"White patriots" dangerous, says reader

Editors, the Gauntlet,

Re: “Questionable pamphlet posted on Campus.” Nov. 25.

It was with great concern that I read about the National Alliance pamphlets being distributed on campus. The article was informative but seemed to lack basic information about the National Alliance.

The National Alliance was formed in 1968 by Willis Carto as the “Youth for Wallace” campaign which worked to elect then segregationist Alabama governor George Wallace president of the United States. In 1970 the group changed its name to the National Youth Alliance and William Pierce a former high ranking officer in the American Nazi party joined. In 1974 after Pierce ousted Carto in an internal power struggle the group dropped “youth” from its name and became the National Alliance.

In 1978 Pierce wrote and published a fictional book titled The Turner Diaries in which a underground terrorist group called The Order wages a race war against Blacks, Jews, homosexuals, and so-called “race traitors”.

Pierce called the Turner Diaries “A handbook for white victory”. Indeed it is; a handbook with detailed information in terrorist tactics and bomb making.

Since then the National Alliance has gained a reputation as one of the most organized and violent fascist organizations in the US.

Probably the most famous act of terrorism inspired by Pierce’s book was the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.

The Murrah Federal building was bombed, taking 168 lives. The blast is eerily reminiscent of a fictional bombing scene in the Turner Diaries. The bomber: Timothy McVeigh, a Turner Diaries devotee.

So now that you know a little more about the National Alliance the question is what are we going to do about the fact that they are recruiting on campus? Well, to quote Adolph Hitler (whom Pierce has described as “the greatest man of our era”):

“…Only one thing could have stopped our movement–if our adversaries had understood its principle, and from the very first day, had smashed with the utmost brutality the nucleus of our new movement…”

Fascism doesn’t go away if you ignore it, it only gets stronger and as fascist groups and individuals gain numbers and confidence they move from distributing pamphlets and stickers to murdering Jews, people of color, queers and anti-racists. Students on campus must work together to make the U of C a Nazi free-zone by exposing, opposing and confronting the fascists where and whenever they try to intimidate and recruit.