The Aryan Nations is a paramilitary hate group, their prime
location near Hayden Lake, Idaho. It was founded in the mid 1970s
by Reverend Richard Girnt Butler. It was based on his Jesus Christ
Christian, a church afflicted with "identity." Identity was mainly
the belief that Anglo-Saxons, excluding Jews were the chosen people.
Those who were not white were "mud people." There were thought
of as low as animals. Jews were "the children of Satan." The Aryan
Nations was mainly an identity group, but they take some Neo-Nazi
philosophy.
In the 1980s followers of the Aryan Nations joined the organization
called the Order. The Order planned to bring down the U.S. government.
They had many activities of murder, counterfeiting, bank robberies,
and armed car holdups. However, the group ended in December 1984,
when Robert J. Matthews, the leader and founder of the group,
was engaged in a shootout with Federal Agents, ending in his death.
Starting in 1993, many Aryan leaders began to leave and Richard
Butler's health decreased. The question rose as to who would be
his successor. Louis Beam was rumored to be the heir to Butler,
and in 1996 at teh world congress of the Aryan Nations, Louis
Beam gave a powerful speech. In that speech, he stated that he
was the prime choice of successor to Butler.
In 1996, a declaration of Independence was published on the Internet
for teh Aryan Nations. Since 1979, the Aryan Nations have reached
out to those in prison who hate the government that put them behind
bars. In 1987 they began publishing "the way" an outreach
newsletter. In late 1997, members rallied in Ohio and distributed
anti-Black, an semetic thesis.
In the summer the Aryan Nations holds many hate festivals called
the "World Congress of Aryan Nations." These are mainly conferences
of hate preaching and hate activities. Speakers from other groups
may come and give a speeh on hate as well. These festivals are
esued to encourage people to join abd accept their views and philoshopy.
They also gave lessons in urban terrorism and guerilla warfare.
On February 16, 1997, the Aryan Nations along with other groups
such as the Ku Klux Klan organized rallies at Columbus Ohio to
protest Black History Month. In September of 1997, Harold Ray
Redfearim, who was the leader of the Aryan Nations group in Ohio
was sentenced to 6 monthes in prison for carrying a concealed
weapon.
