Want to know something you won’t see on ABC’s reality show Homeland Security U.S.A.? Next week the Department of Homeland Security welcomes a leader of an organization whose members have been involved in bombings, assassination plots, arson, and racist violence.
According to the Center for New Community, Pat Richardson, a leader with the British National Party (BNP), will present at the “Preserving Western Civilization Conference” from February 6-8, 2009. The BNP is an extremist organization based in the United Kingdom whose leader, Nick Griffin, in 1997 produced an anti-Semitic brochure accusing Jews of controlling British media to brainwash whites into accepting immigration.
Searchlight, an anti-hate organization based in England has documented that members and supporters of the BNP have been involved in numerous criminal activities including bombings and hate violence directed at minority communities. In 1999 BNP member and activist, David Copeland, began a 13-day bombing campaign targeting gays, South Asians and blacks. By the time BNP’s Copeland was apprehended he had murdered three individuals and wounded 129 more with his improvised explosive devices.
While currently masking itself as a political party running candidates for office, Griffin has been quite clear about the goals of his supporters, stating at one point that “[BNP voters backed] what they perceived to be a strong, disciplined organization with the ability to back up its slogan ‘Defend Rights for Whites’ with well-directed boots and fists. When the crunch comes, power is the product of force and will, not of rational debate.” Unsurprisingly the BNP maintains relationships with extremist here in the United States including the organization whose materials inspired Timothy McVeigh’s bombing of the Oklahoma City federal building, The National Alliance.
According to the “Preserving Western Civilization” website, one of the goals of the conference is to address white guilt for the “disappointing performance of blacks.” The event, being held at the Four Points Sheraton BWI Airport Hotel in Baltimore, MD, will also feature alleged “mainstream” anti-immigrant leader Peter Brimelow. Brimelow is a regular contributor to white nationalist John Tanton’s quarterly journal Social Contact Press. On Saturday the New York Times (NYT) blasted American Cause for their association with Brimelow in an editorial. His participation in the upcoming “Preserving Western Civilization” conference shows that the NYT may only be scratching the surface.
But, while the NYT is at least speaking up, it appears that the Department of Homeland Security is much too busy hunting down immigrants, simply working for a fair day’s wages, to be bothered with an actual individual representing an organization whose members play with explosives. I’m guessing that you only get the attention of Homeland Security if you happen to have an Arabic or Hispanic name.
Ah only in America.