You know, if there's one positive thing about Trump's election is that the racists we've been covering here for years have become refreshingly honest about their views. Take this guy for example:
Now this is admittedly an older photo of Jody Issel, but it does sort of capture a particular moment in time, specifically the time he tried to start up an unauthorized chapter of the Aryan Nations' in Saskatchewan. That effort didn't pan out so well, so he threw in his lot with Kyle McKee and the Aryan Guard in Calgary for a while, attending at least one of their "White Pride Day" marches.
A few months after we reported Issel's efforts to start an Aryan Nations' chapter, he contacted us to first beg, then threaten us, to remove his information. We didn't and we still haven't, but at that time he seems to have recognized that being associated with the racist movement wasn't good for his career prospects.
Over the years we kept an eye on him. He was careful, locking down his Facebook from our prying eyes, but there were still a number of times he forgot himself:
Then when the Soldiers of Odin movement found it's way across the Atlantic, Issel found himself in an interesting position in that he lived in Moose Jaw, the SoO were looking for a Moose Jaw city president, and the SoO doesn't actually seem to vet their members or individuals aspiring to positions of leadership. Thus:
Recently, Issel and his merry band of SoO members (four by all accounts) decided to take a stroll about Moose Jaw (at least long enough to snap some photos) to protect the fine folks of that particular prairie community:
The problem here is who will protect the fine folks of Moose Jaw from the people who claim to want to protect them?
It's funny, because although he claimed that he wasn't hiding, at the time Issel posted these messages on his other profile, it was locked up tighter than gnat's chuff.
But things have changed on both of his profiles, although this one is the more interesting of the two right now:
So why does Issel feel more comfortable openly expressing his racism?
Take a wild guess:
So, in what way has Issel decided to come clean?
Let's count the ways, shall we?
Well, well, well, it's been a while since we came across rage machine Tom Trenerry. While he's grown out his hair, Trenerry used to look like this:
But just because he has grown out his hair, don't think that Tommy has gone all hippie on us:
The "Kyle" Trenerry is referring to is Kyle McKee whom we've spoken about a number of times on the blog for a number of reasons:
The "great" events Trenerry is referring to were the annual "White Pride" marches that occurred in Calgary (and once in Edmonton) in which Aryan Guard members, the Saskatchewan contingent of the Ku Klux Klan, old Heritage Front members, and other came together to march through the downtown and assault counter protesters:
Yeah, Jody Issel, the Moose Jaw president of the Soldiers of Odin, want more of these in more cities.
And in response to the Issel-led patrol in Moose Jaw, Thomas Trenerry is hoping that there will be some of that in Lethbridge:
Interestingly, we also came across another former Aryan Guard member, though he eventually switched his allegiance to W.E.B.
Dusty Johnson was once the Spike to Kyle McKee's Chester:
And he also participated in a rally that might be of interest to SOO supporters:
The Aryan Guard (by this point Blood & Honor) contingent were actually not welcome by the organizers of this rally and were forced to leave (though not before a few photos were taken), but still...
But the above photo is still interesting in that Jody Issel himself isn't a fan of the "Zionists" either:
Hey, there's Ryen Ward, president of the Regina chapter of the SoO.
Interesting:
There's a lot more on Issel's page that doesn't necessarily require a great deal of commentary.
For example, his posting of Nazi-era propaganda, some of which is overtly antisemitic:
Then there's his wistful remembrance of the Third Reich:
His taste in music leaves a great deal to be desired...
.... as is his apparent reverence for Augusto Pinochet and and his penchant for throwing political opponents from helicopters:
And then there's his general douchebaggery:
And finally....
Of that we have little doubt.
So, the president of the Moose Jaw Soldiers of Odin is an unabashed racist.
At least the vice-president will be okay.
Right?
Sigh... god damn it.
Now this is admittedly an older photo of Jody Issel, but it does sort of capture a particular moment in time, specifically the time he tried to start up an unauthorized chapter of the Aryan Nations' in Saskatchewan. That effort didn't pan out so well, so he threw in his lot with Kyle McKee and the Aryan Guard in Calgary for a while, attending at least one of their "White Pride Day" marches.
A few months after we reported Issel's efforts to start an Aryan Nations' chapter, he contacted us to first beg, then threaten us, to remove his information. We didn't and we still haven't, but at that time he seems to have recognized that being associated with the racist movement wasn't good for his career prospects.
Over the years we kept an eye on him. He was careful, locking down his Facebook from our prying eyes, but there were still a number of times he forgot himself:
Then when the Soldiers of Odin movement found it's way across the Atlantic, Issel found himself in an interesting position in that he lived in Moose Jaw, the SoO were looking for a Moose Jaw city president, and the SoO doesn't actually seem to vet their members or individuals aspiring to positions of leadership. Thus:
Recently, Issel and his merry band of SoO members (four by all accounts) decided to take a stroll about Moose Jaw (at least long enough to snap some photos) to protect the fine folks of that particular prairie community:
The problem here is who will protect the fine folks of Moose Jaw from the people who claim to want to protect them?
 |
| Bill Daniels, SOO Provincial President in BC |
It's funny, because although he claimed that he wasn't hiding, at the time Issel posted these messages on his other profile, it was locked up tighter than gnat's chuff.
