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[VA]
Skinhead Charged With Vandalizing Synagogues
The Virginian Pilot
/August 11, 2009
John Edward Grog, who police said is affiliated with the racist skinhead group Volksfront, allegedly defaced several synagogues with anti-Semitic, anti-gay and racist slogans.
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on August 13th, 2009 at 11:13 am
No where in the news article does it refer to this man as a “skinhead”. You just had to add that part didn’t you? He is a racist skinhead actually a bonehead. He’s no skinhead in my book. Real skinheads are not racist.
on August 13th, 2009 at 6:17 pm
Heather, by your comment you make two distinctions, “skinheads” and “boneheads”, I believe from what I have read and seen that ‘skinheads” are racist and into Neo-Nazi propaganda, anyway, Heather, please tell me the difference between a “skinhead” and a “bonehead”. This second term is alien to me. Thanks!
on August 13th, 2009 at 6:44 pm
I commend SPLC and the newspaper in showing this person’s picture. A photo of every person who commits racist and anti-anything crimes should be posted nation-wide to make sure that we have available information should we need it!
Dakotahgeo
on August 14th, 2009 at 7:45 am
Heather is buying into the notion popularized by some music promoters to young, gullible kids that the term “skinhead” is simply nothing more than a representation of some alternative style expression, lacing it with mushy notions of independent, alternative thinking, etc.
Fact is, when one listens to the “oy! oi!” music (which most of it is), assuming one has some notion of the history of the skinhead movement, the racist-klannish overtones are pretty evident.
In fact, even the white rap music group popular in the early nineties, “House of Pain” makes reference and identifies as skinhead in some of the lyrics of their more popular songs of the time. Of course, for whatever reason, they later teamed up with more famous black rappers, turned a more socially liberal bent and have abandoned their skinhead “roots”.
Can’t say that for most though. Skinhead means racist at its core Heather, sorry to let you down, unless of course, you are one of the many who intentionally claim ignorance of racist intent in order to bring new, easily duped young people into the organization in order to slowly inculcate them with hate later.
In other words, whatever Heather, go Emo or something.
on August 15th, 2009 at 11:19 am
Tom – some links for you to check out:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skinhead
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S....._Prejudice
It’s difficult to explain to people that the vast majority of skinheads are not racist, but I encourage you to do some reading on your own if you’re interested in learning more about the subculture. There is also a wonderful documentary called Skinhead Attitude, which you can view in parts on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcNoJz3gET4
Skinheads generally fall into three camps:
- trads (traditional skinheads, non-racist but generally apolitical – most skinheads are found in this group)
- SHARPs (Skinheads Against Racial Prejudice – skinheads who openly identify themselves as anti-racist and seek to educate people about the black roots of skinhead)
- boneheads (the name given by trads and SHARPs to neo-Nazis – it’s a shame that this group has gotten the most attention despite having the smallest numbers)
In fact, the famous Anti-Racist Action was founded by a group of anti-racist skinheads in Minneapolis: http://insurgence.proboards.co.....038;page=1
Kate – I have no idea what you are talking about or where you got your information, but you might want to do more research or actually talk to some skinheads before propagating your bunk theories and assumptions.
As for Heather, I don’t know her but I recognize her name from posts in other anti-racist forums, and what she says is 100% true.
And with that I leave you with something that may just challenge some of your misguided opinions (Kate). The legendary Laurel Aitken (who happens to be Jamaican and Cuban), dedicating his song “Skinhead” to all of his skinhead friends.
on August 15th, 2009 at 11:21 am
Sorry, forgot to post the link at the end of my previous message:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcEhAIx1OB4
on August 16th, 2009 at 8:34 am
Wow, such cowardice! Sneaking up to a House of God in the dark of night to put hate stickers on the building then running away like frightened children. Real tough guys huh?
Pitiful morons.
on August 17th, 2009 at 6:37 am
“Real skinheads are not racist.”
by Heather Fails.
Heather fails to see that most skinheads ARE racist.
Yes, there are some anti-racist skins, but they are a minority.
on August 18th, 2009 at 3:40 am
“Heather fails to see that most skinheads ARE racist.
Yes, there are some anti-racist skins, but they are a minority.”
No, they aren’t. I say that as an anti-fascist activist and someone who has been in the ska and punk scene since the age of 15. It’s sad that people keep perpetuating this myth, especially since so many of the great people I have met in the anti-racist movement have been skinheads. MOST skinheads are not anti-racist activists. But most of them ARE “trads” who hate Nazis and listen to West Indian music – ska and reggae. I am not a skinhead, and I happen to be non-white. It bothers me when I hear people using the word “skinhead” as a synonym for “Nazi” because that is so far from reality. Neo-Nazis would have you believe that, like everything else they’ve stolen (Norse and Celtic symbols and mythology, for example), once they appropriate and pervert an image it rightfully belongs to them. When I hear sentiments like the ones above, it sort of feels like they are winning.
Anyway, this is detracting attention from the article in question and I hate to bog down the comments section with these silly arguments. It just strikes me as incredibly ignorant and dismissive. I don’t fault people for not knowing what skinheads are, but there’s no excuse for perpetuating lies when the truth is so readily available for anyone who is interested.
on January 9th, 2010 at 7:06 pm
I’m a sharp, I dislike these stupid boneheads who give true skins a bad name. they’re are more antiracist skins, then they are boneheads. please do some research before crucifying a skin who has nothing to do with boneheads. oi! oi!
on January 14th, 2010 at 10:01 pm
Heather: Erm…it does say in the top paragrah that he is affilited with a racist skinhead group…guess that does infer he is a racist skinhead, no-one added that part im afraid.
Kate: skinhead does not mean racist at its core im a skinhead AND a member of the anti-nazi league…
Other mistakes:
Oi (not oy Kate ffs!) music is derived directly from punk, rock, glam rock and street punk not ska (you can argue for ska influence on punk but…)
The term skinhead was not formed for the punk / Oi movement there is a old ska standard called ‘skinhead moonstomp’ recorded in 1969.
Finally
Does anyone want to know who coined the term Oi…?