was violently complaining to somebody and calling Obama an anti-Christ.
If one of my friends, who I perceive as a normal, kind, friendly person, could be so racist and ignorant and passionate about her racist feelings, I can only imagine the kind of hatred that comes from others out there who actually rally and participate in racist groups. I think it is so unfair that Obama is being pinned as the cause for the reemergence of such groups, because the fact is that they never have gone away. They have just been lying dormant, waiting for their next reason to lash out against a liberating society. The truth is that they are enraged by the election and are acting out against Obama, but it was only a matter of time for one thing or another in our country that would advance equality for them to take action.
[Reply]
Honestly I think it’s a little ridiculous that these types of hate crimes are happening around the country not just as often as the previous two decades, but more often than before, and yet none of it has been deemed newsworthy in the past ten or so years. Given that the article states the amount of white supremacist groups has increased by 50% across the US, one would think that this issue of white supremacist groups and hate crimes would be something to garner national media attention, and hopefully the attention of authorities as well. Also, after reading the cases of hate crimes since President Obama was elected that was presented after the article, I’m honestly a little confused as to how some people can behave in such a manner. Why the hell would you go out and beat a random black teenager half to death while yelling Obama? Even if you have a problem with Obama being elected, and even if you are in some white supremacist group that believes a black man shouldn’t be in the White House, he’s clearly not Obama, he’s just a kid who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. My assumption for why this kind of information remains outside of mainstream news is because people probably think that by reporting it they are giving the groups power, and essentially advertising for them. While this may be true to a certain degree, I believe not reporting it at all is also dangerous, because people need to be informed of what is going on in the world, and I feel like there are a lot more people out there that would be inclined to be against these groups and possibly take action against them, then there would be people who feel that seeing the reports would make them want to join one of these groups. Also on that topic, since when has the best interest of people been in mind when things are being reported on the news? The events surrounding the media during the war in Iraq is proof enough that that isn’t the case, so maybe the reasoning for not showing cases of white supremacist groups taking action lies somewhere else, and not with the fact that reporting about them gives them power. As for the main topic of the linked article, that Obama being elected is serving as a reason for white supremacist groups ranks to swell to many times their original size, I think that the statistics cited in the article may be somewhat exaggerated, being that they were quotes from leaders of said groups, and also that I don’t think website traffic has anything to do with how many members they are recruiting, but rather that people are curious to see what is going on with those type of groups in the event of a black president being elected.
[Reply]
I feel like the majority of people in the U.S are more focused on Obama’s skin color then to the actions that he is taking as new president of the United States. I understand that it is important that we have a new leader and also that he is black but people need to start and not focus so much on his skin color. I believe its really stupid if all these people are going to start new racist groups and decided to join a racist group, just because of the new president. I understand that some people may be upset about the fact that the person they wanted to win didn’t win, but that’s no reason to go out and join a racist group. To the people that feel like Obama is out to attack the white community, they are obviously not very educated and have no knowledge of his true intensions and plans for this country. It is sad that we had cases, such as a black church getting burnt down just hours after the presidential election, the is no reason that could ever justify those kind of actions. Also the case where there was a poster of Obama found with a bullet hole going through its head, at a police station! That is just crazy and I feel that if such things can be found in a police station then we really have a much longer way then we think to go before we are all truly equal. It is sad to see that both the Mexican immigrants and the African America community are being targeted in those ways at this time of age. Just when some people may have started to believe that we were taking a step forward in everyone becoming equal in the U.S, its like we are taking two or more steps back. Growing up as a Mexican immigrant I have experienced the actions of hate groups first hand and that is something that I believe will always be part of society. I feel like most of the people that join those racist groups are angry about just one thing and they are just so angry that they decide to take it out on others. No matter how hard we try to end racism it will never really go away. That is just something we all have to live with no matter what, you cant look away and ignore the fact that people will continue to be racist in one way or another.
[Reply]
This article was really interesting in that it showed how the recently dormant White Supremacist movement now has impetus for renewal especially with the recent election of Barack Obama. I have always had a particular interest in these groups and even though they have always been at the fringe of society for many years, they always remain in the public eye often due to the bizarre action by one of their members as well as their usual public marches and demonstrations. So when I read the article that outlines how these groups have seen an increase in their membership since the election, I was interested in how their sudden revival would change or affect the still polarized state of racial relations in the United States. However it is also important to note that these groups are not as ‘fringe’ as we might think them to be. A lot of them have flirted with prominent and well known public and political figures in the recent past. Also some like David Duke have tried to run for public office but have often failed miserably in their endeavors. There are also other groups such as the Council for Conservative Citizens (which was previously the White Citizens Council) that appear as mainstream but whose philosophies and ideals promote White Separatism and White Nationalism.
Also I got the indication that these groups usually thrive at times of crisis and given that we are in the midst of an economic meltdown, it acts as a sort of stimulus to attract people, especially those who blame minorities or immigrants(non-white by the way) for taking their jobs, taking over their neighborhoods, blah blah blah,etc. So as long as we are in this mess, their numbers will continue to grow. Anyway, I think the next couple of years will provide a litmus test to see the direction of race relations. I mean, the election of an African American president can be viewed as one step forward but the fact that there were beatings, burnings, threats, as well as numerous people joining white supremacist groups/organizations may as well be a step back if not two. It shows that despite improvements in race relations, as well as the expansion of opportunities for minorities, other forces are seeing these advancements as a threat and are thus reacting the only way they can: internet chatter, threats, intimidation and putting flyers on windshields. Personally I don’t think that these white supremacist groups can ever threaten the internal security of the United States much less harm President Obama, but I think that they will often be a thorn in the flesh of race relations and will continue to derail the train that will eventually (if possible) take us to a racial Valhalla of sorts.
