The hate next door, p.31
The Hate Next Door, page 31
Confederate Flag: The Confederate flag is one of the more common White supremacist symbols. Although still used by non-extremists, especially in the South, as a symbol of Southern heritage or history, it’s still recognized by a growing number of people as a hate symbol.
Crazy White Boy or CWB: A phrase used generically by some White supremacists (often as a tattoo) but also commonly used as the name for various White gangs. Although it’s commonly used by White supremacists, others may also use the term, so it should be carefully judged in its context.
Creativity Movement: A White supremacist group that claims to be a religion for White people. Its symbol is a crown on top of a large W (for “White”).
Crucified Skinhead: The crucified skinhead is a common symbol used by racist and non-racist skinheads alike, typically to express a perceived sense that society is opposed to them. Racist skinheads often adorn the symbol with additional hate symbols or replace the cross itself with a hate symbol.
Daily Stormer Book Club: Informal groups of supporters of White supremacist propagandist Andrew Anglin, who runs the Daily Stormer website.
Day of the Rope: A White supremacist slogan referring to mass murders of “race traitors” that occur in The Turner Diaries, an infamous novel written by neo-Nazi William Pierce. The slogan is typically used to urge or promise a similar scenario in the real world.
“Diversity = White Genocide”: A White supremacist slogan intended to suggest that multiculturalism will mean the death of the White race.
Echo: The “echo” is an online term used for multiple parentheses around a person’s name to indicate they are Jewish or, when used around a phrase or term, such as (((banker))) or (((professor))), to imply that the word “Jewish” should be added to it.
Fasces: An ancient Roman symbol for authority and government co-opted by Mussolini’s Fascist movement in Italy. Some White supremacists in the USA have adopted the symbol both because it has fascist connections and because it is more publicly acceptable than the swastika.
Featherwood: Deriving from the related term “peckerwood,” refers to a woman belonging to or associating with the racist prison gang subculture.
FFF: “Faith, Folk, Family”
FGRN: “For God, Race and Nation,” a common Klan slogan.
Firm 22: The name used by the Vinlanders Social Club, a racist skinhead group, for supporters and associates of the group who are not actually members. The number 22 stands for the letter V.
Free America Rally: A loosely coordinated network of White supremacists who hold protests and rallies.
German Phrases: Many White supremacists, especially neo-Nazis and racist skinheads, may use various German (or German-like) words or phrases, often derived from Nazi Germany or earlier German ultranationalists, but also sometimes more modern (such as Weiss Macht for “White power”).
German Soldier: The image of a World War II-era German soldier, especially a Waffen SS soldier, has become a common symbol used by neo-Nazis and other White supremacists.
The Goyim Know/Shut It Down: An anti-Semitic phrase portraying the ostensible reaction of Jewish people when their supposedly conspiratorial or manipulative misdeeds are revealed to the public. Often combined with “Shut It Down.”
GTKRWN: “Gas the Kikes; Race War Now.”
H8: White supremacists use the letter/number combination H8 to mean “hate.” Common motifs for the word include playing cards and billiards balls.
Hammerskins: A considerable racist skinhead gang with a history of violence. Their logo consists of two crossed hammers, typically superimposed over a cogwheel.
The Happy Merchant: A common anti-Semitic meme featuring a man with exaggerated stereotypically Jewish features grasping hands, meant to convey a “greedy Jew.”
Hate: Commonly used as a White supremacist symbol for tattoos and clothing. (See H8 above.) Many White supremacists use the word to openly proclaim their hatred of people unlike them.
HFFH or HSN: Acronyms used by the Hammerskins, standing for “Hammerskins Forever, Forever Hammerskins” or “Hammerskin Nation.”
Hitler Salute (hand sign): The Nazi or Hitler salute debuted in Nazi Germany in the 1930s as a way to pay homage to Adolf Hitler. In Nazi Germany, it was often accompanied by chanting or shouting “Heil Hitler” or “Sieg heil.” Since World War II, neo-Nazis and other White supremacists have continued to use the salute, making it the most common White supremacist hand sign in the world.
