a quote found in “American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation,” an account of the role of religion in American history and a plea for a moderate course between the extremes of left and right.
Thomas Jefferson, who said that “… it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods, or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.” And so the battles of this world go on—but here’s hoping our conversations can become more rational, our arguments less heated, our politics more civil.
Apr 28, 2006
Apr 27, 2006
This is what makes me angry
See below a Rabbi's usual diatribe against unbelievers.
They keep harping about how negative and angry athiests are. So we get angry and respond negatively therefore it proves their point. over and over and over. Its a vicious cycle. When over 90 % of the world are believers, its hard not feeling picked on and misunderstood. Athiest point out the negatives of the religious belief systems and they turn around and say the bearer of the news is the negative one. Kill the messanger so to say. I am not angry or negative to most believers it is fundamentalism in any flavor. I do remember a preacher told me something very interesting. It was about anger. What is anger? He said it is fear. What are you afraid of? I am very afraid of fundementalists, therefore I do have some anger issues with this breed of people. I'm not alone I'm sure. Many Americans are terrified of Muslim Fundamentalists. Me too.
They go on listing the usual compliments;) about us evil athiests. Do they ever have anything nice to say about us?
He, like many before him and many more to come propogate this negative stereotype through the generations.
Athiests:
1. "Don't believe in anything" That one really makes me mad. I believe in the human spirit, only we (humanity) can make it a better world for everyone. Sympathy
2. Always angry and negative. Becuase they are always telling us and everybody else we are! You think the civil rights movement happened because all African Americans were happy?
3. He said believers don't plot ways to aggrevate athiests. What planet is he from, according to fundementalists we are solely responsible for the destruction of civilization....and I alone send thousands to hell with my lies. Has he not heard of the Culture Wars! How does he think Bush was elected. The Religious Right planned, plotted, and WON. Its a very powerful political tool, bashing athiests and don't forget those liberal Christians helping to destroy America. The press negatively represents the secualar movement and give the public something to get angry about. Those x01?!xx athiests are at it again.
4. "Something bad happened to them in the past" Another one we hear all the time. Another popular one is, our "fathers did not love us or was absent". At least for me this was not true. But, does a father-in-law count:}
5. Last but not least--Why don't you go around robbing and killing people? I've learned to answer, Yeah Why?
Other pet peeves.
-You have no soul
-I will pray for you-insincerely spoken
-Biased news coverage of unbelievers-almost always "the bad guys"
-people tell my kids, your mommy will go hell
-God Bless You, whenever I do a favor for someone
-Thanking God instead of the doctors and nurses for saving someone's life.
-Being Demonized
Wow, I was a tad bit upset.
Lori
WEB-EXCLUSIVE COMMENTARY
By Marc Gellman
Newsweek
Updated: 1:28 p.m. ET April 26, 2006
April 26, 2006 - I think I need to understand atheists better. I bear them no ill will. I don't think they need to be religious to be good, kind and charitable people, and I have no desire to debate or convert them. I do think they are wrong about the biggest question, “Are we alone?” and I will admit to occasionally viewing atheists with the kind of patient sympathy often shown to me by Christians who can't quite understand why the Good News of Jesus' death and resurrection has not reached me or my people. However, there is something I am missing about atheists: what I simply do not understand is why they are often so angry.
So we disagree about God. I'm sometimes at odds with Yankee fans, people who like rap music and people who don't like animals, but I try to be civil. I don't know many religious folk who wake up thinking of new ways to aggravate atheists, but many people who do not believe in God seem to find the religion of their neighbors terribly offensive or oppressive, particularly if the folks next door are evangelical Christians. I just don't get it.
This must sound condescending and a large generalization, and I don't mean it that way, but I am tempted to believe that behind atheist anger there are oftentimes uncomfortable personal histories. Perhaps their atheism was the result of the tragic death of a loved one, or an angry degrading sermon, or an insensitive eulogy, or an unfeeling castigation of lifestyle choices or perhaps something even worse. I would ask for forgiveness from the angry atheists who write to me if I thought it would help. Religion must remain an audacious, daring and, yes, uncomfortable assault on our desires to do what we want when we want to do it. All religions must teach a way to discipline our animal urges, to overcome racism and materialism, selfishness and arrogance and the sinful oppression of the most vulnerable and the most innocent among us.
Some religious leaders obviously betray the teachings of the faith they claim to represent, but their sacred scriptures remain a critique of them and also of every thing we do to betray the better angels of our nature. But our world is better and kinder and more hopeful because of the daily sacrifice and witness of millions of pious people over thousands of years.
To be called to a level of goodness and sacrifice so constantly and so patiently by a loving but demanding God may seem like a naive demand to achieve what is only a remote human possibility. However, such a vision need not be seen as a red flag to those who believe nothing. I can humbly ask whether my atheist brothers and sisters really believe that their lives are better, richer and more hopeful by clinging to Camus's existential despair: “The purpose of life is that it ends." I can agree to make peace with atheists whom I believe ask too little of life here on planet earth if they will agree to make peace with me and with other religious folk who perhaps have asked too much. I believe that the philosopher-rabbi Mordecai Kaplan was right when he said, “It is hell to live without hope, and religion saves people from hell.” I urge my atheist brothers and sisters to see things as Spinoza urged, sub specie aeternitatis—“under the perspective of eternity.”
And to try a little positivity. Last Sunday I took two high-school girls to Cold Spring Labs to meet Dr. James Watson. One of the girls wants to be a research scientist, and the other has no idea yet, but I think she will be a great writer. I think they also both want boyfriends. I want them to stay smart and not dumb down to get a boy. Watson spoke and listened to the girls, and they left, I hope, proud about being smart. I know that Jim believes way more in Darwin than in Deuteronomy, but he also believes that at Cold Spring Labs the most important thing is not whether you are a man or a woman, not whether you believe in God. The most important thing, as he says, is “to get something done.” Now there's an atheist I can believe in.
They keep harping about how negative and angry athiests are. So we get angry and respond negatively therefore it proves their point. over and over and over. Its a vicious cycle. When over 90 % of the world are believers, its hard not feeling picked on and misunderstood. Athiest point out the negatives of the religious belief systems and they turn around and say the bearer of the news is the negative one. Kill the messanger so to say. I am not angry or negative to most believers it is fundamentalism in any flavor. I do remember a preacher told me something very interesting. It was about anger. What is anger? He said it is fear. What are you afraid of? I am very afraid of fundementalists, therefore I do have some anger issues with this breed of people. I'm not alone I'm sure. Many Americans are terrified of Muslim Fundamentalists. Me too.
They go on listing the usual compliments;) about us evil athiests. Do they ever have anything nice to say about us?
He, like many before him and many more to come propogate this negative stereotype through the generations.
Athiests:
1. "Don't believe in anything" That one really makes me mad. I believe in the human spirit, only we (humanity) can make it a better world for everyone. Sympathy
2. Always angry and negative. Becuase they are always telling us and everybody else we are! You think the civil rights movement happened because all African Americans were happy?