[Reply]
I love white people. I think they’re cool as shit. I go to a predominately white school. Most of the people in my class are white. My roommate is white. I live in a city where whites and blacks get along. The President of the United States of America is half-white. Now when it comes to white supremacist and David Dukes and the KKK, they can all suck my big, black dick. We live in a time where assholes like them won’t be tolerated. We live in a time where racial discrimination and downright racism isn’t accepted in most circles. Things are different now. Things have changed. When white supremacist say that Obama could be a “visual aid” to spark new members to join the party may very well be true. Obama may do what he very well has set out to do in America, spark change. I won’t say that it’s impossible for people to be so angry that our President is now black. Will he spark a response from white supremacist? Of course. They don’t like black people. They don’t like homosexuals. They don’t like Jews. They don’t like anyone. Like the article said, hate groups have rose 50 percent since 2000. That’s a phenomenal and particularly outrageous number. These groups have sparked a lot of action directed towards minorities. In Cali, five minorities were attacked. In Louisiana, a black man wearing an Obama shirt was attacked. What’s more outstanding is there have been much worse attacks. Second and Third graders in Idaho chanted “assassinate Obama”, an Obama poster with a bullet going through his head was found at a police station and in Maine, a convenience store was having a pool for when Obama would get assassinated. This pieces me the fuck off. This kind of behavior is outrageous. What’s worse is that there’s not adman thing I can do about it. Some of this is freedom of speech and others I don’t know what it is. But Richards is right. The media barley covers them but they need to. They need to expose these dumb fucks like they expose everything else. For me personally, I haven’t heard a single thing about them. Up until now, I haven’t heard about these attacks and that’s sad. It sickens me that shit like this is so low key. Racism still exists. Racism is still real. Oh, man is it still real. Sometimes it’s subtle and other times it’s not. I am happy for one to be an African-American man. These men will not and cannot make me scared to be a black man. I love it how a lot of these groups are in suburban areas or some place in bumblefuck, USA. They should stay in hiding until the day the good lord takes them away.
[Reply]
I find it really sad that people look at Obama’s election so negatively. I for one was not on his side from the beginning, but I am proud of how the country voted and find it for the best. You would think that seeing our country finally vote a black man into office would open up their eyes, but instead they stick to the same shameful past that so many people find embarrassing. The fact that it makes people angry enough to form or join white supremacist groups just angers me beyond belief. I think that so many people took such a positive action and made it into such a negative association with the past that a lot of people are working so hard to move beyond. It just shows that MLKs dream has a lot more work to be done before it is finally achieved and there are so many moving in the right direction, but a lot that is still holding us back. Hopefully, the progress we have made so far will continue in the right direction and people who are so racist and extreme now can see the positive impact that Obama will have and even already has had on our nation. It’s even more important that we recognize that racism still exists, even more of it than we know and see every day and if we continue to strive to be a people as a whole then we can still have potential to overcome to one-sided views people so strongly hold on to. It does anger me to know that the stories about racism and supremacist groups are not shown or told so publicly. If we really want to move past such a low time and something that made our country look so low at one point, we need to make it know that the problem still exists and take action to move in a positive direction of slowly but surely reducing the amount of negative views. When people who join these groups start to realize that they are now the minority by having such an ignorant mindset, hopefully they will open their eyes and see that color has nothing to do with who a person is. Obama set a precedence for the leaders to come by stepping up to the plate to make such a huge difference. Now everyone who has these views that are holding us back need to take a stand and become the leaders we need to continue to improve the nation, or at least join those who are making such a strong effort to do so. Even still, they remain the minority and as long as we continue in our efforts of creating nationwide equality amongst all people, the majority will continue to win.
[Reply]
I believe this whole situation regarding White Supremacist coming back into play is just ridiculous and un-called for. The fact that this current President Obama has gotten more assassination threats than any other president in history just scares me. Finally, we can say we have a minority as president of our nation, but the threat against him is so high that we do not even know if he will be alive the next day. I seriously cannot believe that there is still racism to this day in our nation. The United States is supposed to be a melting pot of different cultures and accepting people of different nationalities.
When I read stories about this online, it pisses me off since I am brown skinned and people take me for being Muslim a lot of times. Furthermore, this means all these supremacy groups will hate against me as well. These groups did in fact exist back in the day, but I thought, as time goes now, people would change as well. Obviously, this is indeed not true as we have these groups still present. What this means is that maybe this nation just is not ready for a black president, or even anything else for that matter. If John McCain were our president right now, we would not even have to deal with the whole situation. This actually might be the thing that we want for this nation right now when there are so many other things that are wrong. At the moment, the economy, healthcare, and numerous other things are in serious trouble and since we do have a black president, people keep on looking at that than the real issues.
Moreover, on the issue of these supremacy groups, they would also disappear if we did not have a black president. I just cannot wait for the day to come when people will not be doing this, and there will not be people who are still racist. I am not sure though when this day will come, since generations will keep on pushing the concept to their offspring, and continue for years to come. The only way I think to stopping this is for the government to get involved and stop racism and supremacy groups. The time has definitely come for this since our nation needs to be that real mixing pot that we are known to be. In addition, in the blog, Dr. Richards brings up the note that maybe there are Nazis working in the White House. Hopefully this is certainly not true as that would be devastating. Who knows what those people could do to this nation, and the effects it would have, but I doubt it actually true.
