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MamaJD points out for Huckleberries Online that today marks the 25th anniversary of the fiery standoff on Whidbey Island between federal agents and Robert Jay Matthews, founder of white supremist group The Order. Matthews, from the Inland Northwest, died in the shootout. His death signaled the end for the violent group. E-mails MamaJD: ”Much has happened since those days of violent Aryans. Yet, with the recent news of the low level violence and harassment, I can’t help but wonder what the next few years will bring.”
Question: Do you see similarities between the activities of area racists today and that of the late 1970s and early 1980s that were spawned by the presence of Richard Butler’s Aryan Nations?
D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.
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Sisyphus on December 08 at 1:34 p.m.
Yup. But I see something much more sinister and disturbing. The mainstreaming of some of the more extreme ideas into the traditional media and even into party politics.
Fishwife on December 08 at 1:38 p.m.
I agree with Sis. Not much difference to the message from Richard Butler, Glenn Beck, Rush “Oxy” Limbaugh, Savage, and Hannity.
DFO on December 08 at 1:44 p.m.
As someone who has watched the human rights movement in North Idaho for 25 years, I see similarities between the harassment of today and the early harassment perpetuated by Richard Butler’s followers in the early 1980s. Remember, the task force was launched as a response to a swastika being sprayed on a Hayden business owned by a Jewish man. That was followed by the harassment of the children of a mixed race couple by a local racist. From there, things continued to escalate to violence. I agree with Sis that the grass-roots movement in this county is susceptible to takeover by the Hard Right and worse. This almost occurred to decades ago when the militia movement tried to gain traction here. I fear that local politics will be taken over by the Far Right — and that Kootenai County politics will morph into a version of what Bonner County had at the turn of the century when Bud Mueller and the late Larry Allen (before he came to his senses) ran things.
DFO on December 08 at 1:50 p.m.
@ Fishwife re: “I agree with Sis. Not much difference to the message from Richard Butler, Glenn Beck, Rush “Oxy” Limbaugh, Savage, and Hannity.”
Seriously? It’s obvious you never talked with Butler as I did.
Fishwife on December 08 at 2:22 p.m.
DFO, point well taken.
Sisyphus on December 08 at 2:58 p.m.
Actually fishwife, while there is a difference, there was a time when Republican leaders would have vocally eschewed any racist innuendo. Whereas, all those people you mentioned, who are arguably Republican leaders, are now actively utilizing some of the rhetoric. This is a new platform for these ideas and emboldening a resurgence of hate filled activity.
MamaJD on December 08 at 3:14 p.m.
Sisyphus - I respect your opinion greatly *BUT* the rhetoric of Hannity, Limbaugh and even Beck is not based on racial supremacy nor do they advocate a violent overthrow of the United States government. There have not been multiple bombings, murders, and armed robberies because of those three men you mention. To suggest that the current political right commentators of Hannity, Limbaugh & Beck is somehow akin to the old days of The Order & Richard Butler just highlights how little you know of the danger Bob Matthews posed.
Stickman on December 08 at 3:38 p.m.
MamaJd has a very good comment. Thanks.
Sisyphus on December 08 at 4:04 p.m.
Mama I know you’re a trained professional but at least extend to me the courtesy of knowing when my words are being twisted. First of all, I strongly disagree with this statement: “the rhetoric of Hannity, Limbaugh and even Beck is not based on racial supremacy nor do they advocate a violent overthrow of the United States government.”
All three of them have done precisely those things since Obama has been elected. The governor of Texas, among others, is advocating secession. WingNutDaily actually published an article touted by all of them suggesting a military coup to deliver us from the “racist in chief”. The entire tea bagging movement is premised on taking the country back by any means possible utilizing the very imagery of the violent revolution that marks this country’s beginning. And the consequence is a alarming upswing in the militia movement according to the very entity responsible of ridding North Idaho of the Aryans, the Southern Poverty Law Center. Now some of these actors may be more subtle, or indicate they were joking after the fact, but this is the mainstreaming I’ve been talking about. And they aspire higher office for themselves or kindred spirits. And the fact that you give them a pass for it is far more scary than the ravings of a violent kook actively watched by law enforcement.
Sisyphus on December 08 at 4:10 p.m.
