Which is the Hate Group?

I READ THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE ON JULY 4TH and was struck by the clear hatred displayed by the JDO against the men in the proposed 100-man march. Can you imagine what the press would have done if a similar campaign had been waged against the "Million-Man March" that was held in Washington DC a while back? What would be the reaction from the press if a movie were to come out later on this 100-man march, like was done with the racist "Million-Man March?"

THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Spokane, Washington
Dateline: Saturday July 4, 1998
Byline: Brian Coddington

COEUR d'ALENE - An out-of-state militant Jewish group says it has launched a call-in campaign demanding the Aryan Nations parade permit be rescinded.

A spokesman for the New York-based Jewish Defense Organization said Friday the group will try to organize a boycott of the area's tourism industry if Coeur d'Alene Mayor Steve Judy does not revoke the July 18 parade permit. A JDO statement faxed Friday to The Spokesman-Review threatens "trouble" if the planned Aryan Nations 100-man march happens.

"The Aryan Nations must be crushed," the JDO hot line message says before giving out the Coeur d'Alene City Hall telephone number.

The JDO statement calls the campaign "Operation Nazi Kicker" and threatens to "expose anyone that supports the Aryan Nations."

Names and addresses of anyone who turns out in support of the march will be posted on the JDO Web site within 72 hours of the parade, member Lawrence Siegel said. Anti-tourism messages also will be spread among other Jewish sites, Siegel said.

It is not clear how the group will obtain information about march participants because Siegel said the JDO does not plan to attend the march.

Judy said he was informed about the campaign Thursday but has not heard from JDO representatives or anyone influenced by the call-in campaign.

Regardless, any calls will not change his decision, Judy said. The Aryan Nations parade permit request meets city requirements.

"It's not going to change the First Amendment right to free speech we have to uphold in our community," Judy said.

Authorities said the JDO is a spin-off of the Jewish Defense League, which has promised to send members to Coeur d'Alene to oppose the parade.

Siegel said Judy should have denied the permit as a threat to public safety. Siegel said his group does not plan to attend the march because it is scheduled on the Sabbath.

"However that does not mean we can't create confrontational situations before the rally," Siegel said.

The JDO claims to have broken up Ku Klux Klan and Neo-Nazi rallies in the past. Siegel said the organization does not intend to stop the parade with violence.

The JDO hot line encourages a "campaign to legally and effectively destroy the Aryan Nations." Driving the Aryan Nations members from their homes and causing them to be fired from their jobs are among the JDO stated intentions.

"We are calling upon all locals in Idaho who hate the anti-semitic (sic) racist trash from Aryan Nations to call Mayor Judy to get this planned Hitler rally cancelled," JDO head Mordechai said in the statement.

The group's Web page has more violent overtones.

"The only good Nazi is a dead Nazi," the site says. "It is that simple."

Attempts to reach the Aryan Nations leader Richard Butler were unsuccessful Friday. Butler vowed earlier this week not to cancel the parade.

"A lot of people don't want us to march," Butler said Tuesday night during a public meeting he called to discuss the parade. "That would be surrendering."

Judy said he sought seven separate legal opinions, including one from the state Attorney General's Office before approving the parade permit. All advised him that denying the permit would violate the constitutional right to free speech of members of the Aryan Nations group.

"We're not going to act irresponsibly that way," Judy said. "We're going to be known as a community that upholds the law."

While the JDO promises "trouble," Butler said Tuesday he does not anticipate violence. However, participants in the march will be equipped with small shields to deflect objects that might be hurled at them, Aryan Nations said.

The Coeur d'Alene Police Department is preparing to deal with several possibilities, Judy said. Neither Judy nor police officials have discussed what plans are being made.

"Public safety has been my concern on this issue since day one," the mayor said.

Now here we have one admittedly racially motivated group going on the attack against another group. The attacked group is only attempting to perform a legally sanctioned and constitutionally guaranteed parade, equipped only with small shields to protect themselves from attack. Now, who is the hate group in this story? Who is acting in a racist manner? Who is guilty of the "hate crime?" If you answer honestly, you must see that the activities of the JDO mentioned in the story are malicious and hateful, while the Aryan Nations are only acting within the legal limits of their own rights. No violence or malice is proposed by this group. The JDO is attacking an idea by trying to harm the people who believe in it, rather than by using marches, speeches, articles, books or other legitimate forms of persuasion. In religious terms that is called persecution!

Please note in the article how much the idea of a white group being heard by having a march, concerned the mayor. He did not check with a single lawyer, or even five lawyers, but went to seven different legal sources before he decided he would have to abide by the first amendment. I salute him for staying within the constitution, but you should keep this in mind any time you hear some moron propose that we have a constitutional convention to correct the "antiquated" constitution by rewriting it. If you think you have a hard time fighting against PC totalitarianism now, just try it without the first amendment!

Strange indeed is it that a newspaper story actually cast these two groups in a fair light for a change. I commend Brian Coddington and the Spokesman-Review for not taking sides but actually putting out the story without painting the offended party with the brush of distortion and casting them into the light of an untouchable cast. Bravo!

Only you can prevent extinction!

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