3. He said believers don't plot ways to aggrevate athiests. What planet is he from, according to fundementalists we are solely responsible for the destruction of civilization....and I alone send thousands to hell with my lies. Has he not heard of the Culture Wars! How does he think Bush was elected. The Religious Right planned, plotted, and WON. Its a very powerful political tool, bashing athiests and don't forget those liberal Christians helping to destroy America. The press negatively represents the secualar movement and give the public something to get angry about. Those x01?!xx athiests are at it again.
4. "Something bad happened to them in the past" Another one we hear all the time. Another popular one is, our "fathers did not love us or was absent". At least for me this was not true. But, does a father-in-law count:}
5. Last but not least--Why don't you go around robbing and killing people? I've learned to answer, Yeah Why?
Other pet peeves.
-You have no soul
-I will pray for you-insincerely spoken
-Biased news coverage of unbelievers-almost always "the bad guys"
-people tell my kids, your mommy will go hell
-God Bless You, whenever I do a favor for someone
-Thanking God instead of the doctors and nurses for saving someone's life.
-Being Demonized
Wow, I was a tad bit upset.
Lori
WEB-EXCLUSIVE COMMENTARY
By Marc Gellman
Newsweek
Updated: 1:28 p.m. ET April 26, 2006
April 26, 2006 - I think I need to understand atheists better. I bear them no ill will. I don't think they need to be religious to be good, kind and charitable people, and I have no desire to debate or convert them. I do think they are wrong about the biggest question, “Are we alone?” and I will admit to occasionally viewing atheists with the kind of patient sympathy often shown to me by Christians who can't quite understand why the Good News of Jesus' death and resurrection has not reached me or my people. However, there is something I am missing about atheists: what I simply do not understand is why they are often so angry.
So we disagree about God. I'm sometimes at odds with Yankee fans, people who like rap music and people who don't like animals, but I try to be civil. I don't know many religious folk who wake up thinking of new ways to aggravate atheists, but many people who do not believe in God seem to find the religion of their neighbors terribly offensive or oppressive, particularly if the folks next door are evangelical Christians. I just don't get it.
This must sound condescending and a large generalization, and I don't mean it that way, but I am tempted to believe that behind atheist anger there are oftentimes uncomfortable personal histories. Perhaps their atheism was the result of the tragic death of a loved one, or an angry degrading sermon, or an insensitive eulogy, or an unfeeling castigation of lifestyle choices or perhaps something even worse. I would ask for forgiveness from the angry atheists who write to me if I thought it would help. Religion must remain an audacious, daring and, yes, uncomfortable assault on our desires to do what we want when we want to do it. All religions must teach a way to discipline our animal urges, to overcome racism and materialism, selfishness and arrogance and the sinful oppression of the most vulnerable and the most innocent among us.
Some religious leaders obviously betray the teachings of the faith they claim to represent, but their sacred scriptures remain a critique of them and also of every thing we do to betray the better angels of our nature. But our world is better and kinder and more hopeful because of the daily sacrifice and witness of millions of pious people over thousands of years.
To be called to a level of goodness and sacrifice so constantly and so patiently by a loving but demanding God may seem like a naive demand to achieve what is only a remote human possibility. However, such a vision need not be seen as a red flag to those who believe nothing. I can humbly ask whether my atheist brothers and sisters really believe that their lives are better, richer and more hopeful by clinging to Camus's existential despair: “The purpose of life is that it ends." I can agree to make peace with atheists whom I believe ask too little of life here on planet earth if they will agree to make peace with me and with other religious folk who perhaps have asked too much. I believe that the philosopher-rabbi Mordecai Kaplan was right when he said, “It is hell to live without hope, and religion saves people from hell.” I urge my atheist brothers and sisters to see things as Spinoza urged, sub specie aeternitatis—“under the perspective of eternity.”
And to try a little positivity. Last Sunday I took two high-school girls to Cold Spring Labs to meet Dr. James Watson. One of the girls wants to be a research scientist, and the other has no idea yet, but I think she will be a great writer. I think they also both want boyfriends. I want them to stay smart and not dumb down to get a boy. Watson spoke and listened to the girls, and they left, I hope, proud about being smart. I know that Jim believes way more in Darwin than in Deuteronomy, but he also believes that at Cold Spring Labs the most important thing is not whether you are a man or a woman, not whether you believe in God. The most important thing, as he says, is “to get something done.” Now there's an atheist I can believe in.
Bob Jones University textbooks
I can go on forever about Bob Jones, but don't have time. Racist, anit-catholic .......
Home school academy takes root in growing Birdseye
By MARTIN J. KIDSTON - IR Features Writer - 04/27/06
Photos by Martin Kidston - Several students with the Last Chance Academy in Birdseye head home for the day. They come from Montana City, East Helena, Helena and Birdseye to attend the school, which opened in September. The 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. school day makes the students smile. BIRDSEYE — Down the highway from the Last Chance Chapel, heavy machinery applies the final touches to a network of new roads. The roads will soon serve the Stallion Ridge subdivision, an 86-lot project fondly referred to by the locals as Helena’s expanding suburbs.
While life in this secluded community 15 miles west of Helena changes at a rapid pace, a small, private school has gained a foothold here beyond the reach of public debate.
Offering a private, home-school setting with a Christian twist, the Last Chance Academy opened its doors in the community’s namesake chapel last September. The school receives its only funding through the church and a monthly tuition of almost $200 per student.
The academy now claims three teachers and 13 students who range in grade and ability. William Parsons, the school’s administrator, described the academy as a Christian home-school that includes teachings on the Bible.
The school’s curriculum doesn’t shy away from classroom prayer. While some communities debate how evolution and creationism should be taught, the academy approaches them both as theory.
“I think a lot of our text materials are written from a Christian perspective,” Parsons said. “We believe the Bible is true 100 percent.”
The academy uses textbooks published by Bob Jones University to teach science and the Bible. When teaching history and English it uses A Beca Books, a Florida-based publishing firm that produces “God-honoring, high-quality textbooks and teaching aids.”
History lessons include what Parsons called a “truer account of history.” In one class, he said, it’s taught that the nation’s founding fathers were Christian — a point, he said, that public schools shy away from.
“We also talk about evolution and I present it as theory,” he said. “Evolution is an idea of how mankind tries to rationalize its creation.”
The school, fundamental in its Christian values, is growing. Despite a lack of advertising, Parsons expects the student body to nearly double next year to 25 students and even more the following year.
The academy has no school board, no curriculum and has yet to write a mission statement. All that, Parsons said, still must come together. The student-to-teacher ratio, he said, remains the school’s priority.
“If we keep growing like we’re growing, we may be looking at more teachers and the need for a new building soon,” he said. “The church wanted to start this school because the suburbs were coming. They knew it would be a good place to start a private school.”