[Reply]
Years ago in a normal classroom at a normal school I remember learning about Nazism and white supremacy. I was sure it was a thing of the past. No one actually thought that way anymore. And yet they did and still do. It is a truly horrifying thought. I know first hand what that sort of hate can make a person do. The hate seems to give them justification for horrible acts. A scene in the book and movie called to kill a mockingbird, comes to mind. When the black man was in the jail, members of the community came to take the law into their own hands. The lawyer guarding the jailed man asked why they were here and talked about their wives and children at home that what they wanted to do was powered by a hate that was illogical. He reminded them of who they really were instead of the hate they showed. Anger is a normal emotion after violence letting that anger go is a part of grieving. My grandfather was killed for no other reason than the mental state of the black man who pulled the trigger. The man went on a shotting spree choosing victims simply by their race. As a 10 year old at the time I had no idea the racial undertones of his death. I had no idea that my grandfather had been working for years to bring together a community torn apart by racism and his death nearly shattered everything he had done. I had no idea what my grandmother went through in the aftermath of his death. It wasn’t until much later that I realized what my ten year old mind couldn’t understand.
I do believe there is a white supremacy surge with the inauguration of a black president. They are fine to believe what they believe quietly when a white guy is in office but having a black guy is not acceptable and they feel as if they should express themselves more and do more so that this will never happen again. Its relatively easy for me not to be a racist because I known what racism does to people, I’ve seen the effects of it. Some people simply choose not to see the effects or rather dissociate from the effects. This may be why racism was such an issue and still is. Its easy to dissociate from someone who doesn’t have the same color skin. Visually you can see the difference and can mentally apply that difference to the rest of them even if ,minus their skin color, they are the same as you. I would like to bring up the book Sam referenced in one of his lectures, black like me. I’ve read it and it is a book worth reading. A white man changes his skin color and goes south. He is a journalist doing research on racism in America in the 1960′s south. The best way to see it is to be the victim of it, which means being black. He went to great lengths to be black and that only a few people knew that he was actually white. Many white people never got past the color of his skin, to find out he was just like them same values same home life and even same job just a different color skin.
[Reply]
Wow, where to begin? Sam talked in class about barbaric thinking and how certain thoughts and ideologies are not just “different” and more “barbaric” and outmoded. This idea of white supremacy and these movements highlighted by the article seem to fall easily into this category. I couldn’t help but get angry and heated just reading the words on the screen. I can’t imagine being approached by one of these members or groups and asked to join their “order.” This way of thinking, to me, seems disgusting, lacking no better way of putting it.
I remember in social studies classes and history courses throughout the years learning about some of these groups, such as the Neo-Nazis and the KKK. I guess, albeit somewhat naively, the expression “out of sight, out of mind” applied to my way of viewing these groups. I guess I thought that these were groups that existed in the past and used to preach this idea, but that in this modern day and age this type of thinking just didn’t exist anymore. I can see now that I was wrong.
I guess I’ve always known that these groups existed and probably always would, but I can see how an event like this will cause a huge buzz in the White Supremacy community. Having a black man in office (50%, half black, whatever) will give them that door opening they need and the proper kindling to a “White Supremacy fire” that seemed to be only coals for a long period of time. I feel personally that Obama’s politics and platforms, as well as his knowledge and understanding of the system, will give him all the tools that he needs to perform his duties and hopefully get the economy and country back on-line. I can see, however, that if things continue to decline as they have been, or if something happens while he is in office, this will be directly attributed to his “blackness” and they will use this against him and the black community.
Personally, I consider myself a pretty understanding and tolerant person, and I can’t agree with their ideologies and politics at all. Considering one race to be “higher” or “better” than another seems random, incorrect, and, quite bluntly, stupid. I heard a funny line from a comedian once approaching the idea of racism… “What is the deal with racism? Get to know the person first, then you can REALLY hate them.” Using race to rank oneself is an insanely ridiculous idea. The fact that these groups are rising again and making pictures like the ones on the site seems offensive and ignorant. In conclusion, I try to be tolerant and understanding of all groups, but White Supremacists are just one group to which I don’t think I can extend this understanding and tolerance.
[Reply]
I am completely appalled by the fact that this article is even in existence. Since I was not alive when many white supremacy groups were in their main uprising, I am not familiar with how they work and the influence they have on culture and the media. It may be very possible that these groups are about to gain popularity once again now that we have a black president. We can only hope, however, that this does not happen. These groups exist solely because people are so racist and can’t keep their own problems to themselves. It is rediculuous that these groups even exist today. Our culture is so acceptive of all different types of people nowadays that the thought of any racist groups existing is completely appalling to people of my generation. Generations after ours will look back today and wonder, “what the hell were these people thinking?” Following generations will become more and more understanding each day of the variety of people and assortment of cultures in the world. This is a reality however, that this happens. People all over the U.S deal with racism everyday. Now, it may just be big enough to make it into the news on a daily basis. It is very sad that President Obama will have to deal with stressful issues such as racism on top of his job as president already. It is sad that he will get an abundant amount of threats daily from individuals and racist groups. Obama needs to stay strong throughout his presidency and not let comments from harmful people affect him. These white supremacy groups want to get a rise out of people and get them upset and worked up. We can not let them influence our opinions. Our society has progressed so much in the past one-hundred years, that it would be a shame to go backwards and erase all of the development we as a society have had. As long as I have been alive all I can remember being on the news non-stop is the war in Iraq. If these racist groups were to become part of our every day life in the media I would be so taken aback by it that I wouldn’t even begin to know what to do. However, I think that since we have come so far since racism dominated everyday lives, I don’t see these racist groups have nearly as many followers as they once did. I hope that as Obama continues being president, the threats and racism towards him will diminish as people realize how great of a president he truly is. As long as we do not allow negative groups to influence our opinions and not let them effect us they will slowly diminish and no one will care about them.
