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Publication: European Stars and Stripes Sunday, August 18, 1985

You are currently viewing page 14 of: European Stars and Stripes Sunday, August 18, 1985

   European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 18, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                By Bill Lohmann United press International Clad in a military the impassioned speaker roars hatred of jews and Blacks and exhorts his listeners to fight for a White his comrades shout punctuating their chants with Stiffarm this could be a history lesson out of Germany in the but its its a study in current the year is the scene is and the speaker is Glenn Leader of the White Patriot a paramilitary Extension of the Kun flux it is a scenario repeated particularly in the with a frequency that concerns Many but it also makes them take a hard look at the message being sent by this group that for More than a Century has terrorized the alarming trend for us is the klan leadership and membership becoming More and More said Lyn National coordinator for the Atlanta based anti klan the philosophy of the old style klan groups was a return to racial an american apartheid but these nazi oriented klan groups believe a White Republic should be and this will happen through a race when the White forces will take Over and jews and Blacks will be klan such As bristle at being described As they explain their goals in a somewhat softer we Are not Miller said from his office in we believe in the Constitution and free we Are the jewish controlled news Media labels us Neo nazi to turn White people against As for the camouflage military fatigues and Black berets members of his group Miller says people should not get the wrong if they get the wrong idea about should they get the same idea about the boy scouts or any of the hundreds of other organizations that Wear uniforms he the Kun flux klan emerged in the pos civil War South As a social club for Exco federate it preyed on the Brittle emotions of Downtrodden attempting to win support by convincing them other races caused their noted for White Robes and hoods that secured the anonymity of its the klan soon began operating As a terrorist group that hoped to re establish White supremacy and Black servitude in the Region and Battle carpetbaggers from the Federal anti klan Laws helped squelch the racial in the government prosecuted nearly cases against the klan Between 1870 and except for sporadic the klan was relatively quiet until after world War i when it returned to with the War fresh in their the rejuvenated klan added jews and Catholic immigrants to its hate White mob lynchings and kidnappings of Blacks characterized the the klan also was a powerful political claiming Success in electing several Southern governors and local officials before the Public sickened of its behaviour and drove the group the klan remained Down until the 1950s when it Rose again As the most violent resistance to the civil rights there were More Church bombings and marches on court ordered integrated bloodshed followed the which peaked at about Active members nationwide in the 60s before Public opinion and Federal legislation turned strongly against membership dwindled but the klan persevered and made another comeback in the setting the tone that dominates it today heavily anti Lack and entering a dangerous Gray area that Many consider anti klan watchdog groups say the klans Active membership has been less than in the but those groups caution that while the numbers Are not the Zeal is As dangerous As whats left in that number Are the real committed kind of said Randall a spokesman for the klan watch project of the Southern poverty Law Center in they Are not any danger to the National but they Are a big danger to individuals in places where there it sounds like a contradiction to Call a Klansman a but within the klan there Are some who Are More moderate than and Many of the older  ones have lost interest and have gotten when those kind of people whatever dampening effect they would have on the More extreme members is much attention has been focused on groups such As aryan nation and its splinter the which allegedly has been involved in armed robberies and has threatened judges and members of the order actually issued a declaration of War on the Mongrel aryan nation and the order Are further right than the but la enforcement officials and civil rights groups fear the klan might follow their the klan always has been Little More than a generic term for groups organized to oppose much of the klan attack today is focused on a massive jewish conspiracy it perceives in the United there is still severe anti Lack but most klan leaders consider Blacks As pawns and puppets of the there Are dozens of loosely affiliated groups As Small As two or three members that carry the klan Label or its most provide nothing More than hateful rhetoric others Are More the invisible knights of the Kun flux United klans of National states rights party and White Patriot party Are among the More All Are based in the All believe god is on their All try to convey the image of being nothing More than White versions of the and All in one Way or another have attempted to change their images in recent years to strengthen support through More sophisticated they use their own newspapers and other literature to stay in touch with members and supporters the White Patriot party distributes copies of its newspaper each Miller says and some members Are tied into National computer networks to reach even More klansmen can be found recruiting on Street Corners in Many Southern towns on any they will recruit anyone Many have a klan youth corps but Are most interested in people under klan leaders say More women and Young professionals with College educations Are the base of klan support remains in Rural areas among residents with High school educations or while watchdog groups say there Are no More than Active klan members klan leaders say membership is booming but they dont give membership is outgrowing says Jim Imperial wizard of the invisible we keep our membership but i will Tell you weve shipped out All the literature we and were running about four weeks behind in getting Robes Blair says he is trying to rebuild the secrecy that was lost As the klan became More particularly under Blairs Bill who resigned last year after being one of the More High profile klan we want the identities of our members to remain Blair said from his office in five this was very important in the Olden we have secrecy to draw a higher clientele of people into the were attracting Many