Thursday, June 11, 2009

Image problems

Because of yesterday's fatal shooting of a security guard at the Holocaust Museum, some white supremacists are concerned about what people might think of them:

(John) De Nugent called von Brunn a genius but described the shooting as the act of “a loner and a hothead.”

“The responsible white separatist community condemns this,” he said. “It makes us look bad.”

This is true. Up until yesterday, I was sort of conflicted about my feelings toward the "white separatist community." It never occurred to me that some of them might be dangerous. I, too, figured we could all agree to disagree without getting fussy about it. Even some of my close friends call me "nigger," right?

Maybe people should give them the benefit of the doubt. Because certainly, guys like De Nugent mean no real harm to - oh my God. You've got to be kidding me:

The Southern Poverty Law Center describes de Nugent as “a frequent contributor to virulently anti-Semitic and racist online forums,” who was banned from the racist online forum Stormfront after he apparently threatened a moderator who requested that he “tone down the implied threats of violence in his posts.”
For real, though. There's no such a thing as a "responsible white separatist community." Megan McArdle nails it here:

Are their swastika armbands all made from 100% biodegradeable materials? Do they take care that the leather in their jackboots comes from humanely raised cows?Do they carefully follow the Forest Service's wildfire prevention guidelines when burning crosses? Are their(sic) white separatist brownie points for attending school board meetings or chairing the Community Chest drive?

... But did yesterday's horror make you think any less of W.A.R.? You couldn't actually think any less of them, could you?

Post-script: Media Matters was created to cover events like this. Please, do check out their coverage of the shooting and the reaction from conservative media outlets.

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