Saying that the U.S. military may inadvertently be training "future domestic terrorists," the Southern Poverty Law Center on Friday asked Congress to strengthen policies against racial extremists in uniform.
"Evidence continues to mount that current Pentagon policies are inadequate to prevent racial extremists from joining and serving in the armed forces," Morris Dees, founder of the Montgomery, Ala.-based Southern Poverty Law Center, wrote to the heads of four congressional committees. "Because the presence of extremists in the armed forces is a serious threat to the safety of the American public, we believe Congressional action is warranted."
In the 1980s and 1990s, defense officials issued and strengthened regulations against hate speech and activity. But the center's 2006 report to then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld did not produce any action, said Heidi Beirich, the organization's director of research. Pentagon officials insisted regulations prohibiting participation in white supremacist groups were adequate, she said.
Dees noted that center has recently found dozens of personal profiles of self-described military members on a neo-Nazi Web site. Many contain pictures of individuals in front of Nazi flags, some in military uniforms. The individuals don't use their real or full names on the site, and the center didn't try to determine who they were.
Two men identified themselves as sailors on the white supremacist Internet forum New Saxon, Beirich said. One used the screen name "gunman88" - 88 being neo-Nazi shorthand for "Heil Hitler" - while the other went by "clarkpatrick88."
"These guys are pretty bad news," Beirich said. "Clarkpatrick has listed on here that one of his favorite books is Mein Kampf," Adolph Hitler's opus. His dislikes: "Race-mixing traitors, and the Navy. Why did I join?" He also wrote, "I'm not liking the idea of fighting for a country run by you-know-who."
Beirich noted that Timothy McVeigh, who carried out the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, was trained in the military use of explosives. And Eric Rudolph, who set off a bomb that killed a bystander at the Olympics in Atlanta in 1996, had a military background.
One Navy officer the center wants to see banned from service is Lt. Cmdr. John Sharpe. Sharpe was a Norfolk-based public affairs officer aboard the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson in 2007 when a newspaper called attention to essays and books he had written and edited.
Sharpe, who is Catholic, wrote numerous essays after the 9/11 attacks. In one, he contended that the real enemy is not Islamic extremism or al-Qaida, it is "mindless pluralism which moves toward a universal brotherhood of nations" in which "all the separate races and religions shall disappear."
"God grant that this pluralism may be defeated - a pluralism which is a poor disguise for the triumph of Judeo-Masonic will," Sharpe wrote in one such essay.
Sharpe eventually faced a non-judicial proceeding, called a captain's mast, which resulted in "appropriate administrative and disciplinary action," according to a Navy spokesman. Details of such proceedings are kept private.
Sharpe is still a naval officer, though he no longer serves in public affairs.
Beirich said the problem stems from military regulations that are not specific enough about what constitutes participation in a supremacist group. Regulations should state that people who post extremist messages on the Web or attend hate group rallies cannot serve in the military, instead of simply prohibiting membership in such groups, she said.
The Navy's regulation against supremacist activities, enacted in 1997, prohibits participation in any organization that espouses supremacist causes or attempts to create illegal discrimination based on race, creed, color, sex, religion or national origin.
The term participate is defined as "acts or conduct, performed alone or in concert with another, such as demonstrating, rallying, fundraising, recruiting, training or leading such organizations."
A Navy spokesman did not respond Friday to a request for comment on the letter.
Kate Wiltrout, (757) 446-2629, kate.wiltrout@pilotonline.com
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Google
Yahoo
3 peas in a pod
Like race hustlers Sharpton & Jackson, Morris Dees is just stirring the pot, hoping something will spill over that he may exploit to make himself more money & publicity.
Like any institution, the military has & will continue to attract some (from every race) who can't get past their biases. After all, it is a micrcosm of society.
But to suggest they are any more at risk than academia, the media, Hollywood, pro sports, you name it, is ignorant.
Shame on you Va-Pilot for giving professional problem creators/ exploiters free advertising when you could be giving us info on how our Congress continue to abuse us & our country.
Sorry editors,
I left out the "o" in microcosm.
Just Whites again?
It amazes me that many in our society and the press seem to think that only White people are racists and members of any racially motivated organizations. Those who are extremists no matter the cause are dangerous whether it be Nation of Islam, Neo Nazi, ECO, PETA or The Church our President attended for many years.
This Country will never achieve equality across the board unless the rules are enforced across the board. If my son can attend a public school and be referred to as "white boy" all day yet the first time he referred to someone as "black girl" was pulled aside and chastised something is wrong. My visit to the school with the Attorney to be used in the event the incident was not dropped ended the situation quickly.
Equality means equal for all in mindset and action.
Maybe I live in a rarefied world then!!!
I spent 27 years in the Navy with very few incidents of racism noted (one of sexism--I am female).
My son attends a Christian school that is probably the most racially integrated private school in Tidewater, full of children of the . . . you guessed it . . . military!
Our church is racially balanced and has . . . probably 50% current or former military.
I just don't get where these haters are all hiding out in the military.
6 years in the Navy
I spent six years in the navy and there were bigot and haters or every kind all over the place! The main reason I got out was the people that I had to work with and the people I worked for. Hatred and ignorance was embraced by most of the low level leaders I dealt with.
The navy tried to BE against it, but did nothing to prevent putting those people in charge! That is the problem, The navy is a group that always puts the guy who has been around the longest in charge, almost never the most qualifed. So all the bigots and haters had to do was wait till it was their turn to run the show and then they got to "get even".
Every single individual action has a societal consequence
marym63204 has questions. Here are some answers.
It's actually poverty, racism and war that are bound together. The hydra headed monster Martin called it.
