Answering Free Dominion: Part II

The way you deal with Nazis is to, “break their heads.”

The JDL fundraiser for Free Dominion took place about a week ago and was attended a who's who of the Canadian right-wing blogosphere as well as some of the more active members of Free Dominion. Prior to this, Connie responded to our last article:

Well, we really don't have to paint the JDL as violent, Connie, since your own membership seem to agree:

Now, our Free Dominion friend here couches the violence of the JDL in more respectable terms; they represent the "warrior race" that is befitting of the Jewish people. Our Free Dominion friend also goes on to claim that the reason why we or anyone else would be concerned about the JDL is because we are closet anti-Semites who want Jews to be powerless in the face of those who would harm them.

It's a ridiculous accusation (especially directed at us) but this is sort of Free Dominion's schtick.

It  might be instructive, however, to learn how the JDL earned the honor of being referred to as warriors since the Canadian branch of the JDL has engaged in the very activities that Free Dominion has accused (and condemned) us at ARC of engaging in.

But we begin at the beginning.

The JDL, as we noted in our earlier article, was formed in the late 1960s in response to the real dangers that American Jews were facing in their communities in the United States. The JDL's original rationale was to protect American Jews from the violence (including teaching self-defence skills) they had been subjected to for decades, a goal that we certainly agree with. However from our perspective as people who would use legal means to achieve our goals, the JDL eventually began to engage in violent and illegal activities themselves such as attacks (and voicing support for attacks) on Soviet government and cultural institutions, as well as Soviet citizens, in the United States....

Williamson Daily News - Jan 12, 1971

St. Joseph News-Press - May 11, 1976

Ottawa Citizen - Jan 14, 1980

Reading Eagle - Sep 4, 1981 (first part)

Reading Eagle - Sep 4, 1981 (second part)

The Montreal Gazette - Nov 3, 1984

The Telegraph-Herald - Jan 5, 1986

Record-Journal - Oct 21, 1986

The Milwaukee Journal - Oct 21, 1986

.... and Muslim organizations and individuals:

The Times-News - Jun 17, 1982

Anchorage Daily News - Oct 13, 1985

Lodi News-Sentinel - May 8, 1996 (first part)

Lodi News-Sentinel - May 8, 1996 (second part)

Lodi News-Sentinel - May 8, 1996 (third part)

Herald-Journal - Dec 14, 2001 (first part)

Herald-Journal - Dec 14, 2001 (second part)

Eugene Register-Guard - Feb 1, 2003

It is for these types of attacks that the American government listed the JDL as a terrorist organization. And later, after the Cave of the Patriarchs massacre, KACH was listed as a terrorist organization by the Americans, Israel, European countries, and Canada.

Not that these listings have influenced their supporters views of the JDL or KACH:

But we don't for a moment suspect that attacks on Soviet communists or Arabs/Muslims/PLO really matter all that much to our detractors on Free Dominion. These examples however are really only part of the reason why the JDL has earned the the reputation it has. For you see the JDL members have earned the title as "warriors" not just because of the alleged attacks and/or support for attacks on Soviet and Muslim/Arab targets, but also because they engaged in and encouraged a quite a bit of bonehead smashing in their day (particularly from the early 1970s to the mid 1980s):

The Milwaukee Journal - Jan 31, 1972

The Deseret News - Jan 31, 1972

The Milwaukee Sentinel - Mar 11, 1975 (first part)

The Milwaukee Sentinel - Mar 11, 1975 (second part)

The Telegraph - Apr 15, 1976

The Miami News - Jun 30, 1977

The Southeast Missourian - Nov 8, 1977

The Calgary Herald - Mar 17, 1978

Washington Afro-American - May 30, 1978

The Palm Beach Post - Aug 16, 1985

The Milwaukee Journal - Aug 25, 1985 (first part)

The Milwaukee Journal - Aug 25, 1985 (second part)

The Modesto Bee - Sep 7, 1985 (first part)

The Modesto Bee - Sep 7, 1985 (second part)

Times Daily - Jul 4, 1986 (first part)

Times Daily - Jul 4, 1986 (second part)

The Spokesman-Review - Feb 11, 1998 (first part)

The Spokesman-Review - Feb 11, 1998 (second part)

Let's take a look at some of the direct quotes from these articles:

The way you deal with Nazis is to, “break their heads.”

The Nazi who would, “put me [Kahane] in the gas chamber has no right to free speech… he has no right to live.”

“Nazis have no right to speak or march. If they use their freedoms to deprive other people of their rights, they themselves have no rights.” We actually agree with that statement.

“This [$500.00] is for any Jew or gentile who kills, maims or seriously injures any member of the Nazi party in defence of the Jewish or gentile community,” and “I promise the streets (of Skokie) will be red with  Nazi blood. It will not be a peaceful counterprotest.”

Regarding a pipe bomb that took off the foot of an accused Nazi war criminal that also injured his wife and daughter, “The Jewish Defence League is certainly not responsible for the bombing, but we applaud the action.”

“[Kahane] told us, ‘if you see a Nazi don’t try to convince him you’re a nice guy.’ He told us to smash him.”

If you're a reader of this blog, you will know that we have no love for Nazis (original blend or "neo" decaf) or organized racism. However we have always been opposed to the violence that groups like the JDL have engaged in above and have instead chosen to use legal means to fight against racism. In our view, this kind of violence doesn't help the cause. For one thing, society often doesn't view those groups that engage in such violence as any better than those they oppose. From a moral point of view, we're not sure how one could live with one's self if innocent people were harmed.