[Reply]
When I first read the article about white supremacists being thankful for Obama’s election causing a rise in their numbers, it actually shocked me. Of course I am aware that there are still countless people in our country who cannot accept diversity, but I do not think I was aware of how massive this group of racists really is. We hear so often the positives that have come from Obama’s election. We hear that change for the better has arrived in Obama’s election and that in some people’s opinion, Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream has come true. I think in all this celebration, the media especially has neglected to show the the negatives that have come from the election. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Giving unnecessary attention to groups such as these white supremacists would undoubtedly provoke them even further. I think even more disturbing than the intense racially-driven hatred promoted by these groups is the thought of how these threatening and dangerous people can hinder the progress that needs to be made by our leaders.
It pains me to think that on top of all the presidential duties Barack Obama must face every day, he must also face threats on his life and his familie’s lives from masses of people who hate him because of the color of his skin. This is not just a typical case of a president having republecans dislike him because he is a democrat or vice versa. This is an issue of people opposing him for completely nonpolitical issues, as well as the typical party disputes just mentioned. The amount of pressure that must put on him does not seem bearable to me. All I can say is Obama will prove to be an incredibly strong man if he lives out a full eight years in the white house under the threats of groups such as those mentioned in the article.
It was incredibly disturbing to me as well when I read the part of the article about the black boy being beaten up by white boys who shouted Obama’s name during the attack. This may have bothered me the most because it makes me wonder how Obama himself feels when he hears such stories. I can only hope that he realizes he is not to blame for these racist acts, and that they would probably take place whether he was in the white house or not. It is outrageous to me to think that we expect this man-Obama-to come change our country, fix our economy, and close the segregation gap while dealing with white supremacist who only “thank” him for increasing their number of followers. How is a man supposed to lead a country under these conditions? How do we expect him to deal with threats on his life and the lives of his wife and daughters day after day, week after week, year after year?
What white supremacists need to realize is that they are the minority now. Those who embrace diversity in this day in age outnumber and can overpower those who do not. I believe that turnouts like the crowds of supporters at the presidential inauguration are what empower Obama and give him the strength to fight through the racial discrimination he encounters. We as Americans need to continue to show him our support and in doing so, show white supremacists that their attempts at bringing our president down are futile.
[Reply]
It is sad to think we still live in a world that has such hate and animosity towards other cultures, religions, and beliefs. However, I find it even more depressing to hear that in the United States, the country that is the “land of the free”, with all these freedoms, there are people who find being non-white and non-Christian is a sin. We have always been known as a “melting pot”, a place where people can find comfort and hospitality. Yet, we find ourselves hearing all this garbage about how terrible it is that minorities are taking over our country. What will these extremist say in a few years when our country is 50% Hispanic and the whites become the minorities.
When I hear people bring up Obama’s middle name, it brings me back to the story last week about the child named Adolf Hitler and what was said in class. Obama was born before the conflict with Saddam Hussein happened. I mean, if he does turn out to be a “terrorist”, he’d be one heck of a conman. Of course, that is doubtful. It doesn’t surprise me at all that there were so many threats against Obama, but there are always threats on presidents. There will always be people who are upset with the fact one candidate one over another. These racists live in a dream world where every person is white, but that’s never going to happen here in the United States. They are being ignorant and find the concept that minorities are not that much different than whites, a hard pill to swallow. I find it funny that these “Christians”, who preach that we are all God’s children, and we should one love another, and “thou shall not kill”, are willing to make death threats towards a black man, who calls himself a Christian, for succeeding and becoming president. These Christians are burning churches, their safe havens and places of worship, just because black people are worshiping there. What would God say about these Christians?
The fact that racist are surfacing now in such a public way shows that even though we have a black president, our country still has a lot to do to overcome the race issue. No matter how hard we try, there will be animosity between cultures in America. Personally, it’s absurd. Yet, I think that if Hilary Clinton was in office, there would be a lot of male chauvinists who would have been just as unhappy. Sexist men would have been threatening Hilary and parading around cursing woman. I’m sure it wouldn’t have been as bad as Obama, but it would have been present. I guess it goes to show that history always repeats itself, even now after this historic event.
[Reply]
I am pretty sure that anyone could have seen these supremacist groups coming as soon as Obama had a chance at winning. Personally I voted for Obama. I thought change, great. An African American was our new president; I honestly did not think I would have seen that day. I was brought up Republican, originally being from the south. But I liked what Obama was bringing to the table. My parents both voted for McCain.
Lets be honest, people in the south have not had as many and as fast changes as people in the north. I know this from first hand experience as well as simple common sense. In peaceful neighborhoods down there you can still count on seeing a good amount of waving confederate flags. Not just in the south though, everyone can be racist. There have always been people with problems with other races then their own. It has been around for years and clearly it is not going anywhere fast especially because we have an African American in the white house now. That is why I don’t think people should be particularly shocked that all these racist and white supremacist groups are surfacing and increasing.
The article pointed out some of the incidents reported in the wake of the election and a lot of them are shocking. But the one that caught my attention the most was the one where second and third graders on a school bus were chanting “assassinate Obama”. This brings everything back to a previous discussion about where racism comes from. A lot of it is instilled in the minds of younger people from parents or other peer mentors. There is now way that those young kids know the extent of what they are causing by chanting those things. They do not have the mindsets yet to think on their own. They only know as much as their guardians have told them. Clearly their guardians have instilled supremacist thoughts in their mind in hopes that they will carry on the hate groups.
Anyone knows that a lot of what a child learns is from his or her home. You take generation after generation of that and you get what we have going on today. That is why I am almost surprised that people are as shocked about this groups resurfacing. As I said before race will always be a problem and having a black man now in the white house is only fuel to the ever-burning fire. As long as we judge people on their skin tone, Martin Luther King’s dream will not be reached. Yes we have come a VERY far way since he was making speeches, but the fight is far from over.
