Back in February, I was kicking back with some friends around a fire in the Spokane Valley, shooting the breeze, catching up after Jan Term and just having a stereotypical American male good time. As we sat there, two people walked out of the woods and after some small talk, they said something that we figured was a complete joke:
“Hey listen, don’t freak out if there’s a bunch of skinheads up the hill or anything; we’re just going to have a white power gathering.”
Unfortunately, he was rather serious.
Over the course of the next few hours, about 15 people showed up to their fire. Every so often they’d get worked up, somebody would yell “white power!” and then everyone else would do the Heil Hitler and yell “white power!” back. For musical solidarity they sang anthems with choice lyrics such as, “we will wash in the n----r’s blood,” and “the white man marches on!”
One of their group members walked down to our fire, presumably to make sure we were all white, and asked if we wanted to join them and learn about Odinism.
Apparently whites are all descended from the Scandinavians and this is the mythological Norse religion of our white ancestors. They use their biweekly outdoor meetings to go through a variety of rites and rituals.
He also said we shouldn’t worry: “It’s not like we’re lynching any monkeys or anything.”
I hope that by now you’ve reached the point where your horror leaves you with your jaw dropped and thoroughly disturbed. I still fail to capture in words my own reaction to that last statement.
Tell me, how do you react to that? Especially when there’s a large group of angry drunks who could all readily kick your tail in a fight should you piss them off.
We decided to go try and talk to them, but between their educational and blood-alcohol levels, coherence was not in abundance. Likewise, we Christians apparently subscribe to a mind-controlling religion manipulated by Jews and are betraying ourselves by choosing to identify with fellow humanity.
Now we could all sit back and just relegate this to one of those crazy life experiences that are almost too surreal to believe. We could say, “It’s just the crazy Spokane Valley,” or “they’re just a bunch of uneducated dolts who need an excuse to get plastered and blame other people for various social ills.” Trusted mentors told me to pray for them, to accept that sometimes people are so filled with hate that it takes a direct divine intervention to effect change.
I do not deny that it will take quite a bit of divine movement to make change in the face of such blatant hatred (what doesn’t?), but I do not want to settle for either resignation or distant condescension. Why? Because these groups are formally back in the area.
On April 18, The Spokesman-Review ran a front-page story titled “Racist group leaves fliers on lawns.” The article documented the reemergence of the Aryan Nations in Coeur d’Alene.
Racism is alive and well in the United States; let no one fool you. Every time I hear people say that Barack Obama’s election signals that America has moved past the race issue, I share a disparaging laugh with myself.
What to do? I’m not entirely sure, but as a graduating senior I entrust the question to the creativity of the rest of you Whitworth students. And I offer two adages. First, change is possible, but it might take a lifetime. Second, keep Gandhi’s advice that we must turn enemies into brothers at the forefront of your mind.
Navis is a senior majoring in peace studies. Comments can be sent to editor@whitworthian.com
8 comments
"We decided to go try and talk to them, but between their educational and blood-alcohol levels, coherence was not in abundance. Likewise, we Christians apparently subscribe to a mind-controlling religion manipulated by Jews and are betraying ourselves by choosing to identify with fellow humanity."In one sentence, you belittle them for being uneducated. In the next, you sound super offended that they belittle you for your religion. Do you really see everyone as equal like you're criticizing them for not doing, or just those who can afford the privilege of higher education?