On Wednesday, the academy’s high-school students talked about their current reading assignment, “The Scarlet Letter.” The junior high students continued with “The Diary of Ann Frank” to coincide with their WWII studies and Holocaust commemoration.
“I love teaching here,” said Lori Carey, the school’s only English teacher. “I’m trusted to be as creative and imaginative as I can be. I get to know the students personally, and it’s rewarding to see them change.”
Jacob Weise, an eighth-grader at the academy, is a tall and gangly kid. He wears a Metallica hat and a German flying cross around his neck. He was also expelled from the public school system.
“This is my last chance,” he grinned, playing off the school’s name. “I like science sometimes and Bible sometimes. I’m not too sure about my Christianity, but I’m learning.”
Weise, who speaks poorly of his public school experience, said he’s doing better at the academy. There aren’t as many students, he said, and fewer distractions.
Carey, who saw that Weise was getting bored with his standard eighth grade reading assignments, gave him William Faulkner as an advanced project. He made easy work of the book and is slowly turning his grades and attitude around.
“He does better when the work is harder,” Carey said. “He’s come a long way since he’s been here. It’s good to watch the light bulb click on.”
Rachel Osborne, the only girl in the high school class, drives from Montana City every day to attend the academy instead of public high school like most girls her age. She was home-schooled before she arrived at the academy but was falling behind in math.
“It’s a lot more relaxed here,” she said. “You don’t have the teachers nagging you all the time. There’s no pressure.”
Osborne, who isn’t one to elaborate her thoughts — unless you get to know her, she said — caught up on her math skills thanks to the school’s only math teacher, Gil Wooden.
Wooden, busy with a class Wednesday, taught 30 years in public schools and 10 more in private, including a stint as principal at the Helena Christian Academy. Several of his students are already studying advanced algebra.
“His experience is one of the big things that draw people here,” Parsons said. “The teachers we have aren’t here for the paycheck. They’re here for the kids. We teach all the core subjects, plus Bible class. And we hold chapel once a week.”
Home school academy takes root in growing Birdseye
By MARTIN J. KIDSTON - IR Features Writer - 04/27/06
Photos by Martin Kidston - Several students with the Last Chance Academy in Birdseye head home for the day. They come from Montana City, East Helena, Helena and Birdseye to attend the school, which opened in September. The 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. school day makes the students smile. BIRDSEYE — Down the highway from the Last Chance Chapel, heavy machinery applies the final touches to a network of new roads. The roads will soon serve the Stallion Ridge subdivision, an 86-lot project fondly referred to by the locals as Helena’s expanding suburbs.
While life in this secluded community 15 miles west of Helena changes at a rapid pace, a small, private school has gained a foothold here beyond the reach of public debate.
Offering a private, home-school setting with a Christian twist, the Last Chance Academy opened its doors in the community’s namesake chapel last September. The school receives its only funding through the church and a monthly tuition of almost $200 per student.
The academy now claims three teachers and 13 students who range in grade and ability. William Parsons, the school’s administrator, described the academy as a Christian home-school that includes teachings on the Bible.
The school’s curriculum doesn’t shy away from classroom prayer. While some communities debate how evolution and creationism should be taught, the academy approaches them both as theory.
“I think a lot of our text materials are written from a Christian perspective,” Parsons said. “We believe the Bible is true 100 percent.”
The academy uses textbooks published by Bob Jones University to teach science and the Bible. When teaching history and English it uses A Beca Books, a Florida-based publishing firm that produces “God-honoring, high-quality textbooks and teaching aids.”
History lessons include what Parsons called a “truer account of history.” In one class, he said, it’s taught that the nation’s founding fathers were Christian — a point, he said, that public schools shy away from.
“We also talk about evolution and I present it as theory,” he said. “Evolution is an idea of how mankind tries to rationalize its creation.”
The school, fundamental in its Christian values, is growing. Despite a lack of advertising, Parsons expects the student body to nearly double next year to 25 students and even more the following year.
The academy has no school board, no curriculum and has yet to write a mission statement. All that, Parsons said, still must come together. The student-to-teacher ratio, he said, remains the school’s priority.
“If we keep growing like we’re growing, we may be looking at more teachers and the need for a new building soon,” he said. “The church wanted to start this school because the suburbs were coming. They knew it would be a good place to start a private school.”
On Wednesday, the academy’s high-school students talked about their current reading assignment, “The Scarlet Letter.” The junior high students continued with “The Diary of Ann Frank” to coincide with their WWII studies and Holocaust commemoration.
“I love teaching here,” said Lori Carey, the school’s only English teacher. “I’m trusted to be as creative and imaginative as I can be. I get to know the students personally, and it’s rewarding to see them change.”
Jacob Weise, an eighth-grader at the academy, is a tall and gangly kid. He wears a Metallica hat and a German flying cross around his neck. He was also expelled from the public school system.
“This is my last chance,” he grinned, playing off the school’s name. “I like science sometimes and Bible sometimes. I’m not too sure about my Christianity, but I’m learning.”
Weise, who speaks poorly of his public school experience, said he’s doing better at the academy. There aren’t as many students, he said, and fewer distractions.
Carey, who saw that Weise was getting bored with his standard eighth grade reading assignments, gave him William Faulkner as an advanced project. He made easy work of the book and is slowly turning his grades and attitude around.
“He does better when the work is harder,” Carey said. “He’s come a long way since he’s been here. It’s good to watch the light bulb click on.”
Rachel Osborne, the only girl in the high school class, drives from Montana City every day to attend the academy instead of public high school like most girls her age. She was home-schooled before she arrived at the academy but was falling behind in math.
“It’s a lot more relaxed here,” she said. “You don’t have the teachers nagging you all the time. There’s no pressure.”
Osborne, who isn’t one to elaborate her thoughts — unless you get to know her, she said — caught up on her math skills thanks to the school’s only math teacher, Gil Wooden.
Wooden, busy with a class Wednesday, taught 30 years in public schools and 10 more in private, including a stint as principal at the Helena Christian Academy. Several of his students are already studying advanced algebra.
“His experience is one of the big things that draw people here,” Parsons said. “The teachers we have aren’t here for the paycheck. They’re here for the kids. We teach all the core subjects, plus Bible class. And we hold chapel once a week.”
Apr 19, 2006
Without a Clue/Letter to the Editor
Without a clue
It’s obvious creationists don’t read anything but creationist junk-science propaganda. It’s also obvious that they haven’t the first clue what constitutes evidence, proof, or science.
There are loads and loads of fossils of transitional species, from mollusks to man.
DNA provides some of the strongest support for evolution.
Evolution does not violate the second law of thermodynamics, any more than the formation of ice crystals does. Matter can become more complex, as long as there’s a net loss of energy.
Evolution does not involve an alligator becoming a dog.
Creationist papers don’t get published in scientific journals because they aren’t submitted.