[Reply]
Well, all this talk about white supremacist movement starting up again and the increase in members and interest since the election scares the hell out of me. I believe that I do not live in a community filled with bigotry and I have not seen open racial discrimination like racist graffiti, physical or verbal fights. But after reading this article I can not be so sure that a white supremacist doesn’t live in my neighborhood. While I’m not naïve I did not know how prevalent these communities of people are or that there are more than 800 organizations that hold these strong viewpoints. I know that everyone does not agree with equality among all racial and ethnic groups, however, I did not realize that there were so many who are still trying to force their propaganda on others. I knew that there are individuals who hold ideas that support the ideals held by Neo-Nazism and the KKK, but I did not know that there are tons of groups that practice these ideas together and are still trying to gain back power. During the Presidential campaigns and the election, I began to hear more about these groups. I heard one rumor that the skinheads were planning on killing one black person each day until newly elected President Obama resigned. Then I heard that the Black Panthers were going to retaliate by planning on killing one white person each day. I could not believe that this was true considering the extreme circumstances and how scary it would be if these rumors came true.
I believe that the reason these groups and mindsets still exist is because of ignorance and closed-mindedness on both sides. It’s known that many grandparents have trouble changing and are very rigid in their ideas. Because many white grandparents grew up being told that people of other races are not equal to them and were shown that inequality and racial hate acts were acceptable. If they held onto those beliefs when they grew older, they probably passed them onto their kids and grandkids. Unless the younger, newer generations began to see the irrationality and unfairness of these ideas, the vicious circle continues. It makes me angry to think that people truly believe that what they think is right, especially because if the tables were turned there’s no way they’d think it was fair. However, I think there is fault on both sides of the table. I believe that the only way we will overcome the issue of race and discrimination is if we begin to have open conversations with each other and stop creating barriers. I know that Barack Obama being the first half-black President means a whole lot to the minority communities, especially the black community, but this can not be thought of as conquering or getting back at white for a long line of suffering. I hope that this significant event in history is a symbol of unity and triumph for our country as a whole.
[Reply]
After reading that article I was shocked and infuriated. I feel as though racist people are just using Obama as a way of releasing their hatred and making themselves feel as though it is somewhat okay. Most of these people are not even giving Obama a chance to show what he is capable of and what he can do for our country, all they are concerned with is the color of his skin and they are hoping for anything to go wrong so that he looks bad.
As for the part of the article that mentioned that racial extremists are in a way hoping for economic problems and Obama not being able to solve them so that more people will join their groups, this enrages me. First of all Obama is only going to be cleaning up Bush’s mess. This is not a mess that Obama has created himself and I am sure that he is going to do everything that he can do to make these issues go away. I don’t think that it matters what color our president’s skin is, whomever our president is they are going to try to make these problems go away no matter what they look like. Also I could not believe how selfish these groups are that they are relying on economic problems in our country to recruit new members to their groups. Why would you ever wish something bad on the country that you live in and for fellow citizens being affected by the problems?
I was surprised to read about a rise in race related crime after the election because I had not really heard about it in the media. And some of the things like the black church being burned down is much more extreme than anything I thought would happen after the election. Unfortunately I was not shocked when I read that President Obama received more death threats than any other president- elect. I will admit that him being assassinated is definitely a fear of mine because I know that there will always be those crazy extremists out there cannot handle the fact that we have a president that is part black.
It is unfortunate that after all of these years people still cannot get past the fact that people look different and are from different parts of the world. Is having different colored skin that big of a deal. We all have things in common, but people constantly want to concentrate on our differences. Overall it really upsets me that some people are basically rooting against Obama and our country, so that they can get more people on their side. These white supremacists are using Obama and people of the United States and it shocks me how selfish they are being.
[Reply]
Although I realize that so many racial and white supremacy groups do exist, I cannot understand why. I am a firm believer that an individual has the right to believe anything that they want, but I am completely baffled about the views of some people. Groups such as the KKK, the Nazis, and single individuals that hate minorities, take their beliefs to such horrible extremes, not only confuse me, but also make me sad.
Examples of these types of white supremacy groups are often shown on fictional movies and television shows, but people do not realize that they portray real people. A recent episode of Grey’s Anatomy featured a very normal, average looking white supremacist who refused treatments from black and Asian doctors. The episode made me see that even though they are rare, white supremacists do exist and could be anywhere in society.
It was rare to hear or read news about white supremacy groups until the recent election of the country’s first black president. During the election, it was commonplace to hear different views, many of which did not agree with those of Obama. Most of these views were because they disagreed with his policies and beliefs, not because of his race. Although there were plenty of racists out there that refused to vote for Obama because he was black, there were only a few groups that took their feelings to extreme new levels.
The article upset me for several reasons. For one, I am a big Obama supporter, regardless of his race. I would have voted for Obama if he were white, Asian, gay, or any other type of person; when picking a president, those thing do not matter to me. I realized before that many people do not think the same way I do, but it bothers me that these people also consider themselves Americans. I feel someone who believes themselves to be patriotic should support their president either way and should not take part in hate groups against him. The fact that groups such as Stormfront and the Council of Conservative Citizens experienced such a rise in membership is incredibly disheartening. It really makes me feel like everything that the country has achieved as a unified nation has been undone.
I think the story about the third graders in Idaho is absolutely horrible. It is terrible that the nation’s children are learning and doing such terrifying things.
Of all the stories that the article reported, the most troubling one was about the black Louisiana man wearing an Obama t-shirt that was brutally beaten by white men. I have both black and white friends who were very involved in the Obama campaign, and this story made me realize that this could have happened to any of them.
It’s nearly impossible to eliminate all hate groups in the United States, but I feel that it is each individual’s right and responsibility to do what they can to lessen these groups power and to try to teach them and change their minds.