But things have changed on both of his profiles, although this one is the more interesting of the two right now:
So why does Issel feel more comfortable openly expressing his racism?
Take a wild guess:
So, in what way has Issel decided to come clean?
Let's count the ways, shall we?
 |
| FYI, Brad Salzberg is this guy |
But just because he has grown out his hair, don't think that Tommy has gone all hippie on us:
The "Kyle" Trenerry is referring to is Kyle McKee whom we've spoken about a number of times on the blog for a number of reasons:
The "great" events Trenerry is referring to were the annual "White Pride" marches that occurred in Calgary (and once in Edmonton) in which Aryan Guard members, the Saskatchewan contingent of the Ku Klux Klan, old Heritage Front members, and other came together to march through the downtown and assault counter protesters:
Yeah, Jody Issel, the Moose Jaw president of the Soldiers of Odin, want more of these in more cities.
And in response to the Issel-led patrol in Moose Jaw, Thomas Trenerry is hoping that there will be some of that in Lethbridge:
Interestingly, we also came across another former Aryan Guard member, though he eventually switched his allegiance to W.E.B.
Dusty Johnson was once the Spike to Kyle McKee's Chester:
And he also participated in a rally that might be of interest to SOO supporters:
The Aryan Guard (by this point Blood & Honor) contingent were actually not welcome by the organizers of this rally and were forced to leave (though not before a few photos were taken), but still...
But the above photo is still interesting in that Jody Issel himself isn't a fan of the "Zionists" either:
Hey, there's Ryen Ward, president of the Regina chapter of the SoO.
Interesting:
There's a lot more on Issel's page that doesn't necessarily require a great deal of commentary.
For example, his posting of Nazi-era propaganda, some of which is overtly antisemitic:
Then there's his wistful remembrance of the Third Reich:
His taste in music leaves a great deal to be desired...
.... as is his apparent reverence for Augusto Pinochet and and his penchant for throwing political opponents from helicopters:
And then there's his general douchebaggery:
And finally....
Of that we have little doubt.
So, the president of the Moose Jaw Soldiers of Odin is an unabashed racist.
At least the vice-president will be okay.
Right?
Sigh... god damn it.
 |
| With Robert Reitmeier |
As a political conservative with some First Nations ancestry and many friends (from all political persuasions) from local First Nations communities, I would like to address the canard that First Nations peoples do nothing for this country. Especially since I hear it from wider audiences than just the tiny minority of racists in Canada.
ReplyDeleteFirst, we need to recognize the horrific impact of the Residential School System upon the First Nations family. As Canadians we often point the finger at America over blacks and slavery, but we are just as guilty when it comes to First Nations Peoples and the Residential School System. I dare say the impact of Residential School System among Canada's First Nations was as destructive as slavery among African-Americans in the U.S.
Second, for generations Canada's First Nations people were not permitted to advance themselves in society. The amount of red tape and bureaucracy they needed to circumvent to establish businesses and engage in other professions was triple that of other people in Canada (whether black, white or Asian). So it's not that they didn't want to do anything for themselves or for Canada. It's that they were actively discouraged from doing so through government policy and bureaucracy that imposed burdens upon First Nations people to which others were not subject.
An extremely eye-opening example for me is the story of Douglas Cardinal, probably one of Canada's most renown architects who designed the Canadian Museum of History. He is First Nations. Blackfoot, if I recall correctly. I remember watching a documentary on his work and how he was forced to go to Texas to study architecture because no Canadian school would accept him because he was First Nations. Additionally, even after he graduated he found it difficult to find work in Canada because his ideas incorporated First Nations influence.
I find it appalling that a man who would become one of Canada's greatest architects would be treated in such discriminatory fashion as a young man? To contribute to Canada, he basically had to overcome rejection from every professional school in Canada, go to the United States, earn his degree down there, face more rejection from Canada during the early part of his career while looking for work, and only once his genius was recognized by Americans was he then deemed acceptable to return to Canada.
I'm sorry, but had I been a young First Nations professional in Mr Cardinal's position I would have given up on Canada after being on the receiving end of such poor (and I would argue racist) treatment. I would have stayed in the United States where my talent and hard work was recognized. How many more young First Nations people did Canada miss out on because they simply gave up after having their dreams crushed, or stayed in the United States where they were treated more fairly?
I get what you guys at ARC are trying to do in combatting racism. And we may sometimes disagree on political issues. But I believe that there is an inherent racism in Canada against First Nations peoples that runs much deeper than the tiny of minority who make up various hate groups.