Saturday, January 06, 2007

Creeps in Sheets

A leader of the white supremacist movement was arrested by FBI agents at his home in Charlottesville,Virginia, on charges of possession of child pornography and witness tampering.

Kevin Alfred Strom, founder of the National Vanguard white supremacist group, was considered the "leading intellectual" of the movement since the death of William Pierce, the author of the notorious "Turner Diaries." I haven't read it, but understand that it's a novel which depicts a violent racist revolutionary struggle in the United States that escalates into global genocide, leading to the extermination of all people who are not white.

National Vanguard is an offshoot of the National Alliance, a clear case of evil replicating.

The use of the word "intellectual" struck me as ludicrous in the context of his beliefs, so I looked it up to see what I was missing. My Oxford Dictionary defines it as "possessing a high level of understanding or intelligence; cultured."

I guess we can assume that in Strom's case, it's a matter of degree, and his position as the "leading intellectual" was secured by the fact that the rest of his cohorts are even more ignorant than he is, which is hard to believe. It's not their fault they're morons, but since they are DANGEROUS morons, it becomes our concern.

Pierce was the founder of the National Alliance, the largest white separatist organization in America. Membership is based upon being of purely white or non-Jewish European ancestry. (An article appearing in a 1989 issue of its magazine National Vanguard celebrated the 100th anniversary of Hitler's birth, declaring him "the greatest man of our era.") These are clearly fun people.

According to the indictment, Strom possessed multiple images of child pornography on his computer's hard drive. He was also charged with witness tampering, which involved physically assaulting and mentally intimidating a witness to his criminal activity. He was at war with the media for "making interracial sex fashionable to white children."

How is it that such people are still around, force-feeding their archaic views to new generations? You would think that natural selection would have weeded them out by now. I understand that their tainted utterings are permitted under the First Amendment, but there should be a loophole. While I normally endorse freedom in every form, I struggle with my strong feelings that such monstrous behaviors should not be tolerated because they inevitably impinge upon the rights and freedoms of other people.

Strom was not arrested for his vicious racial views, but for child pornography. If he did not happen to be a pedophile, his other nasty activities would not be subject to legal censure. There really ought to be a law.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

My dear father, who often said I was welcome to marry anyone I loved, regardless of gender OR race (or anything else providing they were good to me), also told me that it's better to let idiots speak and prove themselves for what they are rather than to silence them and let people wonder if they're missing out on some impressive wisdom.

I have a hard time with freedom of speech when the speech is so hateful, but I think there's some sage advice in Dad's words too.

I'm not sure how the laws differ between our two countries (I'm Canadian) but here I believe there is a loophole in our rights to freedom of speech - and that is that hate-mongering is not allowed. How exactly that is defined I am not certain, and the KKK exists here too... but I certainly don't get their garbage in my mailbox. (Are they refraining because of my "No Junk Mail" sticker?)

Jake Allsop said...

"Incitement to racial hatred" is an offence under British law too. I think you hit the nail on the head when you pointed out that the rantings of these fanatics should be curtailed on the grounds that they impinge on other people's freedoms.

mischief said...

"Your right to swing your fist ends where my nose begins." :)

furiousBall said...

Wow, what a winner, racist and into child porn? The worst thing about it is he's so sick, whatever you'd like to do to the guy would probably be something he'd enjoy.

heartinsanfrancisco said...

Lisa,

Your father sounds like a gem. And he's got a point about letting idiots speak so you know where they stand, and can protect yourself.

Hate mongering should not be allowed. It goes beyond freedom of speech because of the effect on the freedoms of others.

Jake,

I'm happy to hear that. I didn't know it was an offense under British law.

Now I have to wonder if we've been wrong about the Pilgrims all along, and they really left England so they could be free to express their prejudices.

Mischief,

Great saying! If only it applied to ones right to speak ending where my ears begin.

Furiousball,

(Shudder.) Alas, you're probably right.

Bob said...

The US has hate crime laws too. I don't know why he has not been/cannot be charged with them.

The single-most important freedom we have is freedom of speech. We should not tamper with it lightly. I agree that their rhetoric is an anathema to decency, but if you start selecting what speech can or cannot be allowed it will only expand. There are countries today that call themselves democracies that have laws on the books to prevent dissident speech against their government (Turkey, for example). Putin in Russia has shut down TV stations critical of his policies.

Our best defense against people like this guy is to educate our young so that they recognize it for what it is - the ravings of emotionally twisted people that isn't worth listening to.

urban-urchin said...

As much as these people piss me off I agree with Bob. You can't pick and choose to whom the First Ammendment applies. Lisa Joo's dad hit the nail on the head. That being said I think this dickbag should be drawn and quartered esp. for the child porn. I wonder if he can be brought up on hate crime charges.

heartinsanfrancisco said...

Bob,

You are absolutely right. I do value freedom of speech and am against censorship. I just get so angry that white supremacists spew their hatred and we just say, in effect, boys will be boys.

I do get that if we take away their rights, others will follow like dominos. In fact, I believe our government is heading toward dangerously oppressive policies now.

You are also right that the best defense is to educate children so they are immune to these disgusting beliefs.

Thank you.

Urchin,

Yes. Bob is right. My higher self agrees with him. But my lower self would enjoy drawing and quartering the dickbag as you suggested.

Lex said...

My problem is when they get to ask for police protection prior to one of their "events". I say, exercise your right to free speech. But deal with the consequences. Punks.

djn said...

I happen to believe that natural selection works slow. I believe their day is coming... But I do agree that it's astounding that this nonsense is still out there... Good grief.

heartinsanfrancisco said...

Lex,

Free speech, free shots.

Djn,

I can wait. As long as it works at all.

thailandchani said...

I remember most of those idiots from my years in Colorado. CO has its fair share of these groups, including Pete Peters and the Scriptures for America group. Google "Identity Christianity" and you'll find a gaggle of them.

Karma works. Most of those morons lost their membership after the David Lane/The Order trial. Thank goodness! Aryan Nations, these days, is a small compound with a whopping 3 members.

They make a lot of noise.. but there are really very few of them.

As for the free speech issue, I agree with Lisa Joo's dad...


Peace,

~Chani

heartinsanfrancisco said...

Chani,

They're everywhere, but I agree that they make a disproportionate amount of noise for their numbers.

And I agree with Lisa's dad, too. I just walk away and leave my mouth running sometimes.

velvet said...

I have a hard time fathoming the twisted worldview of these hate groups. Their ignorance leaves me speechless.

-velvet

heartinsanfrancisco said...

Velvet,

Me, too. They just don't get that their world is so much richer with all the ethnicities in it. With only white people, it would be as if most of the colors of the rainbow were missing. So boring. For selfish reasons alone, they should not feel as they do.

Imbeciles.

Open Grove Claudia said...

Well, at least they got him. Those people suck... they just suck.

heartinsanfrancisco said...

Claudia,

They do. They suck big time.

Parlancheq said...

I think you have to let even the creeps speak because it's too hard to decide what should and should not be censored. Think back 50 years or so...civil rights was a controversial issue...it very well could have been quieted by the 'authorities' if not for free speech.

heartinsanfrancisco said...

Parlancheq,

I know. I wouldn't seriously suggest tampering with our freedom of speech for a minute. I was just venting.

Lee said...

It is very embarassing to live in Virginia.

heartinsanfrancisco said...

Lee,

I hear you.

I lived in NC and TN for a total of 13 years.

(Bless our hearts.)