[Reply]
In response to Erik N.’s post concerning ignorance, I very strongly agree with his points concerning the locality of these racist groups, in addition to his personal feelings about our president and the state of the nation. Though these groups, such as the KKK and Neo-Nazi party, have members across the country, including urban areas, all trace their roots and centers to rural areas. This is not to say that rural residents are all racist, nor am I trying to point to finger when it comes to membership in these hateful communities, it is merely an observation in demographics. Areas typically inhabited by conservatives and the ultra-religious, one can contrast the lack of change and liberalism to that of urban centers. Additionally, considering demographics, minorities more often congregate in urban centers, where racism is less rampant and liberal thinking is represented in greater numbers. From these facts, one could conclude that it is not necessarily the fact that these hate mongers live in rural areas, but that their exposure to diversity is significantly less than less racist residents of cities and towns. Perhaps, over time, integration of these people into more diverse areas will decrease the spike in racism seen in certain members of the U.S. populace.
It is unfortunate that these people, fueled by unfounded hatred and social Darwinism, have such a voice in this nation. While their message is one of unity and power, their efforts only lead to the deconstruction of society, disillusionment, and violence. Very rarely are there members of these factions who are not either gang members or committed assailants of innocent citizens. Be it verbal or physical assault, these ignorant people see themselves as the protectors of justice in this country, which is a notion so misled it is a wonder they can continue to recruit at all.
When speaking of this country’s new president, and possible violence and evil that may befall him, these groups severely underestimate the disgrace of their speech. As American citizens it is a crime to the country, its standards, and the public to even consider removing the president, whether by force or other means. While Bush was an extremely unpopular president, wishing ill will upon him would be an injustice to the office, and a disgrace to the nation. While the president may lack popularity, it is the office that a citizen should respect, an office that was legitimately attained. As they say in the military, you don’t have to salute the man, but you must salute the uniform. Commander in Chief is a supreme honor in this country, and as a citizen, whether racist or not, one cannot display disrespect in the form of assassination or unwarranted removal. While the members of these racist groups preach justice, it is the opposite of their true intentions when speaking of our president in such a manner.
[Reply]
I unfortunately am not surprised by this spike in racial bigotry since the election. It is not as though I thought that by Obama being elected this meant all racial hatred had disappeared into thin air; I did, however, think that we had progressed to more than idiotic neo-Nazism. After reading both the blog entry and the article, it is apparent that that is not the case.
As much as I would like to disagree with the bigoted leaders of these organizations, I cannot help but agree with them in a sense. I am sure for some white people, Obama becoming the most powerful man in, if not the world, then at least the United States, probably struck a nerve that they didn’t know that they had. Seeing him at the top of world clearly bothers some of these people and therefore these horrible groups have an easier time getting new members at a time like this.
I am only 20 years old, and honestly cannot remember a time in my life where I recall racial tensions being a large, everyday news story up until Obama became the Democrat’s nominee for President. A racially charged underground has emerged that I was not aware of. It is actually hard for me to believe that stories of racial tension were common place in the 1980s and most of the 1990s. I clearly was oblivious to them in the 1990s, or perhaps my generation was too young to notice and care.
It definitely scares me to think that these people and stories are gaining speed, when we have so much to celebrate. It also makes me wonder why certain people think this way; is it the breeding of ignorance from their parents, or is it something else? What makes people mad that other people have succeeded, just because they’re black instead of white? Why can’t some people simply look at the character of a person, instead of the outside appearance? These are questions that I have, but will quite possibly never be answered all in my lifetime.
It has been said that these groups are located everywhere, and are not just a specialized case. In a bubble as uneventful (crime wise) as State College, I wonder if there is something going on under the surface even here, too. I have seen different small incidents that do not seem organized, in things such as The Daily Collegian or stories told by Professor Richards. Other than that though, I would like to think that I attend school and live in a fairly tolerant place; it is a good feeling. I take pride in the fact that I only judge people on their character, and not by what they look like.
[Reply]
In the post “White Supremacist Recruiters ‘Thank’ Obama,” Sam discusses how the numbers of hate groups and white supremacy groups have risen as of late. Also, the article which accompanies it discusses how many websites and phone lines that are associated with these groups began to receive a lot of traffic after Obama was elected. I didn’t realize, as Sam stated, that activity like this was much more common and often reported upon in the news during the 1980s and the 1990s. I often forget that while this country has made huge strides in dealing with the issue of race, it was not long ago that the country was segregated. And it was also not long ago that systems such as affirmative action had to be employed in order to give people, no matter what their race, an equal opportunity. The fact that the majority of people in the country were willing to elect an African-American to the office of president of the United States was something that I thought we should be proud of. However, the fact that so many in this country still hold on to racist ideals and propagate hate filled agenda is disturbing.
Sam stated that white supremacist organizations have used Obama to rally supporters and to gain new footholds in the United States. It is amazing to me that so many organizations (eight hundred and eighty-eight). I felt that we lived in a relatively tolerant society, and while racism still existed and was still a problem that must be overcome, I felt that people in the US were making great strides toward overcoming it. I also felt that hate and white supremacist groups were only filled with those who were outliers from the ordinary, and that their members only consisted of a very small portion of the population. To find that people are actually seeking out groups by visiting their websites shows that the US is clearly not as tolerant as I would have liked to believe.
Another very interesting fact that was brought up in the article was the discussion of the recession. I found it very interesting that leaders of these groups were using the economic troubles that many people are experiencing right now to recruit members. I guess it is true that the Nazi party came to power in Germany due to the Great Depression, so it makes sense that an economic downturn could help recruit members. People are often lost and looking for answers when something like this happens, and they are more willing to hear out others if they are offering them a solution. Maybe someone who would normally not be interested in joining the National Socialist Movement might listen to what they have to say after losing their home and being laid off. It is a shame that people would use a hard time for our country to further their own racist agendas and to breed hate, instead of bringing one another together.
