WDET News
- MI Headquarters for Two Major Neo-Nazi Groups
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Nov 6, 2008General - Link to Audio
In late October, two neo-Nazis were arrested on suspicion of plotting to kill Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama and dozens of other African Americans. Yesterday, the pair was indicted by a federal grand jury in Memphis, Tennessee. As WDET’s Rob St. Mary reports… two of the biggest white supremacist groups, with national ties, are based here in Metro Detroit.
(Click audio link above for story)
In a picture on his MySpace page Daniel Cowart of Tennessee wears a black athletic shirt, glasses and a shaved head. Dead center he holds a large black semi-automatic rifle with a scope. Look closer and you’ll see a swastika on his right shoulder. Cowart doesn’t smile – his face is stern… and grimly serious… yet boyish. He’s 20 years old.
Cowart’s alleged co-conspirator, Paul Schlessman of Arkansas, has much the same look. The 18 year old stands against a cinderblock wall in his booking photo.
News stories report the pair was picked up in West Tennessee and questioned about windows shot out of a predominantly black church. That’s when authorities uncovered the plot. The plan was to kill over 100 black people ending with the assassination of Barack Obama. Cowart and Schlessman, self-described neo-Nazis, are facing charges of making a threat on a presidential candidate along with firearms charges.
During the primary season this summer Obama appeared on WDET. Reporter Quinn Klinefelter asked the presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee about any fear of assassination.
(QUINN) “People have come up to me numerous times and said that they really liked you but they really have the fear that if any African American has a good shot at being President that someone will try to get them. I’ve even heard some people say that they wouldn’t vote for you because they are afraid something will happen to you if you do (become president). Do you have any concerns about this and how do you eswasage voters who do have those concerns?”
(OBAMA) “Well, look. Whenever Presidential candidates are on the road, on the campaign trail, there are some risks involved… and fortunately I’ve got the best protection in the world in the United States Secret Service. So, it’s not something I spend a lot of time thinking about, sadly enough… it’s probably more dangerous for a lot of kids going back and forth to school in Detroit.”
And it’s in the Detroit area where two major neo-Nazi organizations have their headquarters. The American Nazi Party is based out of a Westland Post Office Box and the National Socialist Movement out of a Detroit PO Box.
The Nazi Party did not respond to requests for an interview… but the National Socialist Movement’s Commander, Jeff Schoep, says the two alleged assassination plotters are not connected to his organization. He says the NSM does not condone violence but at the same time, he understands why two young white males would want to assassinate Obama along with more than 100 other black people.
“I think that if that is true it’s because of the rage and the anger they have towards the system and a lot of people feel like there is not a lot of outlets for white people. So, I think it’s important that organizations like ours are able to appeal to the mainstream America and are seen more as mainstream.”
Schoep says his message is simple and that’s why it resonates in Middle America… white separatism and racial pride wedded to improving the economy. The National Socialist leader says the economic model of Hitler’s Germany shows how to improve America… and especially economically downtrodden states like Michigan where Schoep is based.
“What he was able to do was drag that country out of a great depression and turn it into basically a world superpower like nothing the European continent had seen before. So, I think if we took those same economic policies, minus the war and all of that, but the economic polices specifically and use that as a model for America I think we could see some great things with some great prosperity.”
He says the NSM works to spread its message through rallies and leaflets as well as magazines, a record label to even more high-tech offerings… video games and a social networking website.
“Basically that’s a MySpace clone.”
While Schoep says the National Socialist Movement does not promote violence against any race of people, but the organization’s two video games are first-person shooter games. Both allow the player to hunt down and kill blacks, Jews and other minorities.
Besty Kellman is spokesperson for the Anti-Defamation League of Michigan. She says the group’s records, websites and video games are part of a larger effort aimed directly at youth… something Schoep admits. Kellman says when disaffected youth grasp on to the neo-Nazi message it can lead to intimidation and destruction.
“I only manage the state of Michigan but I know my colleagues in other states are seeing it, too. And we are seeing horrible kinds of hate graffiti. We are seeing crossing being burned, we are seeing nooses showing up on schoolyards and in parks, we are seeing the Nazi symbol being painted on garages and in school yards. So, this is not going away.”
Kellman says groups like the National Socialist Movement and the American Nazi Party prey on the need of people to blame others for their misfortunes… especially during hard economic times.
“It’s really easy to say let’s blame the Jews, let’s blame the African American people, let’s blame the immigrants they are taking our jobs away from us so it’s probably very easy for them right now to go out and recruit new members.”
An investigation by the Anti-Defamation League finds the larger of the two Michigan-based groups… the National Socialist Movement… only has about 500 members. But, about 60% of the membership hails from the Great Lakes region. Schoep… who would not put an actual number on the membership… says there are about 70 chapters in 38 states with several international affiliate groups. Kellman says while white separatist and supremacist groups hold their statistics close to their chest… there’s one set of statistics theses groups do not like – the so-called “browning” of America.
“We know in California by 2020 the whites are going to be a minority and it’s going to happen nationwide by 2050. And this is a group of people that just don’t find that tolerable.”
Meanwhile, Schoep’s group continues to work on making the National Socialist Movement more mainstream and broadening its reach through the Internet and community involvement. In 2005, the group took part in a park clean-up in Cadillac, Michigan. The group received a commendation from the city for its work… they showed up for a handshake and a photo in full Nazi regalia with city officials. He says those actions make a difference.
“I think people will find a lot of policies and a lot of things that they can agree with and we can definitely be a solution for America on the whole.”
In the meantime, Kellman warns people not to be lulled by new tactics and technology when it comes to racist organizations.
“If I were to make one caveat to parents… its make sure you know what your children are doing on the Internet. Unless you have very mature kids your computer should be in a public place in your home.”
A bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms report says the 20 and 18 year old neo-Nazis, who allegedly planned to assassinate candidate Obama along with over 100-other people, met and launched their plan on the Internet. With a Memphis grand jury holding the pair over for trial yesterday, Cowart and Schlessman are being held without bond.