professional More than i Ever would have were finding people want the theres a rumble out but there is internal rumbling As while the White Patriot based in North Carolina under Millers has taken a paramilitary old style klan groups such As the invisible knights have tried to distance themselves at least in Public from the More Radical we definitely should not be lumped said whose group is considered the most prominent of up file photo 1967 fac hons of Kun flux klan lean to nazism Here the american nazi party the old style some of these other groups Are supporting but theres no Way you can be klan and support nazism is against the Constitution and Law and order in the United the klan is to preserve those nazi is a dirty word in Many Peoples in order to degrade the some people put nazis and klansmen together in one said the 47yearold but while Blair says his group is critics say that is empty we find these to be mostly fictional said klan watch spokesman what they say does not hold up under they still have a total disregard for the fundamental principles of what this country stands although the numbers Are far below Levels of the 1950s and the anti klan network in Atlanta receives reports of 40 racially or religiously motivated incidents each police agencies believe Many Are simply teenage but civil rights groups Wells said the incidents Range from Cross burnings to firebombing of Black or racially mixed and some incidents Are More As recently As five Black women standing on a Street Corner in were gunned Down by members of a klan splinter in a Black Man was lynched in Wells says for every one incident five others go klan watch and the anti klan network Are most fearful of groups such As the White Patriot Millers group has undergone two name changes started As the Carolina knights of the Kun flux klan and went to the Confederate knights of the Kun flux klan before settling on White Patriot party an attempt to bolster its Rolls and present a More Savory the main reason we changed our name was because there were so Many people who agreed with us and wanted to become Active but were terrified of losing their jobs if they joined an organization with the klan said a Vietnam Veteran and former Green our beliefs Are basically the were still working for the rights of White people and for the survival of the White there Are Many different klan groups in the there trying to do basically the same thing we were just trying a different that different approach is what has the attention of la enforcement agencies and civil rights besides the military the White Patriot party up file photo 1973 Cross burning ceremony at Stone racist philosophy of american c Robert 1980 via a members of a guerrilla warfare unit of Kos invisible Empire at a Camp near prepare for what they say is an inevitable race War in police say they represent a kind of and others like it undergo firearms training at secret Miller minces few words in explaining the message of the App Blacks and jews have declared War on Whites with Street crime and legislation such As affirmative he says his group is ready to Battle we dont deny that were a Miller we want to project that we Arm ourselves for two reasons to defend ourselves and our families in this crime Ridden society that we live in and to ensure our country is never turned Over to Miller claims to have More than members most of them under 30 and 22 percent of them women in five Southern most rallies attract Only a few dozen members and curious very were going to be like a snowball rolling Down the Miller when we produce members in uniform marching in the Street standing up for the rights of White will follow within six Miller takes Pride in saying none of his members have Ever been convicted of a violent crime against a but some of his members now face such criminal including seven suspected members who were arrested in Florida in Early july on charges of assaulting Blacks in Belle they Are accused of assaulting Blacks with a throwing grapefruits at slashing car tires and firing Pellet guns at the windows of a fast food restaurant that employs Miller said he has a great Deal of admiration and will never criticize members of the that sort of Alliance is a dangerous says klan watch the danger is not so much there going to go through with these threats of political but Given the very tenuous grasp they have on reality there is a continuing risk were going to see More Williams that threat has prompted some states to keep a closer watch on the in one of the most prominent klan the legislature has mandated the Georgia Bureau of investigations Antiterrorist squad to Monitor klan klan groups Welcome if they feel a Little bit apprehensive about a  Call us and let us know where there going to said Bill Obi squad weve developed sort of a rapport with the Padgett said constant monitoring by the Obi has kept klan rallies relatively peaceful but he admits lawmen remain wary of the klans philosophical the klan has always been a Symbol of some form of racial hatred or been involved in some Type of extremist but with the move to the right and the paramilitary and Neo nazi a Little bit of a he despite what is perceived As a serious klan klan watch says it is making although most states experience at least isolated racial spokesman Williams said his list of most Active klan states has dropped from 24 in 1980 to four today North Alabama and part of it is costly litigation brought by klan watch and similar part of it As Williams More and More prosecutors Are willing to press cases against klan members and supporters charged in racially and religiously motivated he there remains a grassroots a lot of times we see a problem with insensitive Law enforcement and insensitive Williams they will investigate a see nobody was say its probably just a prank and say theres nothing they can to that a very serious mistake because it sends a message to the victim that they have no one to turn to and it sends a message to the thugs that they can get away with while the klan likes being perceived As a klan leaders at least the old style ones say they do not necessarily seek total if All the righting groups should by some great ruling merge tomorrow and if All of us were Given a free rein and had the Power to overthrow the government of the United says the invisible knights id be scared to that definitely not the despite such moderate the watch and worry by la enforcement agencies and civil rights groups goes says the Bis its a part of our society that wont go Page 14 the stars and stripes August 1985 the stars and stripes Page 15  
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