NOTE: It dawned on us that here might be an appropriate place to list organizations that do use legal means in the fight against discrimination. It isn't an exhaustive list, but these certainly are respectable organizations that do some very good work and should be supported:

• The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs 
• Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance  
• League for Human Rights of B’nai Birth Canada  
• Simon Wiesenthal Center 
• National Anti-Racism Council of Canada 
• African Canadian Legal Clinic 
• Canadian Race Relations Foundation 
• Northern Alberta Alliance on Race Relations 
• Canadian Council of Muslim Women 
• Canadian Rainbow Health Coalition 
• Egale Canada 
• PFLAG Canada

We're sure we missed a lot of good ones, so feel free to let us know what other ones should be added to this list. 

But as Harry noted in the comments section of the previous article on this matter, thankfully the Canadian branch of the JDL has not engaged in this kind of violence. That being said, and as we have already mentioned, they have engaged in a lower level of violence, the kind which ARC is routinely accused of engaging in by our friends at Free Dominion.

The Fourniers, Kennedy, and others on Free Dominion have accused us of engaging in political violence. At one point Mark claimed that we had been involved in all of the political violence of the past two decades, no mean feat considering most of our membership would have been in junior high at the time we're supposed to have been active. In reality, none of their claims about us is true, however they continue to erroneously promote the idea that we are violent and that the ARA and ARC are the same organization.

But even if we were to look at the violence the ARA is accused of engaging in, Free Dominion really only discuss four incidents (which they attribute to both the ARA and to ARC):

1. The trashing of Heritage Front voice Garry Schipper's home.
2. The stabbing of an anti-racist during an encounter with boneheads.
3. The firebombing of Ernst Zundel's home.
4. The ARA protest outside Paul Fromm's residence.

Regarding the attack on Schipper's residence, Free Dominion does have a legitimate point here, though we aren't sure that any of those arrested were members of the ARA. Such action isn't something that we support though.

On the second incident, what appears to have been a fight between anti-racist and boneheads is being used to justify the attempted murder of one of those anti-racists (that being said, that kind of direct engagement with boneheads isn't something we support or engage in ourselves).

On the third point, this is a claim that has no evidence to support the accusation in the first place.

Finally, the protest near Paulie's home was not violent. No one was assaulted. No threats were made. And from what we understand the protest occurred on public property well away from Paulie's home with police standing between the boneheads who were visiting Paulie (some of whom had criminal records for violence themselves) and the ARA members.

So this, ladies and gentlemen, constitutes the ultraviolent terrorism of Anti-Racist Canada, essentially four incidents that we were not a part of at all.

But if Free Dominion members are to be consistent in their condemnation of such behavior, the might look at similar incidents and threats made by their friend Meir in the past:

Ottawa Citizen - Aug 23, 1986

Calgary (Sunday) Herald - Sep 22, 1986 (first part)

Calgary (Sunday) Herald - Sep 22, 1986 (second part)

Calgary (Sunday) Herald - Sep 22, 1986 (third part)

Ocala Star-Banner - Sep 24, 1986

The Spokesman-Review - Sep 24, 1986

The Leader-Post - Sep 24, 1986

Imagine if it had been a member of ARC who threatened to level the Aryan Nations' camp or took a swing at Terry Long. What do you think the reaction of Free Dominion might be?

You don't have to imagine actually.

How about paying a visit to Jim Keegstra and suggesting that the use of violence, if provoked, wouldn't be ruled out?

The Phoenix - Jul 25, 1985

How would Free Dominion respond if we suggested what Meir suggested?

If we were to suggest that those convicted of hate crimes should be subject to a prison term we would be accused of being, "anti-freedom" scum.

But when the JDL suggests the same remedy....

The Sun - Jul 25, 1985

.... a Free Dominion member will write:  These strange bedfellows you speak of share a belief in freedom, something you clearly don't value.

Connie and Mark didn't like the protest that occurred near Paulie`s home? Well then, they will likely be outraged about this happening:

Or perhaps not.

And let's not leave out Ernst Zundel:

The Montreal Gazette - Dec 29, 1983 (first part)

The Montreal Gazette - Dec 29, 1983 (second part)

The Montreal Gazette - Jan 9, 1985

The Phoenix - Jun 6, 1985

The Sun - Jun 6, 1985

The Montreal Gazette - Jun 14, 1985

Ottawa Citizen - Jun 21, 1985

Just to add a little bit of irony to the mix....

Actually, that last post by Mark is even more ironic when you consider this article:

The Jewish Post & News - May 31, 1995 (first part)

The Jewish Post & News - May 31, 1995 (second part)

Meir and Irv hanging out with two members of the ARA at the remains of the Zundel bunker.

Yeah, we think that constitutes irony.

So yes, the Canadian branch of the JDL aren't as anywhere near as bad as the American branch when it comes to engaging in and promoting violence in the past, but they still don't come out smelling like roses.

Look, if Free Dominion wants to celebrate the JDL support for the website and the Fourniers in their legal struggles, that fine, but it sort of an insult to one's intelligence to suggest that the JDL are champions of free speech while at the same time condemning ARC for the very behavior that their friends in the Canadian branch of the JDL have actually engaged in and promoted in the not so distant past.

Let's not pretend this has anything to do with freedom of speech.