Ian Stuart Donaldson/ISD: Front man and founder of White supremacy bands such as Screwdriver (perhaps the biggest), The Klansmen, and White Diamond. Died in a car crash in 1993.
Imperial German Flag: Because Germany banned use of the swastika and other Nazi imagery, some German neo-Nazis use an older flag, taken from Imperial Germany, as a substitute for the Nazi flag. Nazis elsewhere sometimes do the same.
Iron Cross: A famous German military medal that became a common White supremacist symbol after World War II. Today, it is also used in many non-racist/extremist situations and cannot be assumed to be used as a hate symbol alone.
It’s Okay to Be White: A slogan popularized on the website 4chan for trolling purposes and that was soon adopted by White supremacists (who had occasionally used the phrase themselves in the past).
ITSUB: A Ku Klux Klan acronym for “In the Sacred Unfailing Being,” a reference to God.
Jera Rune: An ancient European runic symbol and part of the runic alphabet that White supremacists have appropriated; but is also commonly used by non-racist modern Norse pagans, so care needs to be taken in its evaluation.
KIGY: Shorthand for “Klansman I Greet You.”
KLASP: Acronym for “Klannish Loyalty, A Sacred Principle.”
Ku Klux Klan (hand sign): Some Ku Klux Klan members use a hand sign that consists of angling the index and middle fingers out to the side in order to look vaguely like the letter K.
Life Rune: An ancient runic symbol appropriated by the Nazis to help create an idealized “Aryan/Norse” heritage, which led to its later adoption by White supremacists. Because the life rune is also used by many non-racists, it should carefully be judged in context.
LOTIE: Abbreviation for a “Lady of the Invisible Empire,” i.e., a woman Klan member.
Love Your Race: A White supremacist slogan originally popularized by the neo-Nazi National Alliance. The phrase is often accompanied by an idealized image of a beautiful and maternal White woman.
Meine Ehre Heisst Treue: A German phrase that translates roughly to “My Honor Is Loyalty.” A motto of the Waffen SS in Nazi Germany; as a result, many neo-Nazis and other White supremacists around the world use this German phrase, or English equivalent.
Moon Man: A meme derived from a character in 1980s McDonald’s restaurant commercials that was appropriated by White supremacists who attach it to racist songs, language, and imagery.
Muh Holocaust: An anti-Semitic phrase used to convey the notion that Jewish people routinely bring up the Holocaust to gain attention or to deflect negative attention.
Nazi Eagle: The Nazi Eagle—an eagle clutching a swastika—emerged as a symbol during the Nazi era in Germany and since the end of that regime has been adopted by White supremacists and neo-Nazis worldwide.
Nazi Flag: The flag of Nazi Germany remains one of the most potent hate symbols worldwide.
No Race Mixing: A fairly common White supremacist symbol depicts a multiracial couple or family, with a red circle/bar superimposed over the depiction, indicating that such relationships ought to be prohibited.
Noose: The hangman’s noose, a symbol connected to lynching, is one of the most powerful visual symbols directed primarily at African Americans.
Northwest American Republic: A fictional land/group based on the so-called “Northwest Imperative,” a long-standing call by some White supremacists for White people to move to the Pacific Northwest and establish their own country.
Not Equal: A symbol to proclaim that different races are not equal (and to imply that the White race is superior).
OK (hand gesture): A common hand gesture that a 4chan trolling campaign claimed in 2017 had been appropriated as a symbol meaning “White power.” Used now by many on the right, not just extremists, for the purpose of trolling liberals, the symbol eventually came to be used by actual White supremacists. Caution must be used in evaluating instances of this symbol’s use.
The Order: An American White supremacist terrorist group from the early to mid-1980s that committed assassinations, armored-car robberies, and bombings for several years before being brought down by law enforcement.
ORION: “Our Race Is Our Nation,” or “ORION,” is a racist slogan proclaiming that racial ties are paramount to all else, transcending national borders or boundaries.