Disagreement between evolutionists does not disprove the theory, any more than disagreement between churches disproves the existence of God.
A “theory,” as in “the theory of evolution,” is not the same as a “hypothesis.” Get a dictionary.
There is no evidence of a global flood.
Attempts to “scientifically” prove Creation always depend on miracles, very selective ignoring of facts, and very dishonest creation of other “facts.”
I can back up each of these statements with logic and sound scientific principles. If only creationists were interested in such things.
Adam Laceky
549 N. Ewing
It’s obvious creationists don’t read anything but creationist junk-science propaganda. It’s also obvious that they haven’t the first clue what constitutes evidence, proof, or science.
There are loads and loads of fossils of transitional species, from mollusks to man.
DNA provides some of the strongest support for evolution.
Evolution does not violate the second law of thermodynamics, any more than the formation of ice crystals does. Matter can become more complex, as long as there’s a net loss of energy.
Evolution does not involve an alligator becoming a dog.
Creationist papers don’t get published in scientific journals because they aren’t submitted.
Disagreement between evolutionists does not disprove the theory, any more than disagreement between churches disproves the existence of God.
A “theory,” as in “the theory of evolution,” is not the same as a “hypothesis.” Get a dictionary.
There is no evidence of a global flood.
Attempts to “scientifically” prove Creation always depend on miracles, very selective ignoring of facts, and very dishonest creation of other “facts.”
I can back up each of these statements with logic and sound scientific principles. If only creationists were interested in such things.
Adam Laceky
549 N. Ewing
Apr 17, 2006
Family Values?
Family values?Rep. Scott Mendenhall, R-Clancy, wants to “protect family values.” Family values are important. Not all families look the same, but however they are defined, no family is more or less deserving than any other family. Mendenhall states that families are the basic building blocks of society. If families are important and to be protected, why did Rep. Mendenhall consistently vote against bills that would provide support to families? It’s a bit of a mystery. Here are some examples: He voted against a bill that would allow parents on public benefits to pursue higher education and job training. He voted against a bill that would have expanded the Children’s Health Insurance Program. He voted against a bill that would restore the devastating cuts to Temporary Assistance to Needy Families. And perhaps the most egregious, considering his apparent empathy for parents who are forced to work more than one job, he voted against an increase to the minimum wage. It seems that Mendenhall values families that look like his own and devalues all others. Or is it possible that “family values” has nothing to do with family support infrastructure and is code for something else, something like “gay people shouldn’t be treated equally?”Zach SlatteryPO Box 818
Apr 7, 2006
Only God can cure mental illness per preacher
Judge: Baby killer was insane
Child bled to death in crib after mother cut off her arms
Friday, April 7, 2006; McKINNEY, TEXAS (AP) -- A woman accused of killing her 10-month-old daughter by cutting off her arms was found not guilty of capital murder by reason of insanity in her retrial Friday.
Police arrested Dena Schlosser in November 2004 after finding her baby Margaret dying in her crib and Schlosser covered in blood, holding a knife and listening to a hymn.
Schlosser will be sent to the maximum security Vernon State Mental Hospital.
Schlosser, 38, didn't say anything as bailiffs led her away after the verdict.
"We have a just verdict in a just case, but yes, it is bittersweet." defense attorney David Haynes said. "She wanted to be sent to the state hospital in Vernon. She feels it is her best chance to get better."
A judge issued the verdict after brief proceedings. Defense attorneys and prosecutors agreed last week to have Judge Chris Oldner decide the case after a jury deadlocked in February, forcing a mistrial.
The case hinged on whether Schlosser had severe mental problems that kept her from knowing the wrongfulness of the crime -- the Texas standard for insanity. Last week it was revealed that Schlosser had a brain tumor that defense attorneys said could have caused hallucinations before the killing, but neither the tumor nor any other evidence was discussed Friday.
Both sides waived closing arguments Friday, and the judge ruled based on evidence presented in the first trial.
Prosecutors didn't immediately comment, and jurors declined to talk about the case.
Schlosser will be sent to the Vernon hospital for 30 days, after which time the hospital will issue a report on her mental health and a judge will decide whether she needs to be recommitted. If she is recommitted, a judge will review another report after six months, then another each year she's hospitalized after that.
"My own expectation is that she will remain at the hospital for many, many years," Haynes said.
Bob Nicholas, Schlosser's former stepfather who helped raised her and the only relative in attendance Friday, said the verdict was the best possible scenario.
"This whole case, this whole situation with Dena, was a tragedy," Nicholas said. "We've got the loss of Maggie, who never reached her first birthday. We've got two little girls coping with the loss of their sister and of a loving, caring mother."
John Schlosser, Schlosser's husband, has filed for divorce and has custody of the couple's two other daughters.
Dena Schlosser's tumor was a new element in the defense's argument, which had focused on her psychological disorders. Several psychiatrists in her first trial testified that Schlosser lost touch with reality, suffered severe mood swings and experienced religious hallucinations and delusions.
While one witness alluded to a possible brain lesion, miscommunication between doctors delayed further testing until three weeks after the mistrial. A neurologist's confirmation of a brain tumor gave the defense another argument, which it presented at a hearing March 31.
During her first trial, one doctor said Schlosser told him she wanted to cut off her baby's arms and her own limbs and head and give them God. Other medical testimony referenced erratic behavior and hallucinations, including apostles rising out of blood-filled streets to herald the apocalypse.
Testimony in the first trial lasted seven days and also included police, acquaintances, family, social workers and Schlosser's preacher, Doyle Davidson.
The defense faulted Schlosser's husband for not getting her adequate mental health treatment and also blamed Davidson, who believes only God can cure mental illness.
The state argued the defense was trying to deflect responsibility from Schlosser. Prosecutors presented a methodical case, focusing on possible inconsistencies and behaviors that might indicate Schlosser knew killing her baby was wrong.
After 42 hours of deliberations, the jury deadlocked with 10 of the 12 agreeing she was insane. Oldner declared a mistrial February 25.
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Child bled to death in crib after mother cut off her arms
Friday, April 7, 2006; McKINNEY, TEXAS (AP) -- A woman accused of killing her 10-month-old daughter by cutting off her arms was found not guilty of capital murder by reason of insanity in her retrial Friday.
Police arrested Dena Schlosser in November 2004 after finding her baby Margaret dying in her crib and Schlosser covered in blood, holding a knife and listening to a hymn.
Schlosser will be sent to the maximum security Vernon State Mental Hospital.
Schlosser, 38, didn't say anything as bailiffs led her away after the verdict.
"We have a just verdict in a just case, but yes, it is bittersweet." defense attorney David Haynes said. "She wanted to be sent to the state hospital in Vernon. She feels it is her best chance to get better."
A judge issued the verdict after brief proceedings. Defense attorneys and prosecutors agreed last week to have Judge Chris Oldner decide the case after a jury deadlocked in February, forcing a mistrial.
