The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, April 07, 1999, Page Page 5, Image 5
EVENTS
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7:30 tonight, School of Music re<
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Olivia Tremor Control, Satur
at The New Brookland Tav(
Wednesday, April 7, 1999
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A Web-based whit
headed by a Woffor<
causing a stir amor
rights groups.
Story by
A Wofford College student has attracted
nationwide attention with his
white supremacist organization, Knights
of Freedom.
Davis Wolfgang Hawke, 20, is being
watched by the Southern Poverty
Law Center and the Anti-Defamation
League because of the potential influence
he might have on vulnerable followers.
"I think I worry them because I'm
an intelligent person," said Hawke, a
junior majoring in history and German.
"I'm in college, and I have leadership
skills. I think that causes them some
real concern ? the fact that there's a
fresh face in the movement."
"We've been monitoring his Web site
for several years," said Jay Gaiman,
cnnfVipnct H ii*vfnr firr flip Anfi-Fiptamfl
tion League, which monitors more thar
500 hate Internet sites.
"I don't think you can take individ
' uals like him lightly. There are vul
nerable individuals out there who listen
to his type of garbage; they're
motivated by the conspiracy theory
ethnic cleansing and the idea that al
immigrants need to go back to where
they came from."
Hawke also has received consider
able attention from the media.
The Spartanburg Herald-Journal
broke the story of the Knights o:
Freedom in 1998, after Hawke had beer
in Spartanburg for two years studying
at Wofford.
The Boston Globe and The Atlantc
Journal-Constitution ran articles aboui
him in March, and he was quoted ir
the March 8 edition of Newsweek in ar
article about Internet hate groups.
The growing white supremacisi
movement is perceived as a more se
rious situation as more groups us<
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e supremacist group
d College junior is
lg media and civil
Erin Reed
the Internet to post information and
try to enlist new members.
"We feel it's our mission to expose
their words so they can't hide," Gaiman
said.
He said civil rights groups used to
try to expose Ku Klux Klan members
and what they were saying, but it was
difficult because they were hiding behind
masks.
"Now if s more difficult because they
can hide behind
their computer m f
screens," he said. I don t t
"By using the can take
web, Hawkecre- - ,
ated a real orga- aiS ilKe H
nization with a ly. There
hundred or so re- ? ^
al members," said nerable 1.
t MarkPotok,ofthe Ollt there
Southern Poverty ten tQ hi
Law Center in fJ
Birmingham, Ala. garbage*
"He became
i more than merely c
, an Internet pres- . J"
? Anti-D
I ence.
; Hawke started
the Knights of
Freedom in 1996 "to defend the rights
of white people." He considers the Jewl
ish race his enemy,
f "The ultimate goal is the elimina1
tion of the Jewish race as an entity, and
I that can be accomplished by not letting
them breed," he said,
t As for other nonwhite races, "we fat
vor separatism," he said. "We don't want
1 to be near the other races; we don't want
i to live with them. Africans belong in
Africa, Asians belong in Asia, and we
t belong here and in Europe."
Hawke said violence is a means tc
j achieving this end, an idea that causes
the ADL some concern.
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The
Wofford College junior Davis Woll
with his commanding officers at
Hawke will attract vulnerable foll<
"He's crossed the line a little 1
in terms of his threats," Gaimj
said. "From some of the things Fve re;
on his Web page recently, there is ;
indication that he's starting to do mu
more in the way of intimidation."
Hawke's aspirations include ge
ting involved in state and national gc
ernment, eventually being elected pit
ident of the United States.
"By the year 2000, we'll still be
the buildii
stages," Haw]
:hink you said. "By 2010
mm wnulH pvTwt fh
lllUXVlUU" r ?
. we'll [Knights
llgllX- Freedoml be
3Je Vlll- major force inn
adividuals
i who lis- leader of tl
S type of country by thei
* r Gaiman sa
the wor
Jay Gaiman shouldn't wor
about a neo-N;
Southeast director bei elect)
efamation League president an
time soon.
