A reality based independent journal of observation & analysis, serving the Flathead Valley & Montana since 2006. © James Conner.

18 December 2016

Developments on the Richard Spencer front, and words of caution

Richard Spencer’s parents repudiate his politics. After the apple falls from the tree, it can roll downhill so far that it bears little relationship to its origins. That seems to be the case with white identity politics pontificator and publicity hound Richard Spencer. In a letter published in today’s Daily InterLake, his parents wrote:

We are the parents of Richard Spencer, president of the National Policy Institute and a leader in the alt-right movement. As parents we love our son. We are not accustomed to the spotlight. Furthermore, we feel we are not part of the story, nor do we wish to be a part of this story, as our son is a grown man.

We are not racists. We have never been racists. We do not endorse the idea of white nationalism. As Richard reported to the Dallas Morning News, “Their [my parents] political views are not mine.” Further quoting Richard, “You would’ve never guessed that I would become a political radical. When I was a kid in Dallas — even a young man in Dallas — I was not a political radical. I don’t think there was anything in my childhood that inspired me to go down this path. If anything, I went down this path in spite of my background.”

Daily Stormer targets leaders of Love Lives Here. It takes a strong stomach for most people to read the Daily Stormer, a publication named for the anti-Semitic German newspaper whose publisher was convicted of war crimes. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center:

Not long after, on July 4, 2013, The Daily Stormer was formed from the ashes of Total Fascism. The site, which was originally registered to Andrew’s father, Greg, is named for the infamous Nazi Julius Streicher’s anti-Semitic weekly newspaper, Der Stürmer, which specialized in pornographic attacks on Jews. (Streicher was hanged after being convicted of war crimes at Nuremberg.) Its headlines are almost always over the top, with titles like “All Intelligent People in History Disliked the Jews” and “Talking Monkey Harriet Tubman to Replace Indian-Killer Jackson on $20 Bill.” The articles themselves are peppered with racist images and memes.

Given that background, it’s not surprising, as the Missoulian reported, that the Daily Stormer accused Love Lives Here of harassing Richard Spencer’s parents, and, in an essay that stretched the First Amendment to its limits, blasted far beyond the outer bounds of decency, and published contact information, urged Spencer’s supporters to send Jewish and LLH leaders messages of disapproval:

So Then — Let’s Hit Em Up. Are y’all ready for an old fashioned Troll Storm?

Let these people know what you think!

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Again — as always — don’t make any threats of violence and certainly don’t do anything violent. Don’t ever do anything illegal, ever. It is well within your rights to tell these people what you think of their actions, trying to extort Richard Spencer’s family.

This is very important. Calling these people up and/or sending them a quick message is very easy. It is very important that we make them feel the kind of pressure they are making us feel.

And referring to a prominent member of Whitefish’s Jewish community, and her son:

Please call her and tell her what you think. And hey — if you’re in the area, maybe you should stop by and tell her in person what you think of her actions.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

You can also leave a review of her business on Google, and perhaps note that it is front for an extortion racket.

Her Twitter … doesn’t appear to be active — but her son has active accounts. You can hit him up, tell them what you think of his whore mother’s vicious attack on the community of Whitefish.

As reported by the Missoulian's Keila Szpaller and Gwen Florio, there's more, and it's just as bad, perhaps even worse:

“Love Lives Here has never promoted the idea of a protest of a boycott of a building,” Will Randall, the organization’s chairman, said Friday. One of the people targeted by the Daily Stormer post “is a beloved member of our community who entered into this conversation trying to help.”

The Stormer posted pictures of several Whitefish residents, including a child, with a yellow Star of David with the word “Jude” — German for Jew — added to each photo. During World War II, Jews in Germany and Nazi-occupied territories were forced to wear such stars on their clothing.

Randall said that his research into neo-Nazi groups has accustomed him to such images.

“But when your own personal friends are affected, it’s gutwrenching,” he said. “These are some of the best people around, and to see them attacked because they’re Jewish or have a Jewish-sounding name is disgusting.”

Those of us who see this happening are outraged. But often, those to whom it is happening are terrorized as well as outraged. And given Anglin’s keen sense of what he can get away with, they may have little legal recourse.

Some words of caution. My sympathies are with Love Lives Here. Richard Spencer’s views are reprehensible. Politically, he seems dangerous because his ideas are so out-of-step with the values of our nation, Montana, and Whitefish. But I don’t consider him politically dangerous. As I’ve noted before, he’s more huckster than Hun, a shameless professional provocateur who makes his money selling sanitized white identity essays and videos, and holding Washington, D.C., conferences for a tiny band of “I’m proud to be white” zealots. He’s an embarrassment to Whitefish, but not a threat to it. I don’t consider Spencer personally dangerous, either, although some of his followers may be fonder of the sword than the pen.

It is time, however, that Spencer’s detractors seriously consider letting the debate over his politics settle down. They’ve made their point, fortissimo. Their communities, especially Whitefish, are not going to become Spencervilles or Pioneer Little Europes.

We do not need a repeat of the anti-Nazi hysteria that led to the 29 April 2010 debacle at the Flathead County Library in Kalispell, when a crowd of 300 (I was there, photographing the entire event), whipped into a near frenzy by self-righteous, reckless, clergyman, disgraced itself with a physical confrontation with four small fry white nationalists that drew the police and concluded with arrests.

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The surly, somewhat confused, but not all that remorseful, anti-Nazi demonstrators outside the library’s rear entrance after the arrests. Larger image.

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Exasperated police officers eyeball the crowd of self-appointed anti-Nazis and defenders of community values.