I spy with my little eye, something most people miss while they’re out in the woods. White supremacy is an ever-present part of New Brunswick culture. It’s something Canadians see every day yet choose to ignore, because they can. Defend Europe, for example, was just recently mentioned as one of many blacklisted organizations recognized by Facebook. You’ll only hear about them in the wilds of outer reality, like the ATV trails of Durham. You cannot discuss Defend Europe on social media which only means it is widely discussed there, by alternate means. I spotted this white crossed circle icon from a hundred feet away because my eyes long ago learned to recognize such symbols. When you’re a kid growing up punk in the real era of punk, attending shows every other night, you get good at avoiding the white supremacy crowds. Their mosh pits were always bloody places where one could easily loose a tooth or a finger. I met Jello Biafra in person during this era and even he avoided white supremacists. I’ve known a few white supremacists over the years and I am generally unafraid of their culture because I make a practice of extracting stories from individuals respectfully. Some are filled with hate, others were just looking to belong to something which energized their faltering sense of pride. I’ve seen individuals fall to the influence of such groups and descend into violence. I’ve also known incredible people who slowly realized their own mistake, renounced white supremacy and transformed their lives for the better. All is not lost in the world of white supremacy, despite what the panicked media would have you believe. There are individuals worth salvaging out there but, first we have to see and accept that they do exist and they are part of our community. Anyone in Fredericton who thinks white supremacy is only an American phenomenon, or a European social issue, is kidding themselves. It’s all around us. From the military to government and even our place of employment, white supremacy exists and organizes to retain a measure of influence. In rural areas like Durham these groups find a steady supply of white Christian fundamentalists, from Baptist to Pentecost and every strange cult therein. They find them equipped, armed and knee-deep in “alternative” forms of employment. (That’s a polite way of describing meth trailers and bitcoin farms.) Now, with this pandemic and Higgs turning the screws there are even more angry unemployed people to join such groups. You don’t want to ignore this for too long.