Othala Rune: The Nazis adopted this ancient European rune, among others, into their symbology, causing it to be a favorite symbol among White supremacists ever since.
Peckerwood: Derived from an old racial epithet aimed at Whites; has evolved to become a term used to refer to White prisoners, particularly White prisoners belonging to the racist prison gang subculture. Often the term is shortened to “wood,” and all such prisoners in a particular prison might be referred to as the “woodpile.”
Peckerwood (hand sign): The hand sign for “peckerwood” consists of forming the thumb, index finger, and middle finger of one hand to form the letter P, and the four fingers of the other hand to form the letter W.
Pepe the Frog: A popular Internet meme used in a variety of contexts. In recent years it has also been appropriated by White supremacists.
Phineas Priesthood: The Phineas Priesthood (or Phinehas Priesthood) is a concept created by the racist and anti-Semitic religious sect known as Christian Identity and refers to self-appointed “holy warriors” in the Christian Identity cause.
Pit Bull: The favorite dogs of many White supremacists because they are perceived as savage fighters. One particular graphic has become a common supremacist symbol.
RAHOWA: Acronym for “Racial Holy War,” a rallying cry for the White supremacist movement.
ROA: Acronym for “Race Over All,” popularized by the neo-Nazi/racist skinhead gang Volksfront.
Sieg Heil: Sieg heil is a German phrase that translates to “Hail Victory.” The Nazi Party in Germany adopted the phrase, which became one of its most widely used and notorious slogans. As a result, after World War II, White supremacists in Europe, North America, and elsewhere adopted the phrase as well.
SS (hand sign): A hand sign intended to memorialize the Schutzstaffel, or SS, of Nazi Germany. The hand sign utilizes both hands to make a lightning bolt symbol, as a pair of lightning bolts was the main symbol of the SS.
SS Bolts: Derived from the Nazi-era symbol for the Schutzstaffel (SS), whose members ranged from Gestapo agents to concentration camp guards.
SS Divisional Insignia: During World War II, the SS fielded a private army of nearly forty divisions that fought on every front. Neo-Nazis and other White supremacists often use the various divisional insignia of these military formations as hate symbols.
St. Michael’s Cross: A White supremacist symbol that originated in Romania in the years before World War II as the symbol of the fascist Iron Guard movement.
Stormfront: The oldest and largest White supremacist website. Its logo consists of a squarish Celtic cross encircled by the phrase “White Pride Worldwide.”
Swastika: An ancient symbol used in many cultures that was adopted by Adolf Hitler and turned into a symbol of hatred. Since then, the swastika has become perhaps the most notorious hate symbol in Western culture.
SWP: “Supreme White Power.”
Thor’s Hammer: An ancient Norse symbol used today primarily in neo-pagan religions such as Ásatrú. White supremacist Norse pagans have appropriated this symbol to use in a White supremacist context. However, because it continues to be used by many non-racists, one should carefully judge it in the context in which it appears.
Totenkopf: The “Death’s Head” was a symbol used by Hitler’s SS that has been adopted by neo-Nazis and White supremacists.
Triangular Klan Symbol: This Ku Klux Klan symbol consists of what looks like a triangle within a triangle but actually represents three letter Ks aligned into a triangle and facing inward. A variation on this symbol has the Ks facing.
Triskele: An ancient symbol with three curved or jointed segments emanating from a single point that has been adopted by White supremacists.
Tyr/Tiwaz Rune: An ancient runic symbol appropriated by the Nazis and subsequently popular among White supremacists. The rune signifies sacrifice, justice, and success in all efforts that are righteous. Note: folk who are NOT White supremacists also use this image; take in with all available information.
Valknot: The “knot of the slain” is an old Norse symbol associated with the afterlife that has been appropriated by White supremacists. As with all Norse runes, nonracist pagans may also use this symbol, so it should be examined in context.
Vinland Flag: The “Vinland Flag” was designed in the 1990s by goth metal musician Peter Steele for an album cover. “Vinland” was the name given by Viking explorers to the area of North America. In the early 2000s, White supremacists began to appropriate the “flag” as a White supremacist symbol.
