Show lYe n 9 i c h 9 goes 0 est toe toe-to-toe Q e t o. with w. aJr h dissidents d i s den s Terry Dillon Contributing Writer seen his face on YOUVE YOU'VE TV at least a dozen times for defending Utah's bad boys He is the wildly popular Mark Twain look- look alike who happens to be Salt Lake City's most trusted criminal defense attorney Ron is Inthe in inthe inthe the news again and this time its it's for his part in a demonstration counter tion against the Neo Labor Day 1991 was the chosen date for local fascists to d don n swastikas and hate stares while exercising first amendment rights at the j jf f federal ed era 1 b building u il din in 4 downtown Salt Lake City When got wind of Neo-Nazi Neo plans for a racist j demonstration he made his own plan to be there too I called on his long longtime longtime time friend from Jordan j High School days Mike Day Together with wife the threesome took a anoble anoble anoble noble but exhausting stand against organized bigotry The rage and hostility which exuded from the Hit- Hit youth was awful Still the trio and many others including Salt Lake Co Community College student Dave Larson fired it back at them as they stood toe-to-toe toe and practically to nose-to-nose against the Neo The televised I newscast of the event was effectively effectively ef- ef dramatic and hopefully hopefully hopefully hope- hope fully served as as a wake-up wake call to our state leaders J Horizon visited with Yen- Yen gich at his offices at City J Center to learn more about the Neo-Nazi Neo movement 4 We wanted to ask what Neo- Neo Nazis are and what threat they pose in Utah Im not really sure what a neo aneo Nazi is said but there are area are a number of different groups the Aryan Nation the skinheads that fit the category The neo j 4 j I j I J J 4 part is because of World War II when the Nazi s were defeated Neo means new They have the same beliefs as Hitler Franco and Mussolini Mussolini Mussolini Mus Mus- that whites are the supreme race Nazis are against basic freedoms and principles like equality and free thought They favor burning bo books ks These groups have attacked homosexuals blacks Hispanics and Jews They are basically gutless ss because groups of them will attack a single individual To see swastikas unfurled infuriates me because Hitler and his kind caused the thede de deaths a t h s 0 of f mill millions ion s 0 of f people said I feel it is everyone's duty to speak out against Nazis and against any indoctrination i that prevents us all from playing in the sandbox together he added Still went on to explain the they must have the same Constitutional rights as the rest of us despite the fact that under their fascist restrictions dissent would never be tolerated In answer to the question who or what the Neo Nazis are ire sums up succinctly succinctly succinctly suc suc- Thugs killers They murdered a DJ DJin in Denver Denver Den Den- ver who spoke out openly against them They are kindred spirits with the Ku Klux Klan Our politicians our government officials et etcetera etcetera etcetera cetera here in Utah have never spoken out on the public record against these guys Why major leaders have never spoken out against this is unexplainable Since our elected erected officials officials officials are all people who believe in Christian principles principles prin prin- they ought to stand standup standup standup up for those principles to which Nazism is clearly in opposition If 50 SO North Temple would issue a proclamation tion i I 7 I J i I 7 jt j t q n pi r r r ry y i v 1 i ii t- t y i. i H 1 i r II i r 1 i. i f r t Y Yr L' L t f t 4 t if they spoke out directly against fascism it would put an end to that movement here in Utah To prevent racism what is needed is the willingness to listen but Nazis Nazi s lack a willingness to listen to others Differences between people can offer insight Everyone has some wisdom some experience that somebody somebody some some- body else can learn from The Neo-Nazis Neo reject any concept of a cultural exchange exchange exchange ex ex- ex- ex change of f Id ideas as They are like a black hole in space they fall In on themselves and do not gleam there is no brilliance there The flag that those kids unfurled was a symbol of evil For us to sit here and accept that symbol doesn't wash and we have to speak out against it They kill killed d little little little lit lit- tle kids they killed mothers and babies It is an unacceptable unacceptable unacceptable table and mindless philosophy On his office walls together with pictures of Mark Twain Mark Twain and old west antiques antiques antiques an an- awards and diplomas there is a stitched cross-stitched sampler that reads To prosecute is human To defend is divine When asked how this motto relates to his vigorous Nazi anti-Nazi stance answers I defend people who are charged with crimes who are presumed innocent until the government can prove the case against them th m. m But that's not what totalitarians totalitarian b believe lieve They convict on the basis of your ideas your skin color The Constitution of the United States doesn't stand for for that And you can quote me on this white dont don't make right It Jt Is obvious to b and to many like him who keep a vigilant eye on these movements that lack of a abroad abroad abroad broad knowledge base is what keeps racists s ignorant about skin color and religion In fact if you have a hard time remembering the definition of oxymoron Yen Yen- gich has a clue for you Try educated Neo Nazi a total contradiction in terms History will record how we treated our minority peoples said This isn't just about native Americans blacks Hispanics History will record how those of us who are in the majority spoke out When we stop fighting when we we stop making our will for ju justice tice known then we will fall into the turmoil that brings racists to power AI Although though they are only a tiny handful now they are still a sufficient threat because because be be- cause calise of the they do For the final touch of in the Nazis in your face to the Nazi females whom he postulates are merely Clairol Aryans Ye asks to anyway anyway us include this quote by author autho J Susan Sontag The white race is the c cancer of history It t is the white race and it its alone ideologies and inventions which eradicates autonomous civilizations wherever it spreads which has upset the ecological balance of the planet which now threatens the very existence of life itself With people like around we white guys still have a lot to be thankful for th thanks the to their pal Day and to students who had the courage to do the American thing |