Most white supremacists and neo-Nazis are non-violent, but their their actions lead to discrimination in employment, housing, and commerce, all of which are Federal crimes.

Get outta here, Nazis. shoo! shoo!

Terrible, but anyone that reads the comments section here regularly shouldn't find this too surprising...

I'm glad to hear Councilmember Siegel speaking out against this, however.

There are two towns in California named Mountain View. I wonder if the report confused us with the other one?

Anyone else think it was silly for the Mayor to mock the protestors for not showing up?

The same protestors he'd asked to cancel their rally only two days before.

They comply with his request, then he mocks them for it and basically calls them chicken for not showing up.

Anyone find that to be a stupid move?

I'm not defending racists but if they decide to cancel a rally in your town.. let it be. Don't poke them bear!

I am very disappointed that Council Member Siegel appears to have chosen to engage in divisive rhetoric and partisan politics rather than demonstrate the unity and leadership that is needed in Mountain View.

If there are white racists in Mountain View ( are there any racists that aren't white? ), why didn't anyone know until now? Are the reports that they are going around threatening and beating people up being suppressed? Are the police and the politicians and the press ignoring them? Oh wait, maybe I'm confusing them with AntiFa!

I find it amazing that Councilman Siegelis calling for condemnation of the Klan ( and when was the last time anyone in a white hood been seen anywhere in the Bay Area), but they can't find a single thing to say about AntiFa and the dozens of unprovoked attacks against peaceful conservatives in the last year!

The SPLC is currently facing several lawsuits because they are have been designating ALL conservative groups as Hate Groups. The SPLC has already had to remove several groups from that designation. The SPLC also is reported to have accounts in the Cayman Islands. Think of that what you will.

The point of this whole article appears to be nothing more than an attempt to smear all conservatives and make excuses for the uncalled for violence that that left has been engaging in for the last year.


Jim Neal
Old Mountain View

"I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - Benjamin Franklin

I agree that we need to keep an eye on hate groups to make sure they don't get out of hand, but what alarms me is the attitude of people wanting to drive them out. As long as they are not committing violence or inciting violence, it is protected speech.

I don't agree with their beliefs or their agenda, but what is more important to me is that we preserve the freedoms that this country is founded on. Tolerance isn't about just keeping people around that you agree with. If you really are tolerant, you can agree to disagree with someone and carry on.

It seems more and more that the government of this state is about legislatively enforcing political correctness and imposing one group's opinions onto all others.

@Jim Neal - You find it amazing that Councilman Siegel is calling for condemnation of the Klan" Seriously? I am really sick of these hate groups using the free-speech soapbox as an excuse to spew their rhetoric, of it motivated by the POTUS. The organized Ku Klux Klan movement saw a boost in its membership in 2017, what a coincidence.

FYI - Klan on the Peninsula...In 1924, the Klan advertised publicly for new members, posting blurbs in local newspapers, including the San Mateo Times. Then, a year later, some who appeared to be affiliated with the group drove their vehicles to the new Burlingame convent of the Sisters of Mercy. On that occasion, the Catholic nuns were subject to an obnoxious display of attempted intimidation by the Klan individuals.

The Far right has hi-jacked the label conservative, these are not 'conservatives, these are rabblerousers who spew hate, and frankly I don't care at all if their rights are protected.

Jim, I think you may have missed my post in the other thread, so I'll ask you here:

You often refer to your ability to criticize both sides as a demonstration of your being even-handed and fair-minded. As a demonstration of this, would you be willing to post a criticism of Donald Trump here?

Due to repeated violations of our Terms of Use, comments from this poster are automatically removed. Why?

@Randy - You missed my posts where I criticized Republicans and Democrats for not fixing the immigration system so that illegal immigration would be greatly reduced and so that it would be much tougher to bring in people for the purposes of Human Trafficking and exploiting their labor. If that doesn't count, then anything else I say won't make any difference.

@MyOpinion - Yes, I do find it amazing because Antifa is an immediate threat to anyone in the Bay Area (including Mountain View) that does not agree with them, the Klan is not because they will never gain the following here that Antifa has; and because you can bet that the police will not have a policy of standing around and watching as they beat up innocent people. It's a matter of priority not doctrine. If and when the Klan does anything here that is violent, I will be the first one to condemn them. In my opinion, he's just setting up a straw man argument against a threat that does not yet exist ad ignoring the one that is right in front of everyone's face. Lastly, seriously? You're going all the way back to 1924? What about what happened last weekend?! And let's not forget that the Klan was and is composed of Southern DEMOCRATS and that they were the ones instituting segregated schools, whites only water fountains and voted AGAINST the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that was passed with only about 60% Democrat support; but about 77% Republican support! Lastly, fortunately for us, everyone is protected by the Constitution, otherwise you eventually end up with a system where one set of people are designated as second class citizens.


Jim Neal
Old Mountain View

@MyOpinion i would argue, and very strongly and rightly so, that the increase in KKK is from the complete and total absence of any positive race relations initiative from the Obama administration.

It's very unfortunate because as a popular, likeable and very influential President he completely and totally missed the boat. He had such an amazing opportunity to make such a huge difference. Instead he inflamed the extremes on both sides and now we have Antifa and KKK and BLM and Supremacy groups getting ridiculous headlines.

