Anti-hate rally works to stop forces of bigotry

August 07, 2002

One might wonder why the Boyertown Area Unity Coalition and the Reading Berks Human Relations Council felt the need to sponsor an anti-hate rally in Boyertown last week. We've had no reports of acts of bigotry or of white supremacy rallies in this quiet Berks County borough or its surroundings.

But the reality is that bigotry and racial prejudice are most dangerous when we are complacent. That's why we commend the Unity Coalition and the county human relations council for sponsoring this event. Efforts to "root out racism and bigotry" begin with knowledge, and the meeting at St. John's Lutheran Church in Boyertown sought to provide knowledge. Guest speakers included Marshall Mend, a real estate broker; Norm Gissel, a lawyer; and Tony Stewart, a college professor. All are from Idaho. The three human rights activists talked about what communities should do to combat racism. "We all have our own prejudices and our own bigotry that we carry within ourselves," Mend said. "We need to search our own hearts and root out the racism and bigotry that we have within us." About 50 people attended the 2˝-hour seminar, "Promoting Tolerance and Respect for Different Views in Berks County." "We don't come here tonight to suggest to you we have all the answers," Stewart said. In fact, he told the group that an example from Boyertown was a model for his own group in combating the white supremacists led by Richard Butler in Stewart's town in Idaho. The Idaho group successfully copied the Boyertown unity coalition's Project Lemonade, which raised money for human rights work by asking people to pledge money during Ku Klux Klan demonstrations. Stewart's group raised more than $35,000 during a pro-Adolph Hitler march in Coeur D'Alene. In 1973, Richard Butler came to Stewart's town and began building the Aryan Nations "world headquarters." In 1980, Aryan Nations members began committing hate crimes in the town, including bombings of a Jewish-owned business and a bi-racial family. In the 1980s, the hate crimes worsened, Stewart said. Aryan Nations members murdered a Jewish talk show host, robbed banks and counterfeited money. They stockpiled cyanide to poison a major water supply and bombed the home of a pastor who was president of the human relations task force. In response, the community had celebrations of human rights -- picnics to celebrate equality, posters and billboards promoting tolerance. They "turned lemons to lemonade," Stewart said. Berks County has a long history of Ku Klux Klan and Aryan Nations activity, according to thePennsylvania Human Relations Commission. Recently, the Berks human relations council has become aware of racist threats and literature in parts of the county including Exeter. While there has been no open activity in Boyertown, such as Klan demonstrations and literature of the past, there are no guarantees it won't resurface. In Pennsylvania, there are currently 33 known hate groups. These groups, which include the National Alliance and the World Church of the Creator, white supremacist groups, are very active on the Internet and in racist rock music. The danger lurks, even if no one is standing on the street corner passing out leaflets. But Boyertown has proven itself a strong opponent. Last week's anti-hate rally was another way to maintain that strength and keep problems of bigotry out of our towns.

ŠThe Mercury 2002