Stormfront.org

Stormfront.org is a white supremacist discussion forum designed to spread the word of white nationalist organizations and groups (like the Aryan Nations). Active members can post and comment on topics like ideology and philosophy, culture and customs, science, technology and race, among many others. Don Black, former Ku Klux Klan leader, founded the site in the early 1990s as a “resource for those courageous men and women fighting to preserve their White Western culture, ideals and freedom of speech and association a forum for planning strategies and forming political and social groups to secure victory" (source).
This site has a become a valuable resource indeed for those in support of the white nationalist movement. With groups like the Aryan Nations calling for the recruitment of more members in certain states (Aryan Nations California Recruiting) to polls asking "Which country is key for white survival?" (Russia), Stormfront.org is spreading the message of white nationalism to all corners of the world.
After browsing through posts on the site, the most common post I found posed the question, "What exactly is Aryan? It would seem that as a group in support of an Aryan homeland here in the United States, it would be simple for all members to agree on a common definition of the term that holds such valuable meaning to them. However, members of the site are having a hard time describing the term in a nutshell.
The most common description of an Aryan on the site described them as a person with light skin, hair and eyes. However, many posts (like this one) have gone to a more all-encompassing description, stating that Aryans "seem to have been predominantly, although not exclusively, of light hair and eye color. The majority of them probably had light colored hair like blond, red or light-medium brown and light colored eyes like blue, grey or green, although there were some with dark brown or black hair and brown eyes as well." An additional post goes so far as to list all categories of people who can be described as Aryan (mostly Indo-European peoples).
Another common post seems to be the exact origin of the Aryan peoples and "Are only some Whites Aryans?" Russians, Northern Indians and White Persians have all been deemed the original ancestors of the "Aryan race." Also, users have disagreements about who is considered to be an Aryan, stating all whites are Aryans to all white Europeans and even going as far as to say "all whites are Aryans with the exception of those who fornicate with mongrels." All this confusions leaves only one question for me, who exactly is an Aryan?
This confusion over the defintion of an Aryan, a main part of white nationalist ideology, is comical and embarrassing to their cause. Those supporters of white nationalism should be able to easily and clearly agree on who/what is considered an Aryan, not have extensive posts on a site dedicated to the white nationalist movement and not be able to define a key term behind their movement.

History of the Aryan Nations

The Aryan Nations Compound in Hayden Lake, Idaho (via)

The Aryan Nations, a far-right white nationalist organization/religious movement established in 1973 in Hayden Lake, Idaho, is a branch of the Church of Jesus Christ-Christian, one of the "foremost proponents of the Aryan Identity message during the past century" (source). Founded by Reverend Richard G. Butler, the Aryan Nations strived to instill nationalist beliefs in all white men and women who support their "genetic legacy as Aryans" (source) and want to establish a pure Aryan society in North America.

Richard G. Butler (via)

Richard G. Butler was a prominent white supremacist leader who sought to unify neo-Nazis, Skinheads, Ku Klux Klansmen and all other brothers who believed in North America as a refuge for whites. Butler, who idolized Hitler, believed that Jewish people were direct descendents of Satan and that black people were a feral group (source). In a newsletter published by the Aryan Nations, Butler states that the United States must become a "national racial state" and that "we [the Aryan Nations] will have it at whatever price is necessary. Just as our forefathers purchased their freedom in blood so must we... We will have to kill the bastards" (source). Similarly, in this interview on Race and Reason, a public-access cable TV show, Butler explains the history of the Aryan Nation and the ideologies behind the group.

The twenty acre compound owned by the Aryan Nations in Idaho served as a meeting ground for any group throughout North America and the world who shared similar ideologies to the Aryan Nations. Additionally at the compound, the Aryan Nations held what they called a "World Conference." The conference was held annually as a way for any white nationalist group to come together and build support for the purpose of spreading their word and ideologies, as well as attracting new (specifically younger) members to the movement (Ferber). These meetings at their rural Hayden Lake facility were the perfect setting away from intruders such as police and the media while simultaneously allowing for "urban terrorism and guerilla warfare" training to attendants (source). 

In 2000, the Aryan Nations were forced to pay $6.3 million dollars in damages to Victoria and Jason Keenan after they sued the Nation for assault charges after being chased away from the Hayden Lake compound and fired at with guns after their car backfired near the site. The judgment bankrupt the Aryan Nation, caused them to hand over the compound to the Keenans and forced the group to sign over the name "Aryan Nations" to the Keenans. As a result, the group, now renamed Aryan National Alliance, relocated to rural Pennsylvania (source).

The ultimate goal of the Aryan Nations, to establish a pure white homeland in North America, will always be the groups number one cause. Additionally, they believe that "the System" is an oppression to the white Aryan race and before the Aryan homeland can be created, they must first destroy the "present Western-democratic state" (source).
From their goal "Racial Purity is this Nations Security" to the quote by Richard G. Butler on using whatever force necessary, it is easy to see that the Aryan Nations will use any means possible to accomplish their goal of an Aryan North America.

About This Blog

Welcome All,
My name is Ashley Beitz, I am currently a student at Washington State University. This blog was created for my CES 444 class to analyze and discuss white nationalism as I see it today, in the past or in the future. My blog will focus primarily on the Aryan Nations, a white nationalist group centered in Hayden, ID. I plan to examine the group as a whole and with my findings, discuss their significance and impression on myself and society. Furthermore, this blog will center around the history of Aryan Nations and their ideologies behind their movements. I hope my readers and fellow classmates will find this blog interesting and relevant to the course.

Ashley

(Here is a link to my course blog!)