Jim, I don't think you read my post. I was asking for a criticism of Donald Trump, not abstract Democrats and Republicans. This would be a great start to bridging the dividend, yet for some reason you keep dodging it.

I'll ask directly, yet again, can you provide a criticism of Donald Trump?

@Randy - I did read your post:

_____________________
You often refer to your ability to criticize both sides as a demonstration of your being even-handed and fair-minded. As a demonstration of this, would you be willing to post a criticism of Donald Trump here?
______________________

The problem is that your conclusion makes no sense. How does criticizing the current President prove anything regarding my ability to criticize both sides? I have criticized both President Bushes as well as Clinton and Obama and both major parties and that is not enough for me to be 'even-handed' in your view.

This whole thing about conservatives needing to criticize everyone the left asks them to or else it renders the conservatives points are illegitimate, is nothing more than a distraction. I never see liberals criticizing Democrats or praising Republicans for anything. It makes as much sense as if I were to ask you to say something praising the President. What does that prove?

There are plenty of people willing to point out the President's flaws, both real and imagined. It is for that reason that I am pointing out the positive points of his Presidency that the media here is ignoring. I made no secret of the fact that I voted for the President because I think both parties are thoroughly corrupt, and I am hoping that he will bring back economic prosperity for everyone and not just those who are big donors to the parties.

I also believe that the problems of Human Trafficking and the exploitation of low and unskilled workers that Congress has greatly exacerbated are much bigger issues than any problems that I may have with the way the President does or says certain things.

This entire article about neo-Nazis, in my opinion, is nothing more than a distraction from the much greater issue of the increasing violence and the immediate threat posed by Antifa.

I would like to see the Voice and the Mountain View Council Members talk about where they stand with regard to THAT group! The mayor of Berkeley has talked about designating the group as a gang. Will the Mountain View City Council do the same?


Jim Neal
Old Mountain View

Here, I'll give you a criticism of Obama as an olive branch: he failed to aggressively go after those responsible for the financial crisis, allowing Wall Street to go back to business as usual.

Will that gesture of good faith allow you to answer my question and come up with a criticism of Donald Trump? Let's bridge the divide, right here.

@jim Neal

I think Randy is insinuating your posts have undertones of neo-nazi/white supremacists support. By not openly and and blatantly criticizing Trump on that front, you're either okay with his bigotry or at the very least it's not a deal killer. Free speech is fine and dandy and ought to be protected, but the right to free speech doesn't shield you from being criticized or attacked by those who feel your speech is inflammatory and could lead to greater bigotry and ultimately violence.

The increase of the KKK in 2017 is because of Obama? At what point does Obama stop being the scapegoat for all that is wrong in this country? I swear if Obama came up with a cure of all cancers, Trump would not give it FDA approval because it had Obama's name on it.

CLEARLY we would not be having this conversation AT ALL if Trump had stayed on Script at the infrastructure press conference on Aug 15, since then all hell has broken loose and it's NOT because of Obama. Give me a break. Web Link

@jimneal

This should be a simple discussion. Nazis, KKK, white supremacists are very bad. They are all fascists.
People who choose to demonstrate with fascists, etc., are NOT good people. I do not want Nazis, KKK, or white supremacists in my community. I want to know who they are, so I can avoid, shun, shame, and especially NOT do any business with them.

For some reason, Jim Neal needed to drag undocumented people and Antifa into this conversation. Jim Neal, you just need to say you condemn Nazis. Yes, they have first amendment rights, but say you condemn Nazis and their violent philosophy. These groups have a history of violent actions and beliefs.

BTW, Robert E. Lee deserted form the US Army, and was a traitor, for one reason only - to keep the institution of slavery legal in the South. He is not a man we should we celebrate, nor will I ever believe the revisionists who say the Civil War was not about slavery. Nazis, KKK, and white supremacists use “states rights” as code words for slavery. The Civil War was about slavery.

Also, I am Anti-fascist - as I hope every decent person in Mountain View is. There is a loosely organized group of mostly young men who belong to Antifa, and should NEVER be confused with being an Anti-fascist in philosophy. Although I don’t always agree with Antifa’s actions, had an active, strong, organized group met fire with fire in Germany from 1932 to 1938, would the famous last words of naïve Germans, “It can’t happen here,” Kristallnacht, and the subsequent Holocaust have happened? Web Link

Anti-Semitic vandalism is on the rise in the US, as are attacks on Blacks, Latinos, Women, LGBT people and Muslims. It’s all violence by the fascist Alt-right.

@hope - agree on all points, and to add (if I may) I think Nazi symbols should be illegal in the USA. These are symbols of hate, there is no justification in the USA for waving a Nazi Flag. Germany has strict laws banning Nazi symbols and what’s called Volksverhetzung — incitement of the people, or hate speech. Like more than a dozen European countries, Germany also has a law criminalizing Holocaust denial. We should do the same.

@myopinion

Thanks for that, but the right would scream and hide behind the 1st amendment. The nazi do that that while hypocritically trying deny rights to other. We are having a mass amount of attacks on minorities. We need to be aware.

I wish we could have a truth and reconciliation commission.

"Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it." -George Santayana

Germans said "It will never here" as Hitler rose to power.