(no subject)
What with the increasing propaganda for Enoch Powell;
The presence of a few outright Fascists in my country's governing coalition;
The American columnist I spoke of and condemned a couple of years ago;
The current civil war within the anti-jihadist movement between the racists and the rest of us;
The Ron Paul candidacy, proving that from five to ten per cent of registered Republicans would turn out to vote for a proven racist, conspiracy theorist and liar;
And now THIS (http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=12532);
It seems that perhaps we have more need to be vigilant against racism and Fascism than I was hoping.
EDITED IN:
Since these newspaper articles tend to be removed from the Web after a while, or moved to a different archive, I will place a copy of the text (from The Michigan City News-Dispatch) behind this cut:
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Worst Campaign Idea Ever?
Hoosier congressional candidate speaks at birthday party for Hitler, in Chicago
Jason Miller
The News-Dispatch
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
CROWN POINT, Ind. - If fans of Hitler held a party, and a candidate for federal office attended, would anybody notice?
Apparently, yes.
U.S. Congressional candidate Tony Zirkle is facing criticism from one of his primary opponents, and a host of people on the Internet, for speaking at an event over the weekend that celebrated Adolf Hitler's birthday.
Zirkle confirmed to The News-Dispatch on Monday he spoke Sunday in Chicago at a meeting of the Nationalist Socialist Workers Party, whose symbol is a swastika.
When asked if he was a Nazi or sympathized with Nazis or white supremacists, Zirkle replied he didn't know enough about the group to either favor it or oppose it.
"This is just a great opportunity for me to witness," he said, referring to his message and his Christian belief.
He also told WIMS radio in Michigan City that he didn't believe the event he attended included people necessarily of the Nazi mindset, pointing out the name isn't Nazi, but Nationalist Socialist Workers Party.
The Crown Point Republican spoke in front of about 56 "white activists" at an event honoring the birth of Hitler. The German leader was responsible for the genocide of millions of Jews and others during World War II.
Zirkle said the group asked him to speak to discuss the effect of pornography and prostitution on young, white women and girls.
Zirkle is running against Republican Luke Puckett of Goshen and Joseph Roush of Plymouth in the May primary. He lost twice before in primaries to former U.S. Rep. Chris Chocola and has made doing away with pornography and prostitution his top campaign plank.
"I told (Channel 16, WNDU in South Bend) in the beginning that I'd speak to any group that wanted me to speak," Zirkle said Monday. He said he's also recently spoken on the subject to a pair of black journalists.
"I'm keeping my promise. I'll speak to any group. (The National Socialist Workers Party) was interested in the targeting of white people for prostitution."
Puckett spokesman Kyle Bailey said Monday that Puckett was in "disbelief" when he saw a story on the Internet from a Web site called Overthrow.com.
It detailed Zirkle's speech in a story about the gathering, called not only to honor Hitler but to "fight America's economic collapse and reinvigorate the white working class."
At the event, Hitler's birthday was observed with a cake with a photo of Hitler and the words "Seig Heil."
"I can't believe, in 2008, someone could have such backward opinions," Puckett said.
Zirkle said he told the group about his days as a prosecutor in Indiana, during which time he prosecuted gangs involved in trafficking prostitutes and pornography from Eastern Europe.
The Crown Point lawyer, who also has an office in South Bend, has in all three of his primary races pointed to pornography and prostitution as the downfall of society. He said Monday that he agrees with the group's notion the trafficking of "young, white women should be stopped," he said.
When asked if meeting with Nazis was a danger to his political career, Zirkle said he was willing to take the chance.
"That's the risk you have to take to get your point across," Zirkle said. "If the Black Panthers or the Jewish Zionists want me to speak about these issues, I'll do it."
Contact Jason Miller at jmiller@thenewsdispatch.com.
The presence of a few outright Fascists in my country's governing coalition;
The American columnist I spoke of and condemned a couple of years ago;
The current civil war within the anti-jihadist movement between the racists and the rest of us;
The Ron Paul candidacy, proving that from five to ten per cent of registered Republicans would turn out to vote for a proven racist, conspiracy theorist and liar;
And now THIS (http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=12532);
It seems that perhaps we have more need to be vigilant against racism and Fascism than I was hoping.
EDITED IN:
Since these newspaper articles tend to be removed from the Web after a while, or moved to a different archive, I will place a copy of the text (from The Michigan City News-Dispatch) behind this cut:
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Worst Campaign Idea Ever?
Hoosier congressional candidate speaks at birthday party for Hitler, in Chicago
Jason Miller
The News-Dispatch
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
CROWN POINT, Ind. - If fans of Hitler held a party, and a candidate for federal office attended, would anybody notice?
Apparently, yes.
U.S. Congressional candidate Tony Zirkle is facing criticism from one of his primary opponents, and a host of people on the Internet, for speaking at an event over the weekend that celebrated Adolf Hitler's birthday.
Zirkle confirmed to The News-Dispatch on Monday he spoke Sunday in Chicago at a meeting of the Nationalist Socialist Workers Party, whose symbol is a swastika.
When asked if he was a Nazi or sympathized with Nazis or white supremacists, Zirkle replied he didn't know enough about the group to either favor it or oppose it.
"This is just a great opportunity for me to witness," he said, referring to his message and his Christian belief.
He also told WIMS radio in Michigan City that he didn't believe the event he attended included people necessarily of the Nazi mindset, pointing out the name isn't Nazi, but Nationalist Socialist Workers Party.
The Crown Point Republican spoke in front of about 56 "white activists" at an event honoring the birth of Hitler. The German leader was responsible for the genocide of millions of Jews and others during World War II.
Zirkle said the group asked him to speak to discuss the effect of pornography and prostitution on young, white women and girls.
Zirkle is running against Republican Luke Puckett of Goshen and Joseph Roush of Plymouth in the May primary. He lost twice before in primaries to former U.S. Rep. Chris Chocola and has made doing away with pornography and prostitution his top campaign plank.
"I told (Channel 16, WNDU in South Bend) in the beginning that I'd speak to any group that wanted me to speak," Zirkle said Monday. He said he's also recently spoken on the subject to a pair of black journalists.
"I'm keeping my promise. I'll speak to any group. (The National Socialist Workers Party) was interested in the targeting of white people for prostitution."
Puckett spokesman Kyle Bailey said Monday that Puckett was in "disbelief" when he saw a story on the Internet from a Web site called Overthrow.com.
It detailed Zirkle's speech in a story about the gathering, called not only to honor Hitler but to "fight America's economic collapse and reinvigorate the white working class."
At the event, Hitler's birthday was observed with a cake with a photo of Hitler and the words "Seig Heil."
"I can't believe, in 2008, someone could have such backward opinions," Puckett said.
Zirkle said he told the group about his days as a prosecutor in Indiana, during which time he prosecuted gangs involved in trafficking prostitutes and pornography from Eastern Europe.
The Crown Point lawyer, who also has an office in South Bend, has in all three of his primary races pointed to pornography and prostitution as the downfall of society. He said Monday that he agrees with the group's notion the trafficking of "young, white women should be stopped," he said.
When asked if meeting with Nazis was a danger to his political career, Zirkle said he was willing to take the chance.
"That's the risk you have to take to get your point across," Zirkle said. "If the Black Panthers or the Jewish Zionists want me to speak about these issues, I'll do it."
Contact Jason Miller at jmiller@thenewsdispatch.com.