Volksfront: A hybrid racist skinhead gang/neo-Nazi group that started in the Pacific Northwest in the 1990s but all but disbanded in the 2010s. Members of the group used several hand signs to represent their gang: A common one-handed sign features the fingers of the right hand divided into a V shape, often held over the chest. A two-handed sign uses one hand to make a V shape (using two or four fingers) and the other hand to make the shape of the letter F.
We Wuz Kangs: Phrase used to taunt African Americans by racist mockery of Afrocentric theories about Egyptian connections to sub-Saharan Africa.
White Aryan Resistance (WAR): A loosely organized racist skinhead movement in the late 1980s and early 1990s centered on White supremacist Tom Metzger. Now used as a general hate symbol.
White Lives Matter: Slogan adopted after the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement as well as a loose movement of White supremacists who hold events to popularize the phrase.
White Power (hand sign): Some White supremacists, particularly in California, may use a two-handed hand sign in which one hand forms the letter W and the other hand forms the letter P, to represent WP, or “White Power.”
Wolfsangel: An ancient runic symbol that was believed to be able to ward off wolves. Today, thanks to its appropriation by Nazi Germany, the Wolfsangel is one of the more popular White supremacist symbols.
Women for Aryan Unity: A long-standing White supremacist group for women. Its logo is a diamond featuring red and white stripes and stylized letters spelling “WAU.”
WP: “White Power” or “White Pride.”
WPWW: “White Pride World Wide.”
You Will Not Replace Us or YWNRU: A slogan referring to the common White supremacist belief that the White race is in danger of going extinct due to rising numbers of non-Whites who are controlled and manipulated by Jewish people.
ZOG: “Zionist Occupied Government.” Reflects the common White supremacist belief that the U.S. government, or entire world, is “controlled by Jews.”
Zyklon B: Zyklon B was the name of the gas used to kill over a million victims, most of them Jewish, in the death camps during the Holocaust. Because of its connection to the Nazis, Zyklon B has been adopted as a symbol by modern-day White supremacists.
NOTE ON THE LANGUAGE USED
Language is constantly evolving, especially words related to race and identity. Great care was taken with this book to use language that is current and culturally sensitive.
For instance, the trend to capitalize both White and Black (while there are different opinions and editorial styles regarding currently) is, of the writing, mostly leaning toward capitalizing both. When in doubt, we settled upon the most-used standards in publishing and for textual/written consistency. These are used with the understanding, and apology, if necessary, that what is “standard” two years from now may be completely different.
We also recognize that some of the language in the book—especially words and ideas expressed by those within the White supremacy movement—will be offensive to most readers. The decision was made not to soften these words or ideas, which would be akin to me calling these dangerous people “goofballs.” The real language used reveals the real problem.
Finally, a “sensitivity reader” was part of the publishing team to help question, advocate, and inform. Thanks to Manu for this important role.
The best way to solve this issue is for us to actually talk about it. And those language slips and adjustments that may come along the way are an important part of that ongoing discussion.
READING GROUP GUIDE
The FBI restricts undercover assignments to two years or fewer. Based on Matt’s experiences of almost twenty years undercover, why do you think those limits are imposed?
What, according to Matt, is the danger of thinking of the White supremacist movement as a small movement filled with “morons” and “clowns?” How did they become so easy to dismiss when they are still so numerous and active?
“Packy’s” PO Box and voicemail quickly overflow with literature and invites from the various skinhead groups in town. For someone who is truly connecting to these groups for the first time, what effect do you think this sort of information-bombing has?
Why is “brother” such an important designation for members of White supremacist hate groups?
Completely against protocol, Tawni eventually joined Matt on undercover jaunts. What drove her to get involved, and why did she and Matt take the risk when it could have cost Matt his job or even their lives?
How does the structure of American law enforcement discourage information-sharing and complicate investigations that have far-reaching consequences across state lines?