[Reply]
After reading this blog, I feel like Obama’s actions and what he stands for is being overlooked because of his skin color. The idea that we are making history with the first black president is overwhelming and a great step in history, but now that he is inaugurated we need to support his actions and become more aware with his decision-making. It was obvious as soon as Obama became a serious running mate in the election that race was going to be a major part of the discussion surrounding his campaign. It was also evident that many people were going to have conflicting reactions to him. Some were going to love him and some were going to hate him. It is sad to see that people are forming new racist groups simply because of our new president. I think that as much as we try to end racism it is never going to truly end. I hope that we can one day look towards a future where actions such as these do not occur and all people are accepted equally. I also think that Obama’s skin color brings a realization to America. Race has been overlooked and many Americans are in denial that racism still occurs. But some of the people that feel like Obama is out to attack the white community are not looking at the whole picture. They are looking at the aspects of Obama’s campaign that support their “belief.” Anything that can be said or done by Obama that can be misconstrued will and always has been by any president, of any race. The actions following Obama’s successful win over McCain were outlandish and outright unacceptable. The posters that were shot at, the churches that were burnt down, and any other minor form of violence that displayed hatred is not unifying the nation, nor is it going to change the results of the election, whether you like it or not. At some point you are going to accept it, whether it be in a time of war or financial crisis. There is always someone to point out and hate, what we need to learn is to find the positive in people, make your own opinions, but as many mothers have said across the nation, “if you don’t have something nice to say then don’t say it at all.” The idea of racism, especially against such a leader as Obama, is something that cannot be overlooked and is really disheartening. Negative thoughts and images of such an influential leader does not inspire the nation that elected him president. It almost makes us question if we made the right decision in order to unify Americans in such a financial crisis and during a time of war. Overall, I think that racism is going to persist for a very long time and that these actions need to disappear quickly.
[Reply]
Journal #4 – White Supremacist Recruiters “Thank” Obama
I think of myself of a bit of an entertainment news junkie who favors perezhilton.com to CNN. With that being said, although I do favor the “infotainment” I still try to stay as informed as my busy schedule will allow. With the exception of this post and the article accompanying it, I haven’t read anything regarding the sudden influx of white supremacist reemergence. I have in the past, watched my fair share of America Under Cover’s on the subject, and was always horrified (naturally). These people are scary, man. I absolutely know these people exist, but it is still hard to imagine being around them.
I am a white girl from the suburbs of Philadelphia. I have always been in the majority but, with the exception of elementary school, I have been surrounded by people of all cultures. As far as I know racism was not an issue in my school, and I would like to say that all of us lived in harmony for the most part. Again, I cannot speak for the minorities in my junior and senior high schools because I was not in their place. The point of giving my background is just to show where I came from, where I grew up. My parents have taught me to accept all others and race was never an issue in my home.
With that being said, I do understand how these supremacists exist. They have lived in homogenous areas their whole lives and have known nothing other than racism. I highly doubt there are neo-Nazis out there who were taught to tolerate all people regardless of race, religion, or sexuality. If there are anti-Semites like that, they are the exception, and they are creepy. I think that we can all agree that hate is taught, not born. Little Adolph Hitler who lives in Pennsylvania with his racist parents will probably grow up to live with a swastika on his forehead. That is just the world we live in.
I don’t know how I feel about Obama being the one who is crossing over the “almost-white supremacists” into full-on hate-mongers. If George Bush couldn’t convert all of the Republicans into Democrats for sending the economy into the toilet, I don’t know how many converts Obama is going to encourage. There are so many racists out there who hide in their homes and do not parade around with white hats on and burn crosses. I think it will be those people who will choose to join the Aryan Nation. I think it will be those people who will undoubtedly lose a ridiculous battle with the rest of the nation who don’t think Satan attends Shabbat dinner and black people did not emerge from the patch of mud in my backyard. Either way, those people are CREEPY.
-EK
[Reply]
Where I come from is a country town with hardly any diversity, this produces many racist people and groups. While growing up I noticed that many people did not like other people with different skin colors, this was something I did not understand until I was in junior high school. During these years I became aware of the fact that people can be very hateful and it is a real problem. Today I see it even more, although I attend a school that attempts to be ‘diverse’ with their posters about diversity. I believe these posters are pointless, I mean I see them, you see them and all the students at Penn State see them but what does that really do. I mean it did not change my views in any way, although I do not consider myself as a racist person at all so I don’t see the for change in that manner. What I want to know is what is the real purpose of those posters, what do they mean, and why were they created. Do they really think that any person would see them and think to themselves that this school must really be concerned with diversity and I would love to be a part of this school, I think not and if I am wrong please let me know. This is what I want, I want to know why they did this during my freshman and sophomore years. Also did they think that these posters were going to change any people views on diversity and racism, again I think not but please let me know if you disagree. Now to touch on the article, I actually think that people that are racist will become more racist because of the current status that the United States faces. We are in a downward spiral and for racist groups this is just another reason to believe in what they believe although ironically it was a white Christian president (what they stand for) that put us in this position! SO to people that are going to use our economical state as fuel for the fire they should take one second to think about this and maybe they would realize they are part of what really got us in this predicament. Last why do we need to hate each other, why is race a problem to so many people, lets just love and forgive and move on with our lives and I guarantee that we would begin to come out of this economical depression that will lead to millions of people becoming just another statistic.
