From: ddc1@jaguar.uofs.edu
Newsgroups: alt.activism.d
Subject: Re: Help stop the KKK
Date: 14 Apr 92 13:29:18 GMT
Organization: University of Scranton


	A good exmaple of what should happen is the net. Meaning that we all
defend the right of the revisionists to post what they believe but we, as a
group, who oppose them believe that we have a moral obligation to refute their
ideas. Granted we can't shout them down, but if someone tried to get them taken
off the net for their ideas I'm sure there would be a rather ferverent outcry
to let them have access again. Yes there would be some who would be opposed to
their reinstatement but for the most part people would object. I've seen it in
the past in other groups.

	Now think of the Klan rally as the net in real time and refute them as
best you can with the best knowledge you have. You have a moral obligation to
present the opposing side but they have the right to air their ideas, for
better or for worse. 
	
	If someone was denied the right to tell you their ideas or story you'd 
probably be interested in hearing them. Take _The Satanic Verses_, this book 
was collecting dust on bookshelves all around the world until the Islamic 
clerics decided it was unfit for consumption and what happened? BOOM! Big sales.

	I'll relate a story from the early 80's that happened in Buffalo, NY...
There was a guy named Karl Han, he was a Klansman and the leader of the local
American Nazi Party. He was a real loser, he tried to commit suicide a couple
times but failed adn couldn't keep a job. He's now in a prison in the south for
murder. 

	BUT ANYWAY...he applied for a permit to have a demonstration on the
steps of city hall and applied under the name of the American Nazi Party. He
applied about 6 months before he wanted to have it just to cause trouble. There
were articles and letters to the editor everyday for months before. The local 
press pestered him for details about the demonstration and the size and how many
members there really were locally. He refused to divulge any info except it was
going to be the biggest thing the city had seen in years and all the members
were goin to be there.

	So the big day comes and the good people of Buffalo and the surrounding
areas come out to counter-protest adn show those nasty Nazi's that they would
not be tolerated. Thousands of people showed up with signs saying "Nazi's go
home!" "Put the Nazi's in the Ovens!" and everything else you could think of...
Well the big rally was just this ONE LONE IDIOT! He was the *ENTIRE* membership
of the local American Nazi Party! He said his bit and left. 

	The people who showed up felt *REALLY* stupid for getting all whipped
up by some idiot that nobody was going to listen to. Sure they were there to do
the right thing but they realized that very few people actually listen to these 
people and if they come to hear it they probably already believe. 

	Every year the Klan has a family picnic and rally for the members in
Pennsylvania and last year it drew about 30 Klanfolk and about 200
counter-protesters showed up. Clearly they weren't looking for new members if
it was a closed function on private property. The media didn't care until they
heard the counter-protesters were going to be there, the first news coverage it
got was a meeting to organize a counter-protest.

	So the best thing is probably ignore them. The only reason the media 
is going to show up is to get shots of the big counter-protest and maybe if 
they're lucky there will be some violence and they can feed it to the network 
and get a credit on the Evevning News with (pick your fav anchor) and then they
can charge more for advertising.

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Dave D. Cawley		   |	Where a social revolution is pending and,
University Of Scranton	   |	for whatever reason, is not accomplished,
ddc1@jaguar.uofs.edu	   |	reaction is the alternative.
ddc1@SCRANTON		   |				-Daniel De Leon
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Newsgroups: alt.activism.d,soc.culture.jewish,soc.rights.human,alt.discrimination,alt.society.civil-liberties