The case hinged on whether Schlosser had severe mental problems that kept her from knowing the wrongfulness of the crime -- the Texas standard for insanity. Last week it was revealed that Schlosser had a brain tumor that defense attorneys said could have caused hallucinations before the killing, but neither the tumor nor any other evidence was discussed Friday.
Both sides waived closing arguments Friday, and the judge ruled based on evidence presented in the first trial.
Prosecutors didn't immediately comment, and jurors declined to talk about the case.
Schlosser will be sent to the Vernon hospital for 30 days, after which time the hospital will issue a report on her mental health and a judge will decide whether she needs to be recommitted. If she is recommitted, a judge will review another report after six months, then another each year she's hospitalized after that.
"My own expectation is that she will remain at the hospital for many, many years," Haynes said.
Bob Nicholas, Schlosser's former stepfather who helped raised her and the only relative in attendance Friday, said the verdict was the best possible scenario.
"This whole case, this whole situation with Dena, was a tragedy," Nicholas said. "We've got the loss of Maggie, who never reached her first birthday. We've got two little girls coping with the loss of their sister and of a loving, caring mother."
John Schlosser, Schlosser's husband, has filed for divorce and has custody of the couple's two other daughters.
Dena Schlosser's tumor was a new element in the defense's argument, which had focused on her psychological disorders. Several psychiatrists in her first trial testified that Schlosser lost touch with reality, suffered severe mood swings and experienced religious hallucinations and delusions.
While one witness alluded to a possible brain lesion, miscommunication between doctors delayed further testing until three weeks after the mistrial. A neurologist's confirmation of a brain tumor gave the defense another argument, which it presented at a hearing March 31.
During her first trial, one doctor said Schlosser told him she wanted to cut off her baby's arms and her own limbs and head and give them God. Other medical testimony referenced erratic behavior and hallucinations, including apostles rising out of blood-filled streets to herald the apocalypse.
Testimony in the first trial lasted seven days and also included police, acquaintances, family, social workers and Schlosser's preacher, Doyle Davidson.
The defense faulted Schlosser's husband for not getting her adequate mental health treatment and also blamed Davidson, who believes only God can cure mental illness.
The state argued the defense was trying to deflect responsibility from Schlosser. Prosecutors presented a methodical case, focusing on possible inconsistencies and behaviors that might indicate Schlosser knew killing her baby was wrong.
After 42 hours of deliberations, the jury deadlocked with 10 of the 12 agreeing she was insane. Oldner declared a mistrial February 25.
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Great, now I'm on their s/hit list!
NATIONAL SOCIALIST MOVEMENT RESPONDS TO MONTANA GOP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CHUCK DENOWETH FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NATIONAL SOCIALIST MOVEMENT RESPONDS TO MONTANA GOP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CHUCK DENOWETH Republicans' Hypocrisy Shows Jewish Control Of Their Party The comments of Montana Republican Executive Director Chuck Denowrth today to KFBB Channel 5 in Great Falls, Montana remind me of a story. Please indulge: When I lived in Montgomery County, Maryland, I managed the campaign of Constitution Party candidate Brian Saunders. He ran for Congress in Maryland's 8th District against Democrat Terry Lierman and Republican Connie Morella. The race was tight, and both parties poured money into the campaign. Lierman spent $2 million; Connie spent $1 million. We spent $40,000. At the end of the day, Brian won 2.6% of the vote. Connie got something like 49% Lierman got some like 48%. The Republicans took notice. In 2002 I was invited to the Republican Party's Lincoln Day Dinner. Connie was running again and Democratic State Senator Christopher Van Hollen and State Rep Mark Shriver were vying to oppose her. The Republicans wanted to talk to me. So I had dinner with Connie, now Maryland Governor Bob Ehrlich, Karl Rove, and most of the local Montgomery County Republican officials. Connie Morella told me to stop running candidates against her to he right. I told her that I, and the coalition I had built, would not endorse a candidate who was anti-gun, pro-abortion and pro-war. Her response was: "But if you keep doing this I'm going to lose and a Democrat is going to win." I told her: "I'd rather have an honest scumbag Democrat in office then a dishonest Republican." One of the Republican consultants then chimed in: "But Bill, you don't understand. It doesn't matter what the candidates think about the issues. All that matters is that they have an 'R' by their name. You see, someone who is pro-gun and anti-abortion can't survive in this District. But on important party issues she can have the occassional break and vote with the GOP." I found that logic extremely offensive. By the end of the night, we had not reached a deal. Connie went on to lose the next election. ----- The principles of the GOP have always been "it doesn't matter what the candidate believes, as long as they have an 'R' by their name." Every time the GOP puts up a candidate that toes the Jewish line of cultural destruction on an issue, that wants to arode American's rights, or that wants to pollute our country with another round of mud invaders or take steps that help promote black crime, they tell the Republican base "it doesn't matter what the candidate believes, as long as they have an 'R' by their name." But when a white candidate runs for office -- a candidate that bucks the Jewish line and which takes stands that the Jewish neo-cons and their white capitalist allies in the Bush administration cannot stomach -- suddenly what the candidate believes matters. What does this tell us about the GOP establishment? The GOP establishment exists to perpetuate the interests of the Jews, and the lines they give to Republicans living in liberal or Democratic districts about the need to compromise with Jewish culture poison are exactly that -- lies. Bill White National Socialist Movement
Apr 6, 2006
Judas betrayed at Jesus' request?
Text might be hidden 'gospel of Judas'
Manuscript authenticated by carbon dating to 300 A.D.
Thursday, April 6, 2006; Posted: 2:15 p.m. EDT (18:15 GMT)
(AP) -- National Geographic unveiled an ancient manuscript Thursday that may shed new light on the relationship between Jesus and Judas, the disciple who betrayed him.
The papyrus manuscript was written probably around 300 A.D. in Coptic script, a copy of an earlier Greek manuscript.
It was discovered in the desert in Egypt in the 1970s and has now been authenticated by carbon dating and studied and translated by biblical scholars, National Geographic announced.
Unlike the four gospels in the Bible, this text indicates that Judas betrayed Jesus at Jesus' request.
The text begins "the secret account of the revelation that Jesus spoke in conversation with Judas Iscariot."
The key passage comes when Jesus tells Judas "you will exceed all of them. For you will sacrifice the man that clothed me."
This indicates that Judas would help liberate the spiritual self by helping Jesus get rid of his physical flesh, the scholars said.
The manuscript was first mentioned in a treatise around 180 A.D. by a bishop, Irenaeus of Lyon, in what is now France. The bishop denounced the manuscript as differing from mainstream Christianity and said it produced a fictitious story.
There were several gospels in circulation at the time in addition to the four in the Bible. When those gospels were denounced, it was thought that believers hid them away.
What scholars refer to as the gospel of Judas was kept by a group called the Gnostics, who believed that the way to salvation was through secret knowledge given by Jesus to his inner circle.