Yes, war can be justified...by those who wage it.
Forgiveness does not equate with public policy.
Dr. Kings' quotes are meant to show that to move forward with the stain of slavery et.al. we need forgiveness from each other.
Soft minded people like those described in this article will still purchase this country's spiritual destruction. It's all a matter of history.
What do you see?
Accusations and not a lick of proof in this story.
Accusations and not a lick of proof in this story. Prove what you say and charge those that break the law. It seems fashionable these day to scream racism without proof. If there is proof, take those responsible to trial.
How . . .
do racism and war get bound together as twin evils? How do you feel they are related? Do you believe there is never a just or necessary war?
Also, how is forgiveness supposedly related to spending for social programs and to not spending for defense? Theologically, forgiveness is an individual issue, not a government policy.
Is this organization...
after white supremacists and 'racists' only, or are they intent on going after ALL who are part of such groups? I have no problem with those who are truly a menace being outed, but I want to ensure that they aren't being outed just because some may disagree with their views. In other words, a true threat of physical violence needs to be established, and again, that criteria should be assigned to ALL, regardless of the usual demographic designations of those involved. If the SPLC does NOT adhere to that criteria, then they should not be viewed as credible. If they do, give them their due.
a fair standard
Geesh, am I agreeing with the Guy?
If you are...
your life will be much more rewarding, and your self esteem will achieve new highs! The birds' chirps will be sweeter, the sun will smile lovingly, and chicks just may find YOU to be 'the most interesting man in the world'!
Stay thirsty, my friend!
Good, Elsie-Eye!
I was gonna say that, but you said it better.
I have known so many kids, black and white both, to come in the military from narrow backgrounds where they only knew people of their own race and to make friends of all races during their first "hitch."
I do know some who keep to only their own race (blacks, too), but that is a choice they make. I doubt we should get rid of people just because they are comfortable with those of their own skin color.
The officers tend to get along well with people of all races,as we come from a little more worldly background, in general.
And, honestly, let's see how other companies have succeeded in mixing people of various racial backgrounds together. Don't we have more black and Hispanic admirals and generals than are usually seen at the top in civilian industry? General Motors? Boeing? What about the leadership at Southern Poverty Law Center--what's their racial mix? Have they successfully integrated all races together at all levels?
Ask 'em
You have the internets: http://www.splcenter.org/index.jsp
Co-founder Morris Dees is white. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
You and others are right that the military have played a major role in integrating society. One more way in which you serve. That is not the point of the story about groups seeking to infiltrate the military for their own purposes.
George
That "conspiracy theory" thingie about groups planting people in the military came via another poster, not in the article. Nobody is saying there is an organized effort by hate groups--just that some may come in already predisposed to hate.
There are so darn many of us that you have to understand that, out of millions, there might be an occasional Rudolph or McVeigh. We have literally millions in the military at any given time, and probably 25% of our country has served at some point in the past.
Let's see . . .
Are you trying to say that the military shouldn't try to screen out people such as Timothy McVeigh or members of The Order, Mary? Are you trying to say it is okay just to let such people join the military and get training to make them better domestic terrorists? And when such people are discovered in the military, they should be allowed to serve anyway? Just look at the damage McVeigh managed to do. Look at what members of The Order and Rudolph did. Are you condoning their behavior just because they were few in number? Do I need to remind you that it didn't take all that many people to pull off the attacks of 9/11 either?
DHS are conspiricy theorists too!
Of course that is THEIR job.
Nice going VA PILOT for supporting our military, **not**
here is another example of the hatred the Pilot has toward our military. The military is probably the most sensitive and supportive of equality in the Nation. Throw in the total number of people in and associated with the military, and they are the largest employer with the best record of equality. Yet one group makes this claim, and this reporter simply runs with the story. Notice she uses statements that are second hand for her story. She did not investigate the allegations that those people where military, she simply took it on face value. It appears this was done to substantiate the Pilots position or ideology that the military is a hate mongering group. She wrote the story about the Officer in such a way that it encouraged people to assume he was relieved of his duty as a public affairs officer, vice did he simply get a new job due to normal rotation. The other issue about the captians mast is the Capt could have determined nothing inappropriate. The Pilot did not make that available either. It implied he was wrong. It appears the pilot does not support our military with these acts but strives to cause hate and discontent in the community.
WHAT???
The Military is the last place in this country that allows blantant bigotry! Gays and lesbians can openly be discriminated against.
I spend 6 years in the navy and proudly served with many gay and lesbian folks, but all of them were afraid of the bigots in charge. They were as good or better than most at their jobs because they were the only ones who could be fired at anytime by any single hate monger or closed minded religious nut job.
Disagree
This is again one of those problems the U.S. military tries to sweep under the rug just like it did the problem of rampant drug use in the late 60s and early 70s. The military paints one picture that it shows to the press and the public on the outside, but inside it is a different story altogether. Repeatedly friends of ours in different branches of the military have told us of cliques that are racist and race baiting that goes on. Complaints to superiors are often handled by just shifting the troublemakers or the whistleblowers to different outfits, if they are handled at all. I do not doubt that racist groups of all sorts use the U.S. military as a training ground for their people. Such people should be screened out in the recruiting process and kept from serving. Either that or else Americans can expect more Timothy McVeighs or well-trained groups like The Order to show themselves with deadly terrorist attacks.
Amen
Let's all hear it for anybody who is not white, not male, not Christian, not heterosexual, married, monogomous, not a gun owner, not conservative, not productive, not employed. The southern poverty law center is a joke. The groups objective is to find anything that was good about this country and destroy it. Well, at least some of us still have 1st ammendment protection. It enables the Pilot to publish all the left wing drivel.