To summarize, he was on the outside never to be allowed in. He was never a threat to this country although certainly to those who got in his way. However, his ideas live on and are a dire threat. And they have to be confronted.
MamaJD on December 08 at 4:11 p.m.
Sis - show me an instance where Hannity, Limbaugh or Beck have engaged in criminal conduct like bombings, murders, armed robberies, stated that because they are white they are better than blacks, or have encouraged a violent overthrow of the US government.
The part I disagree the most? That I am a trained professional. Far from it. We may just have to agree to disagree on this one. ;)
Sisyphus on December 08 at 4:19 p.m.
“There have not been multiple bombings, murders, and armed robberies because of those three men you mention.”—oh and the Knoxville Shooter’s manifesto mentions all of these guys quite explicitly which he wrote just before shooting all those liberal churchgoers. The list goes on.
LarrySpencer on December 08 at 4:21 p.m.
“However, his ideas live on and are a dire threat. And they have to be confronted”
Yet you support Helms???
He was (is?) KKK!!!!
Oh, I forgot- he is a Democrat, isn’t he?
/sigh
nevermind
Sisyphus on December 08 at 4:23 p.m.
Fair enough sister. I can find their advocacy without much difficulty, but they ratchet back from the actual law breaking, lest they give their lawyers a coronary. They let others do their dirty work. But their ideals are just as hateful and wrong.
Sisyphus on December 08 at 4:25 p.m.
No Larry. He’s a Republican. Always has been He’s also the self proclaimed leader of the modern conservative movement.
Phaedrus on December 08 at 4:25 p.m.
Yet you support Helms???—LarrySpencer
Where did anyone say that? Oh, that’s right. you just make stuff up.
LarrySpencer on December 08 at 4:48 p.m.
Sorry, wrong Senator. I dislike Helms, but I meant type “Senator Robert Byrd” who was a Kleagle, a Klan recruiter, in his 20s and 30s
They are both bad apples.
MamaJD on December 08 at 5:39 p.m.
Monumental Moment Alert! Larry just admitted he was wrong and he apologized. Plus, he didn’t have to change his opinion. Wow! Banner day. ;)
spokelooneh on December 08 at 10:08 p.m.
And DECADES AGO, Byrd apologized for his involvement with the KKK. Elephants have long memories, but for some reason, they can’t remember that fact, when slinging another baseless, idiotic argument.
LarrySpencer on December 08 at 10:47 p.m.
“The ex-Klansman allegedly ended his ties with the group in 1943. He may have stopped paying dues, but he continued to pay homage to the KKK. Republicans in West Virginia discovered a letter Sen. Byrd had written to the Imperial Wizard of the KKK three years after he says he abandoned the group. He wrote: “The Klan is needed today as never before and I am anxious to see its rebirth here in West Virginia” and “in every state in the Union.”
The ex-Klansman later filibustered the landmark 1964 Civil Rights Act — supported by a majority of those “mean-spirited” Republicans — for more than 14 hours.
http://www.capmag.com/article.asp?ID=383
ShoshoneConservative on December 09 at 10:01 a.m.
In all fairness to Larry, I think Helms actually started out as a Democrat, then switched over at around the time of the Republican “Southern Strategy,” along with a few others (most notably Strom Thurmond).
Re: Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Mike Savage, and Sean Hannity:
They are hardly what I would call “leaders” of the Republican Party - they are more radio entertainers, with a political conservative bent, than “leaders.” I would use George Will, the late Wm. F. Buckley, Bill Kristol, John McLaughlin, et al. as better examples of leading “media conservatives.” Or even Cal Thomas and Charles Krauthammer.
Are the radio hosts entertaining? Yes. Do I agree with some of what they say? Yes. If I want a serious discussion of the conservative side of an issue do I tune into their shows? NO.
Sisyphus on December 09 at 1:38 p.m.
No he didn’t ShoCon. He’s always been Republican. Certainly always conservative.
Mama I came back to this thread because of Hannity’s interview of Cheney last night where Cheney accused Obama of being a radical and that he gives “aid and comfort to the enemy”, which, as you know, is the constitutional standard for treason. Its one thing for a blogger to throw words around carelessly but its downright irresponsible for Cheney to make such a comment. That’s all some militia kook whacked out on ODR needs to justify an assassination attempt in his own mind.