National Geographic said the author believed that Judas Iscariot alone understood the true significance of Jesus' teachings.
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Manuscript authenticated by carbon dating to 300 A.D.
Thursday, April 6, 2006; Posted: 2:15 p.m. EDT (18:15 GMT)
(AP) -- National Geographic unveiled an ancient manuscript Thursday that may shed new light on the relationship between Jesus and Judas, the disciple who betrayed him.
The papyrus manuscript was written probably around 300 A.D. in Coptic script, a copy of an earlier Greek manuscript.
It was discovered in the desert in Egypt in the 1970s and has now been authenticated by carbon dating and studied and translated by biblical scholars, National Geographic announced.
Unlike the four gospels in the Bible, this text indicates that Judas betrayed Jesus at Jesus' request.
The text begins "the secret account of the revelation that Jesus spoke in conversation with Judas Iscariot."
The key passage comes when Jesus tells Judas "you will exceed all of them. For you will sacrifice the man that clothed me."
This indicates that Judas would help liberate the spiritual self by helping Jesus get rid of his physical flesh, the scholars said.
The manuscript was first mentioned in a treatise around 180 A.D. by a bishop, Irenaeus of Lyon, in what is now France. The bishop denounced the manuscript as differing from mainstream Christianity and said it produced a fictitious story.
There were several gospels in circulation at the time in addition to the four in the Bible. When those gospels were denounced, it was thought that believers hid them away.
What scholars refer to as the gospel of Judas was kept by a group called the Gnostics, who believed that the way to salvation was through secret knowledge given by Jesus to his inner circle.
National Geographic said the author believed that Judas Iscariot alone understood the true significance of Jesus' teachings.
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Apr 5, 2006
http://www.mhrn.org
Time to say: ‘Not in our state’
By Travis McAdam - 04/02/06
When we brought the white supremacist affiliations of Butte legislative candidate Shawn Stuart to the media’s attention, we felt it was information that Montanans needed to know. We’re glad that the press agreed. The state’s newspapers provided a needed service when they ran the article on Stuart over the weekend. They helped shine the light of public scrutiny on the racist and anti-Semitic beliefs of Stuart and the National Socialist Movement. Public and critical exposure is a valuable tool for communities trying to keep hate groups from taking hold. Unfortunately, those of us who help expose the agendas of hate groups often become targets ourselves.
Following publication of the article, Stuart’s National Socialist Movement began targeting Montana Human Rights Network employees. It began with harassing phone calls and continued with postings on National Socialist Movement websites. One website features my home address and telephone number, as well as those of my fellow Network coworkers Ken Toole and Christine Kaufmann. Websites for the National Socialist Movement are also smearing the Network’s reputation, saying that we engage in “terrorist bombings and arsons.”
These actions by the National Socialist Movement illustrate the tactics hate groups like to use — intimidation, threats of violence, and misinformation. White supremacists prefer to use these tactics under the cover of night and anonymously. In other words, they are bullies and thugs who feast on public apathy and target those of us who stand up to them. Many people do not take the hate movement seriously, since the number of hardcore racists is relatively small. However, just like the school yard bully, they will continue trying to intimidate us until the larger community publicly condemns them.
Montana’s history is full of examples of racist and anti-government bullies trying to run roughshod over communities. In the early 1990s, a group of neo-Nazi skinheads terrorized Billings’ Jewish community. It began with cemetery vandalism and escalated to a brick being thrown through the front window of a Jewish home. In the mid-1990s, the Montana Freemen formed their own illegal courts and issued death warrants for criminal justice employees in Eastern Montana. In 2001, David Burgert and Project 7, a militia group, compiled hit lists containing personal information about criminal justice employees and their families in the Flathead area. Beginning in 2004, Kevin McGuire, a racist recruiter in Bozeman, posted false and misleading propaganda about local citizens on racist websites before running for the local school board.
The logical question to ask in all of these cases is, “What happened?” With the Montana Freemen and Project 7, group activists were arrested and sentenced to prison. In Bozeman, Kevin McGuire has had problems following the law, but he remains on the streets. However, thanks to the network and its Bozeman affiliate, the people of Bozeman have a clear picture of who McGuire is and what he represents. The community of Billings came together and opposed the neo-Nazi skinheads in the “Not in Our Town” campaign, which has been replicated in cities across the nation. The citizens of Billings emphatically stated that racist and anti-Semitic beliefs did not represent their values. They stood up to the neo-Nazi bullies together.
All the Montana examples reveal a common theme. White supremacists and anti-government bullies cannot win if we stand together. It is up to us to tell those who target our communities that we will not look the other way and be complacent. Instead, we will tell them that, if they target one of us, they will have to answer to all of us. Right now, it is our staff that is under fire from the National Socialist Movement. Tomorrow, it could be a local judge, elected official, or business owner. Montana now has the opportunity to say, “Not in our state.”
Travis McAdam is the Montana Human Rights Network’s research director. The network can be reached at PO Box 1222, Helena, MT 59624, or network@mhrn.org.
By Travis McAdam - 04/02/06
When we brought the white supremacist affiliations of Butte legislative candidate Shawn Stuart to the media’s attention, we felt it was information that Montanans needed to know. We’re glad that the press agreed. The state’s newspapers provided a needed service when they ran the article on Stuart over the weekend. They helped shine the light of public scrutiny on the racist and anti-Semitic beliefs of Stuart and the National Socialist Movement. Public and critical exposure is a valuable tool for communities trying to keep hate groups from taking hold. Unfortunately, those of us who help expose the agendas of hate groups often become targets ourselves.
Following publication of the article, Stuart’s National Socialist Movement began targeting Montana Human Rights Network employees. It began with harassing phone calls and continued with postings on National Socialist Movement websites. One website features my home address and telephone number, as well as those of my fellow Network coworkers Ken Toole and Christine Kaufmann. Websites for the National Socialist Movement are also smearing the Network’s reputation, saying that we engage in “terrorist bombings and arsons.”
These actions by the National Socialist Movement illustrate the tactics hate groups like to use — intimidation, threats of violence, and misinformation. White supremacists prefer to use these tactics under the cover of night and anonymously. In other words, they are bullies and thugs who feast on public apathy and target those of us who stand up to them. Many people do not take the hate movement seriously, since the number of hardcore racists is relatively small. However, just like the school yard bully, they will continue trying to intimidate us until the larger community publicly condemns them.
Montana’s history is full of examples of racist and anti-government bullies trying to run roughshod over communities. In the early 1990s, a group of neo-Nazi skinheads terrorized Billings’ Jewish community. It began with cemetery vandalism and escalated to a brick being thrown through the front window of a Jewish home. In the mid-1990s, the Montana Freemen formed their own illegal courts and issued death warrants for criminal justice employees in Eastern Montana. In 2001, David Burgert and Project 7, a militia group, compiled hit lists containing personal information about criminal justice employees and their families in the Flathead area. Beginning in 2004, Kevin McGuire, a racist recruiter in Bozeman, posted false and misleading propaganda about local citizens on racist websites before running for the local school board.
