05/11/2010 // West Palm Beach , FL, USA // Tara Monks // Tara Monks
Bucksport, ME – Several weeks ago, a self-proclaimed hate group began posting fliers and distributing pamphlets throughout the region in attempts to recruit area youth to join its white supremacy effort, as reported by Bangor Daily News.
The Bucksport Bay White Youth Pride Party is seeking people between the ages of 15 and 35 to join the organization.
The fliers contain images of a swastika and Nazi flag. They have been posted on utility posts and message boards in the downtown area since April 21. The flier states, “This is the beginning of a group to support white growth and to remove the illegal colored scum from america, starting here!” The fliers further state, “This organization has a mission to educate and spread a legal seed of hatred across the Penobscot river area, and eventually the entire state.”
This educational hate group seems to have forgotten that America and Pensobscot River require capital letters, though.
While the flier admits the organization is small, it states that it is expected to expand rapidly and declares that its goal is to “empower Maine’s white youth through knowledge and public expression.”
The flier gives an email address for those interested in joining the movement. Bangor Daily News reported that a telephone call responding to an e-mail inquiry resulted in a man calling himself Proprietor Mutt said he brought the group with him when he moved to Maine from Utah. He said over the phone, “This is a nationalist movement…It is a hate group.”
However, he stressed his organization is nonviolent.
He reported, ”We want to make sure that the people who join us stay as far away from the criminalistic activities that people associate with things like this.”
The term “criminalistic” is not recognized in the Merriam-Webster dictionary.
According to Proprietor Mutt, the non-“criminalistic” organization has approximately 40 members. It is reaching out to youth in an effort to solve the problems of, “rape and homicide statistics that are vastly associated with people of color and the gross abuses of the welfare and tax systems.” He clarified that making America a “whites only” nation would solve the problems.
The Assistant Attorney General of Maine, Tom Harnett, explained that the use of nonviolent language is typical for these types of hate groups. He told reporters the groups are careful to denounce violence in order to stay protected under the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment.
Harnett oversees civil rights education and enforcement in the Maine Office of the Attorney General. He explained that “speech” is protected under the clause as long as it does not promote property damage or violence.
Bucksport Police Chief Sean Geagan reported the first pamphlets appeared at the post office on April 21. They have been found in several other locations throughout downtown Bucksport.
Officials reported they are keeping an eye on the group to ensure it does not become violent.
According to FBI report “Hate Crime Statistics, 2008,” 61.1 percent of the 6,927 known hate crime offenders in 2008 were white. Blacks consisted of 20.2 percent of the number.
Media Information:
Address:
Phone: 561-653-3266
Url: http://TaraMonks.visionsmartnews.com/maine-freedom-of-speech-white-supremacist-group_252.html
