Aryan Parade -- Coeur d'Alene, Idaho July 7th, 2001

Since the following is opinion that involves the North Idaho racist controversy, see my comments about the 1999 parade for my personal background and my basic beliefs on the subject of race.

The Aryans of North Idaho held a simple parade down the main street of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho this morning. About 25 people walked in the parade, most of them carried flags or banners. For the most part the participants in the parade remained silent and moved at an extremely slow walk.

Merchants along the route were sporting a new sign heralding Idaho as "The Human Rights State." The sign shown has been edited for accuracy.

For months the so-called "Human Rights Activists" such as Tony Stewart have been celebrating the end of the Aryan Nations Church which was sued into bankruptcy. The diverse and multicultural but hate filled Spokesman Review newspaper published a seemingly unending stream of stories about the destruction of the Aryan Nations church and their related buildings near Hayden Lake. Today they stated that Tony Stewart planned to take European reporters on a tour of the destroyed Aryan Nations "compound."

Perhaps the more thoughtful European reporters will realize that destruction of property does not stamp out ideas. Maybe some of those reporters had the opportunity as I did to observe the platoon of police in full riot gear doing their goose-step "stomp-march." That would certainly give them a chill and remind them of how the government can get swept up in excess force when they are feeling threatened by some politically incorrect group.

Perhaps those European reporters will have noticed the FBI or police with binoculars and most likely weapons atop the buildings lining the parade route. And perhaps they will take note of the fact that the FBI has approximately one full-time employee in this area for every former member of the Aryan Nations Church.

Most of the observers of the parade were well behaved and created no problem. Oh, yes a few could not resist the chance to yell out the "f" word and/or other taunts. I was impressed with the marchers ability to remain cool and unresponsive. You may totally disagree with their beliefs, but you have to admit that it takes courage to put yourself in such an exposed and high profile but politically incorrect position. The real coward is the one who yells out obscenities from the anonymity of the crowd.

Over the past several years I have been impressed with the intensity of the hatred that has been expressed toward the Aryan group. To say that the Aryans are the haters and that the so-called human rights activists are the defenders of truth and justice is simply bullshit. The truth is that the real hate is coming from the liberal activists. The press, the local government and local church groups, endorse their hate filled propaganda. The Spokane newspaper, The Spokesman Review, has been on a jihad to destroy these folks. Staff writer Bill Morlin can't seem to write a story that is just facts and not colored with his personal hatred of the group. Writers such as Morlin are not stupid. It has to be intentional when they use phrases such as "compound" instead of church, supremacist instead of separatist, and any other negative choice of words.

The facts of the matter are that Reverend Butler and his followers are here because of the lily-white demographics of the area. Despite all of the media and bureaucratic hypocritical mouthing of the love for diversity, most folks here like the place just the way it is. People of this area have a strong sense of fairness and want everyone to be treated equally in a color-blind manner. But that does not mean that they endorse efforts to recruit more blacks and Hispanics to move here.

Why is it that the NAACP, a clearly racist group, is called a "human rights" organization and the NAAWP is labeled as a "hate group?" Check out the web sites for both groups and then you be the judge. If I make any mention of my white heritage I am immediately labeled as a racist or a bigot. However, If a minority talks about defending their civil rights, or preserving their heritage, or instilling racial pride in their children, no one would even give it a second thought, In fact, the proud minority is likely to be praised.

You are more likely to find the truth to these questions on the Internet than in your newspaper or on your television.