The logical question to ask in all of these cases is, “What happened?” With the Montana Freemen and Project 7, group activists were arrested and sentenced to prison. In Bozeman, Kevin McGuire has had problems following the law, but he remains on the streets. However, thanks to the network and its Bozeman affiliate, the people of Bozeman have a clear picture of who McGuire is and what he represents. The community of Billings came together and opposed the neo-Nazi skinheads in the “Not in Our Town” campaign, which has been replicated in cities across the nation. The citizens of Billings emphatically stated that racist and anti-Semitic beliefs did not represent their values. They stood up to the neo-Nazi bullies together.
All the Montana examples reveal a common theme. White supremacists and anti-government bullies cannot win if we stand together. It is up to us to tell those who target our communities that we will not look the other way and be complacent. Instead, we will tell them that, if they target one of us, they will have to answer to all of us. Right now, it is our staff that is under fire from the National Socialist Movement. Tomorrow, it could be a local judge, elected official, or business owner. Montana now has the opportunity to say, “Not in our state.”
Travis McAdam is the Montana Human Rights Network’s research director. The network can be reached at PO Box 1222, Helena, MT 59624, or network@mhrn.org.
State Nazi candidate denouced
State Nazi candidate denounced
By MATT GOURAS - Associated Press Writer - 04/05/06
HELENA — The Montana Republican Party says it did not recruit and will work to defeat a Butte man with ties to a white supremacist group who is running as a Republican for the Legislature.
But Shawn Stuart, a member of the National Socialist Movement which bills itself as ‘‘America’s Nazi Party’’, says local Republicans were aware of some of his views when he told them of his plans to run for office.Stuart, 24, is the lone Republican running for House District 76, looking to oppose Democrats Kevin Lowney and Rep. Jon Sesso, the incumbent.In a letter sent Tuesday to The Montana Standard of Butte, state GOP chairman Karl Ohs said he first learned of Stuart’s white supremacist ties in that newspaper’s report over the weekend.‘‘I want to make it clear that neither the state nor county Republican Party organizations had any part in recruiting this man to run for office,’’ Ohs wrote. ‘‘The Montana Republican Party in no way condones what the Nazis stand for.’’Ohs went on to call Stuart ‘‘misinformed on a number of levels,’’ and said the state GOP would work to defeat him.
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Stuart said he attended local Republican functions in Butte where he told party members that he was against gays. But he never told them about his membership in the National Socialist Movement, he said.‘‘They did know I was extremely anti-abortion, extremely anti-gay rights and extremely pro gun,’’ he said. ‘‘I told them I was anti-gay. They knew that.’’Stuart, who plans to stay on the ticket and continue to run for the office, said it is true he did not tell the Republicans the full extent of his views.‘‘I’m not going to lie to you and tell you they knew I was a Nazi, because they didn’t know that,’’ he said.Stuart said Republicans are denouncing him just to cover themselves in the face of criticism after it was learned over the weekend that he has ties to the National Socialist Movement.The National Socialist Movement put out a release Tuesday attacking Ohs for being ‘‘hypocritical’’ by trying to distance the GOP from Stuart.The state Democratic Party said it would trust Ohs to help beat Stuart.‘‘This is an argument between the Montana Republican Party and the Nazis,’’ said Jessica Rhoades, spokeswoman for the Montana Democratic Party. ‘‘Democrats have already denounced Shawn Stuart and his beliefs. We take Chairman Karl Ohs at his word and hope he will join us in our efforts to ensure that Shaun Stuart and those like him are never elected to any office in Montana.’’
By MATT GOURAS - Associated Press Writer - 04/05/06
HELENA — The Montana Republican Party says it did not recruit and will work to defeat a Butte man with ties to a white supremacist group who is running as a Republican for the Legislature.
But Shawn Stuart, a member of the National Socialist Movement which bills itself as ‘‘America’s Nazi Party’’, says local Republicans were aware of some of his views when he told them of his plans to run for office.Stuart, 24, is the lone Republican running for House District 76, looking to oppose Democrats Kevin Lowney and Rep. Jon Sesso, the incumbent.In a letter sent Tuesday to The Montana Standard of Butte, state GOP chairman Karl Ohs said he first learned of Stuart’s white supremacist ties in that newspaper’s report over the weekend.‘‘I want to make it clear that neither the state nor county Republican Party organizations had any part in recruiting this man to run for office,’’ Ohs wrote. ‘‘The Montana Republican Party in no way condones what the Nazis stand for.’’Ohs went on to call Stuart ‘‘misinformed on a number of levels,’’ and said the state GOP would work to defeat him.
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nAdsysTime = new Date().getTime()/1000;
if ((nAdsysTime >= 1130824800) && (nAdsysTime
Stuart said he attended local Republican functions in Butte where he told party members that he was against gays. But he never told them about his membership in the National Socialist Movement, he said.‘‘They did know I was extremely anti-abortion, extremely anti-gay rights and extremely pro gun,’’ he said. ‘‘I told them I was anti-gay. They knew that.’’Stuart, who plans to stay on the ticket and continue to run for the office, said it is true he did not tell the Republicans the full extent of his views.‘‘I’m not going to lie to you and tell you they knew I was a Nazi, because they didn’t know that,’’ he said.Stuart said Republicans are denouncing him just to cover themselves in the face of criticism after it was learned over the weekend that he has ties to the National Socialist Movement.The National Socialist Movement put out a release Tuesday attacking Ohs for being ‘‘hypocritical’’ by trying to distance the GOP from Stuart.The state Democratic Party said it would trust Ohs to help beat Stuart.‘‘This is an argument between the Montana Republican Party and the Nazis,’’ said Jessica Rhoades, spokeswoman for the Montana Democratic Party. ‘‘Democrats have already denounced Shawn Stuart and his beliefs. We take Chairman Karl Ohs at his word and hope he will join us in our efforts to ensure that Shaun Stuart and those like him are never elected to any office in Montana.’’
Apr 1, 2006
The National Socialist Movement (Racist)
Legislative candidate admits ties to white supremacist group
By Roberta Forsell Stauffer - The Montana Standard - 04/01/06
BUTTE (LEE) — He denied it at first, but Butte’s Republican candidate for the state Legislature ended up admitting Friday that he is Montana’s contact point for the National Socialist Movement, described as “America’s Nazi Party” on its Web site.
“I am the Montana unit contact leader,” said Shawn Stuart, 24, who’s running for the House District 76 spot, along with Democrats Kevin Lowney and incumbent Jon Sesso. Stuart is Butte’s sole Republican candidate for any office in the June primary.