"It's pret
i ridiculous to think that someone li
him who's gone on record saying
these views is going to be elected to
fice," he said.
"I think I give our country a lot m<
[ credit than Hawke does."
However, Gaiman doesn't discn
it the fact that individuals like Haw
; have succeeded in similar aspiratioi
"What is scaiy is that there are p
i pie out there like him who have <
poused these views and who have dc
fairly well in trying to get elected to
i fice," he said.
"If he thinks he's got a legitiim
platform to run, he should rim. Tha
why we're a democracy. But you c
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fgang Hawke, center, maintains a Web sib
the K.O.F. Regional Headquarters in Spa
Dwers that will subscribe to his Nazi belief!
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Television videotapes a recenl
t v media attention a good thing, no mi
ke
all
of- bet we're going to be out there speaking
against him."
)re Hawke said he has traveled to other
colleges in the southeast speaking
id- about the Knights of Freedom and his
ke ideas. He said he speaks to invitationos.
only groups and each time has gotten
eo- about 10 or 15 people interested in joints
ing.
me "I just try to present them with an
of- alternative viewpoint," he said. "They're
given one viewpoint in college, and that's
ite the liberal, Jewish media viewpoint.
Lt's All I try to do is give them a different
an interpretation of history and how that
different interpretation applies to present-day
modern America."
Hawke said no Wofford students
I have joined the Knights of Freedom, a
fact that doesn't surprise Wofford
College's dean, Dan Maultsby.
"I'm sure enough of the values of
the college, and I have enough confidence
in the intelligence and the judgement
of our students that I really don't
worry about any of our students being
influenced by him," he said.
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b for his white supremacist group, Knights c
rtanburg. Civil Rights groups worry that, bi
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t Knights of Freedom meeting. Hawke, cor
atter how negative the coverage.
"Students at Wofford have been veiy
mature and responsible in showing their riot
disapproval of the ideas he's express- su{
ing, and I think that's been very posi- seei
tive."
Although Hawke's chances of bring- Ha
ing his plans to fruition are slim, what
worries civil rights groups is his dedi- thr
cation to white supremacy and his abil- low
ity to quickly and efficiently dissemi- cer
nate information to an impressionistic an<
public through the Internet. ber
"He's a little more sophisticated than his
a lot of the Web pages I've looked at,
and he's able to articulate his message grc
in a more effective way," Gaiman said, eflt
"Because of that, he has the potential
of developing more of a following." thi
Potok is only mildly concerned. me
"I'm not terribly worried about pie
Hawke," he said, "r think that, con- kic
ceivably, he could have become a leader mv
of some importance in the white supremacist
movement, but I think he Ha
acts like a villain out a Batman comic dei
book, a kid who thinks he's going to rule lar
the world simply because he has high set
S.A.T. scores.
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Page 5
I
m
Irl * i 9M
n iSH
Courtesy of Web site
>f Freedom. He is pictured above
;cause the group's on the Web,
t *
WJKB r
K jfeaJStfwjF5 *'
Courtesy of Web site
nmander-in-chief, considers any
"So I think he's not taken very selsly
out there in the organized white
)remacist movement. In fact, he's
[i as something of an embarassment."
However, Potok acknowledges that
wke's case still should be monitored.
"There's always a possibility of some
eat," he said. 'Tie's exhorting his folders
to build a Nazi revolution. I'm
tainly not saying he's going to go out
i start putting Jews in gas Cham's,
but you never know what one of
followers might do."
Potok said that, although many hate
iups are temporary and largely inictive,
they should be taken seriously.
"Many people have been killed in
s country as a result of this movent,"
he said. "I would remind the peowho
think we should ignore these
Is of groups that 168 people were
irdered in Oklahoma City in 1995.
"I'm not saying Davis Wolfgang
wke is going to become a mass murrer,
but I am saying that, out of the
ger movement, that is what we've
;n."
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