Are there white gangs in America?
Gangs, as defined by the one and only Webster, is “a number of people joining together, typically in order to intimidate someone; an organized group of criminals.” Now I can’t necessarily speak for everyone, but in my personal opinion I feel like this term might have some ever-so-slight negative connotation. It’s really of no surprise that at www.stormfront.org, the “white nationalist discussion and news for racial realists” they typically claim that a white gang is of no existence. Although some members do indeed admit that there are white gangs, they usually call them gangs of “wiggers”, a common negative term for white people who follow a more stereotypically “black lifestyle”, seen as a disgrace to the white race in the opinion of a white supremacist. Some other members that do indeed admit that white gangs exist place it in a lighter sense, reducing the negative implications that come to mind with the term gang. One member is quoted saying that:
“White gangs are formed in prison to protect each other against the Black and Hispanic gangs who prey on other prisoners.”
It’s not surprising that nowhere is there a quote saying that Black and Hispanic gangs are also created to protect themselves from other prisoners, including white. The Anti-Defamation League, an organization built around fighting bigotry and extremism, says that 10% of the nation’s prison population is affiliated with gangs. Prisoners also tend to segregate themselves by race, creating gangs within the prison with a racial basis. Seeing as how race is a physical attribute, it segregates prisoners into groups automatically, creating a comfort zone for some for protection. The man I quoted from Stormfront earlier therefore may have some truth to his statement. However, I can’t help but point out the ignorant undertone in stating that Blacks and Hispanics don’t create their own gangs out of self-defense as well. This is once again victimizing the white man, a commonality in white supremacist ideologies.
With prison gangs forming with the basis of protection typically stemming from race, I can’t help but wonder when some members are released, how much recruiting they may do. Some affiliates may not even originally hold many racial sentiments prior to joining the group, but after joining a gang such as the Aryan Brotherhood it may invoke a subconscious hate that they may not have known had ever even been festering. This could bring out a much more radical sense of hate, and on top of that, the encouraging support from other group members could cultivate it even more. This “family and brotherhood” that they have created fills a hole that I would think a lot of members may have originally had.
A video from Youtube called White Prison Gangs (link below) simply shows pictures of prison members and gangs and their tattoos, almost all of which involve a branch of white supremacist ideals. This unifying representation of their Brotherhood shows that they are at least an organized group. Although the actual crime that put them in prison may not have had to do with their ideals, much of the violence within prisons themselves have to do with race.
I guess what I’m really trying to get at is white prison gangs is very much a real thing in America. In denying such a claim like numerous members of Stormfront were quoted doing just shows a mind warping that honestly, I’m almost amazed that they are able to do. To ignore any facts that could possibly prove wrong what they believe is disregarded or thought to be conspired in some way. But in the end, you’ve just got to leave it to Webster to reveal the real bare bones of things.
What do those on Stormfront actually say about white prison gangs? What does this tell us about ideology? How do ideas of victims and minorities play out here?
ReplyDeleteIt seems almost every article on white prison gangs ends up blaming the issue on “needing protection.” According to most inmates, they only join the gangs because they need a support system. It’s interesting how being part of a prison gang has basically turned into a necessity in order to stay in one piece. I’m sure many of these guys end up getting in more trouble in the long run due to acting out for their gang and following orders. I think you’re right about whites being portrayed as the victim in most cases while other races are made out to be the bad guys. In Autobiography of a Recovering Skinhead , Meeink stated how The Aryan Brotherhood was the most feared and violent prison gang. Even three members would overpower many races because of connections they had. This proves everybody should have an excuse to be “protected” instead of blaming it on blacks and Hispanics.
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