Members of this movement “co-operate and work with many like minded white nationalist groups such as the KKK (Ku Klux Klan), Aryan Skinheads, the Racial Nationalist Party of America and many others which are either neo Nazi or at least, racially aware of our Aryan Heritage,” according to their Web site.
The “Sacred Swastika” is their logo and “the Brown shirt of the SA (Sturmabteilung)” is their uniform.
At first, in a telephone interview with The Standard, Stuart denied knowing anything about the movement, which is based in Minneapolis, saying “I didn’t know what it was so I am absolutely not part of it.”
In a second phone conversation with The Standard, he admitted to setting up a post office box to receive mail for that group and others, calling himself “a middle man contact for a lot of groups.”
Eventually, he called The Standard back and admitted his affiliation.
“I had to deny everything until I talked to my superiors,” Stuart said.
The movement calls for a “union of all Whites into a greater America. Non-citizens may live in America only as guests and must be subject to laws for aliens. Accordingly, no Jew or homosexual may be a member of the nation,” according to the “25 points” section of the Web site.
Stuart said he personally “has nothing against any other race.”
“All I believe in is the separation,” he said. “We have our right to exist in the world; they have their right to exist in the world.”
Stuart tried Friday afternoon to withdraw from the race, but learned from the Secretary of State’s office that he cannot remove his name from the primary ballot.
Legislative specialist Shannon Stevens said the withdrawal deadline was the same day as the filing deadline, March 23. She said he can pull out after the primary, however, and Republicans could nominate someone to replace him.
Stuart is convinced there will be efforts by groups such as the Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Poverty Law Center to have his name removed from the ballot.
“I guarantee that they will try to get me off the ballot,” he said. “There’s nothing they can do because my party’s not illegal.”
The Montana Human Rights Network alerted The Montana Standard to Stuart’s affiliation, but research director Travis McAdam said it has no intention of trying to remove him as a candidate.
“It’s freedom of speech,” said McAdam, himself a Democratic candidate for House District 75. “Anybody who wants to can run for office.”
McAdam said the network believes it’s important for voters “to have a good idea of what candidates represent and have a real clear picture of who the people are and what their political ideology is.
“If they’re not going to come forward and make that information available, we feel that the public has a right to know,” he said.
The network is also interested in and concerned about how ideas from the “radical right wing are basically re-packaged and sold and moved into the political mainstream.
“They try to parrot and adopt the language that most of us are used to hearing from the religious right - anti-gay rights, anti-abortion, family values. They take the ideology they have and fit it into the current debates that are ongoing.”
John Eyde, who heads Butte’s Republican Central Committee, had no comment Friday afternoon when told of Stuart’s affiliation.
Earlier in the week, he said the committee was “familiar with him” and that Stuart has been to central committee meetings, but the local party did not endorse him or recruit him to run.
Stuart was born and raised in Bozeman. After graduation from high school, he joined the Marine Corps and served two combat tours in Iraq in 2003 and 2004, attaining the rank of corporal, he said.
He has lived in Butte for nine months and is studying machining and welding at Montana Tech’s College of Technology.
- Reporter Roberta Forsell Stauffer may be reached via e-mail at roberta.stauffer@lee.net.
On the Web: The National Socialist Movement Web site is www.nsm88.com.
By Roberta Forsell Stauffer - The Montana Standard - 04/01/06
BUTTE (LEE) — He denied it at first, but Butte’s Republican candidate for the state Legislature ended up admitting Friday that he is Montana’s contact point for the National Socialist Movement, described as “America’s Nazi Party” on its Web site.
“I am the Montana unit contact leader,” said Shawn Stuart, 24, who’s running for the House District 76 spot, along with Democrats Kevin Lowney and incumbent Jon Sesso. Stuart is Butte’s sole Republican candidate for any office in the June primary.
Members of this movement “co-operate and work with many like minded white nationalist groups such as the KKK (Ku Klux Klan), Aryan Skinheads, the Racial Nationalist Party of America and many others which are either neo Nazi or at least, racially aware of our Aryan Heritage,” according to their Web site.
The “Sacred Swastika” is their logo and “the Brown shirt of the SA (Sturmabteilung)” is their uniform.
At first, in a telephone interview with The Standard, Stuart denied knowing anything about the movement, which is based in Minneapolis, saying “I didn’t know what it was so I am absolutely not part of it.”
In a second phone conversation with The Standard, he admitted to setting up a post office box to receive mail for that group and others, calling himself “a middle man contact for a lot of groups.”
Eventually, he called The Standard back and admitted his affiliation.
“I had to deny everything until I talked to my superiors,” Stuart said.
The movement calls for a “union of all Whites into a greater America. Non-citizens may live in America only as guests and must be subject to laws for aliens. Accordingly, no Jew or homosexual may be a member of the nation,” according to the “25 points” section of the Web site.
Stuart said he personally “has nothing against any other race.”
“All I believe in is the separation,” he said. “We have our right to exist in the world; they have their right to exist in the world.”
Stuart tried Friday afternoon to withdraw from the race, but learned from the Secretary of State’s office that he cannot remove his name from the primary ballot.
Legislative specialist Shannon Stevens said the withdrawal deadline was the same day as the filing deadline, March 23. She said he can pull out after the primary, however, and Republicans could nominate someone to replace him.
Stuart is convinced there will be efforts by groups such as the Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Poverty Law Center to have his name removed from the ballot.
“I guarantee that they will try to get me off the ballot,” he said. “There’s nothing they can do because my party’s not illegal.”
The Montana Human Rights Network alerted The Montana Standard to Stuart’s affiliation, but research director Travis McAdam said it has no intention of trying to remove him as a candidate.
“It’s freedom of speech,” said McAdam, himself a Democratic candidate for House District 75. “Anybody who wants to can run for office.”
McAdam said the network believes it’s important for voters “to have a good idea of what candidates represent and have a real clear picture of who the people are and what their political ideology is.
“If they’re not going to come forward and make that information available, we feel that the public has a right to know,” he said.
The network is also interested in and concerned about how ideas from the “radical right wing are basically re-packaged and sold and moved into the political mainstream.
“They try to parrot and adopt the language that most of us are used to hearing from the religious right - anti-gay rights, anti-abortion, family values. They take the ideology they have and fit it into the current debates that are ongoing.”
John Eyde, who heads Butte’s Republican Central Committee, had no comment Friday afternoon when told of Stuart’s affiliation.
Earlier in the week, he said the committee was “familiar with him” and that Stuart has been to central committee meetings, but the local party did not endorse him or recruit him to run.
Stuart was born and raised in Bozeman. After graduation from high school, he joined the Marine Corps and served two combat tours in Iraq in 2003 and 2004, attaining the rank of corporal, he said.
He has lived in Butte for nine months and is studying machining and welding at Montana Tech’s College of Technology.
- Reporter Roberta Forsell Stauffer may be reached via e-mail at roberta.stauffer@lee.net.
On the Web: The National Socialist Movement Web site is www.nsm88.com.
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