[Reply]
These white supremacist groups are praying off of fear. The a great way to bread intolerance is to feed on the fears of the public. There is a large group of white people that are not supremacists, but deep down, really do believe that black people are lesser then white people, for any number or reasons that they can bullshit. A big excuse I hear from racists that I have been exposed to is “because they don’t talk right!” This group of people was didn’t really express their racism very often, and not to very many people. But now that a black man got elected president, they have this irrational fear that their world is going to chance, and all of a sudden the black man will rise up and starting smiting the white man for all the bad things he has done over the years. This irrational fear leads them to act as though they are backed into a corner, they start grasping for anyone to make them feel safer about their ideals, and the white supremacists are there with an outstretched arm.
It’s much like escalation. If you do one thing to improve something for one group of people, the other groups are going to feel left out (even if they have had the upper hand for as long as history has shown) they are going to try to make things better for themselves. It reminds me of when I was little, whenever me or my brother had a birthday, the other one would get extremely jealous because of all the presents the other one was getting, so we would beg our parents for something of our own, and we would usually get it. And likewise, that quietly-racist group of white people wants to group us separately, so that they can justify joining a white supremacy group, as though it is a present to themselves. “hey, look, you got your black president, now I don’t see why I can’t join this group of people of similar skin color to my own so that we can defend our rights as white people. I think that’s fair.”
Through out history, this thing has happened, on multiple occasions, where people are scared, and they look for a group, or leadership to make them feel safer, and there is one giant glaring spot in the history books that stands out. Hitler was elected to be the supreme leader of Germany before WWII, not because all of Germany was racist and thought that the Jews were lesser people, and that Germany should rule the world. It was because the German people were scared. Their economy was collapsing, their government was rather sad an pathetic, and here comes Adolf Hitler, and he clams that he can fix all of that, that he can make Germany the superpower that it deserves to be.
Fear is the cause here, and I wish we could simply educate the masses and show them that “the other” really isn’t anything to be afraid of.
[Reply]
Why do we even allow white supremacist groups to exist in a nation that is supposed to be one of equality? Freedom of speech and protest should not include groups such as the KKK or the American Nazi Party. How is it possible to say to the world that we are so advanced, and the best, and the world power when we cannot even get people to live in the current decade? Sure we have running water, and civilization, but you would not know it by listening to the ideals of these extreme groups. For those who are so caught up on everyone not being a WASP or part of the Aryan race, it is never going to happen. We will never have a nation or a world of one specific “race”, whether that race is defined by physical characteristics, skin colors, beliefs, or religion. Sure prejudices and stereotypes exist, and probably will for a very long time, but why can’t we embrace our differences and see diversity as a benefit? What if we could have a world made completely of the Aryan race? It surely will not end there. Then we’d have to remove another “race” and say that only people with blonde hair ranging from 1-5 on a scale of 1-10 are fit to live. That is absurd. Barack Obama was elected by the people, and if these groups do not think he is fit for the job because of his skin color, eye color, or whatever other crazy standards they would like to use, why live in a nation where “anyone” can be president? And oh by the way, no one in the order of succession is going to agree with the ludicrous ideas of these extremists anyways, so even if you pick them off one at a time you will not get what you want because the rest of the world is beyond primal stages of thinking that we should all follow the lead of Adolph Hitler. I am not sure what rose colored glasses these white supremacists are looking through, but a nation made up of just 12.8% blacks elected a black president with 52.9% of the popular vote. As a whole, we have moved beyond the major issues of race that we saw in the in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Of course, there is still a lot of work to be done, but most people are willing to work on it, and I doubt that these 888 groups are going to persuade a nation as large as the United States to turn against such an honorable man. These supremacist groups need to realize what decade they are living in, and change accordingly like the rest of the population has.
[Reply]
I don’t exactly remember where I watched it – it was either on the History Channel or National Geographic – but it was a documentary special on White Supremacists and how prevalent it still is in this country. We just don’t know about it.
One of the things that struck out while watching was a little segment on this underground radio host. He recruits neo-Nazis through his radio talk show and preaches on white supremacy. There was a statement that he said that kinda scared me, I can not exactly quote but it was along the lines of: Let the people think that we are all equal. Let blacks and minorities rise to power. Let us be right there to support them …and when they think they are secure in their place in society, we’ll take everything away from them. It’s all about finding the right timing.
That scares me.
To think that there are people out there who still believe in such ethnocentrism to such extremity…it’s crazy. No matter how diverse we think our surroundings are, it really is not. Deep down, we are not all equal. We may want to believe so, and I am sure that many are striving for our world to be so. But really, racism still lives.
With Obama’s election, should come change, right? – “Change we can believe in.” He is the face of this country’s future after all. His election opened the road to all minorities. He is the hope this generation (whose voting served a big part in his victory) believes in. To read that he is now also the “visual aid” for white supremacist recruiting breaks his vision for this country – the equality (for gays, for minorities, even for the elderly) we are all yearning for.
Reading the article on the SPLC Intelligence Report, it is chilling how accurate their statements are. Obama does serve as a visual aid for angry white Americans which will provoke a backlash among relative mainstream whites. And it can result in a dramatic increase in extremists.
Not to mention, the economic meltdown is fueling their fury. It is just what they need, a reason to be angry and a cause to get together. Neo-Nazi Jeff Schoep explains how the economy can be exploited: “Historically, when times get tough in our nation, that’s how movements like ours gain a foothold,” the leader of the National Socialist Movement told USA Today. “When the economy suffers, people are looking for answers. … We are the answer for white people.”
We have to fight back. That’s the only way. We cannot let a white supremacist overhaul happen – now or ever. The only way for us to do this is to fully understand people. But then we are stuck with the dilemma of stubbornness and narrow-mindedness. So unless the self is willing to be aware, the society will be stuck in a plateau.
[Reply]