Oregonians Protest White Supremacist Compound

[heli]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704625004575090473593719004.html

MARCH 1, 2010
Oregonians Protest White Supremacist Compound
By JOEL MILLMAN

JOHN DAY, Ore. — A white supremacist group thinks an empty building in this once-thriving timber community would be a good place to establish a compound. But citizens are protesting the idea and the leader of the Aryan Nations Church of Yahweh is threatening to sue the small town should it try to block a purchase.

The Idaho-based group's leader, Paul R. Mullet, 36 years old, said in an interview that he intended to purchase one of two empty buildings in the town, whose 2,500 residents make it the largest community in rural Grant County. The Connecticut-size county lies midway between Portland and Boise, Idaho. Like much of rural Oregon, it has been plagued by high unemployment during the recession.

The properties he has in mind are a former junior high school and an abandoned opera house, whose construction harkens back to more-prosperous times. Mr. Mullet also proposed to use the surrounding forests for survival training of members, and said he hoped to have the grounds prepared in time to host a national convention of his movement in 2011.

News of his plans sparked a protest march last Monday at the nearby county seat of Canyon City, then two town-hall meetings on Friday... Whether or not the town is able to block the sale is questionable. Oregon has antidiscrimination laws, but nothing on the books specifically regarding discrimination based on politics. Friday's meetings packed a community hall in Canyon City. An estimated 350 people attended both gatherings to hear two Idaho-based activists describe their efforts in battling hate groups in northern Idaho... During a question-and-answer session after the two speakers concluded, one local man questioned whether Oregon's antidiscrimination laws recognized "politics" as a reason to refuse to do business with someone in the state, even while discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender or sexual preference is not...

[Echo In Light]

1. k/r

[JaneQPublic]

2. It's so ironic that these bottom feeders think they're "supreme" compared to anyone. (nt)

[Echo In Light]

3. How appropriate that their 'leader's' name is Mullet

[nykym]

4. Why don't they change

the zoning laws. Also there must be a law against the survival training aspect. Hell let them buy the property then take it back using eminent domain.