Beneath the headline, "Racist Extremists Exploit Nationwide Militia Movement," the December 1994 Klanwatch Intelligence Report features a photo of Ray Southwell, with the following caption: "Michigan militia leader, Ray Southwell, recently met with Aryan Nations regional director, Bobby Norton, in Tennessee." Running across pages four and five of the report is a sidebar entitled "Militias With Known Racist Ties," featuring pictorial outlines of eight states (Florida, Michigan, Missouri, Idaho, Montana, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee) with the names of alleged racist militia leaders accompanying their corresponding states. On page four, under the outline of Michigan, is Ray Southwell's name, and beside it a shield with the neo-Nazi emblem of the Aryan Nations. On page seven, readers are told, "According to sources in Michigan, Southwell recently traveled to Tennessee for a meeting with Bobby Norton, the Southeastern Director for Aryan Nations."

Questionable Accusation

These are serious charges, as the Aryan Nations organization has a sordid history of militant racism and violence. The Michigan Militia, like most other militia groups who are fighting a media-imposed image of redneck racists in camouflage BDUs, is understandably upset with the Klanwatch report. Ray Southwell has been one of their most visible members, appearing as a spokesman on the Donahue program and in many print media stories. Norman Olson, who is commander of the Michigan Militia and pastor of the Calvary Baptist Church in Brutus, says the accusation is completely false. "I know Ray well," Olson told THE NEW AMERICAN. "He's a close friend, a deacon in my church, and I've never seen even the slightest hint of anything racist in anything he's said or done .... We absolutely do not allow any kind of racial hatred in the militia." According to Olson, Ray Southwell did not go to Tennessee or meet with Mr. Norton or any other representative from Aryan Nations. The Michigan Militia does not, and will not, have any association with that or any similar group, he said. 

Southwell, a registered nurse and real estate agent, emphatically denies the Klanwatch allegation, charging that it "is a bald-face lie." According to Southwell, he has only been to Tennessee once, and that was only to drive through a part of it a couple of years ago on his way to visit his son. "Besides, I never left the state [of Michigan] in 1994," he told THE NEW AMERICAN. According to Southwell, he has never met Norton and to his knowledge has never even talked with him or any other Aryan Nations member on the telephone. "I'm not perfect," he said, "but one thing I'm NOT is racist or anti-Semitic. We've been recruiting blacks, Jews, Hispanics, and other minorities into the militia. We sure wouldn't be doing that if we were racist." 

Southwell said he called Klanwatch to explain these facts and to ask Klanwatch to retract its false story. "They said that there was no point in arguing as they had corroboration that I was there." 

Your reporter called Klanwatch to find out about their corroboration. Klanwatch researcher Mike Reynolds was immediately very defensive: "Who did you say you are? Who are you with? We don't have to give you our sources! We have the proof and we stand by our story!" 

We re-identified ourselves and explained that as a news organization we certainly appreciated the confidentiality of news sources and that we were not seeking the identity of their source. But in view of the seriousness of their charge and the complete denial of that accusation by the accused, any good news organization would, at the very least, ask for more details, as well as inquire into the nature of the evidence the accuser possessed. 

For example, when and where, specifically, did the alleged meeting take place? Who was in attendance? Was this a private or public gathering? When and how did Mr. Southwell arrive? Did he fly or drive from Michigan? Did he arrive at the meeting by car? If so, was he driving? If not, do you know who was? Do you have a description of the vehicle? A license plate number? If he did not arrive alone, how many others accompanied him and do you have descriptions? Do you know how long the meeting lasted? Did Southwell stay overnight, and if so do you know where? What kind(s) of evidence do you have -- photographs, videotape, audiotape, notes, or affidavit of an eye witness? 

Mr. Reynolds was less than enthusiastic about answering any of those questions, but did grudgingly yield the following: Ray Southwell (according to their sources) arrived at Bobby Norton's "compound" in Murfreesboro, Tennessee on Saturday, December 3, 1994; he arrived by himself; and it was a private meeting. Reynolds couldn't be more specific about the number of people at the alleged meeting (half a dozen, a dozen, two dozen, more?) or the length of the meeting (an hour, two hours, half a day, two days?). When we pressed for other details, Reynolds sarcastically responded, "Why don't you call Bobby Norton?" (We did try that, but Mr. Norton has an unlisted number.) 

Most important of the information Mr. Reynolds provided was the date. We called Mr. Southwell again and asked if he could account for his whereabouts on that weekend. That would be easy, he said, after checking his calendar. That was the weekend of the militia brigade's three-day training campout in the woods near his home. Friday night and Saturday morning he was at the campout (In fact, he says he had the 4:00 a.m. watch) with 50-100 other militia members. On Saturday, he left the camp to go to a family Christmas get-together at his parents' home, at which some 15 family members were present. On Sunday he attended church and then returned to camp. 

Mr. Southwell seems to have a pretty good alibi, though skeptics predisposed to the Klanwatch bias would probably tend to discount as liars and fellow racists the dozens of witnesses who might vouch for his presence in Michigan that December 3rd weekend. Yes, it's possible that Southwell and his supporters would lie to cover up the alleged Aryan Nations connection. But it is just as possible that Klanwatch, in its eagerness to discredit the militia, lied about Southwell. At any rate, the burden is on Klanwatch to bring forth the evidence to back up the charge -- something they may be forced to do in court, since Southwell told THE NEW AMERICAN he is considering a libel suit against the organization. That is not something he would be likely to do if he had indeed met with Bobby Norton.

Complete Lack of Evidence

There is another significant strike in Southwell's favor: Klanwatch, ADL, and media critics seem to be unable to come up with any other evidence to justify the racist label they have tried to hang on the man. THE NEW AMERICAN could find none either. We have interviewed several militia observers in Michigan who have been closely monitoring the group's activities. None had detected any statements or actions by Mr. Southwell or by any other militia leaders or members to indicate the kind of racist tendencies that Klanwatch alleges. THE NEW AMERICAN also interviewed Jimmy "J.J." Johnson of Columbus, Ohio and his wife Helen, both very active in the Ohio Unorganized Militia. Mr. Johnson, who is black, appeared on the Donahue militia program. Both Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have had many contacts with Ray Southwell and other Michigan Militia leaders, but say they have never seen or heard any evidence of racism. Southwell says that is because there isn't any. 

 Clearly the major media had better do some fact checking before uncritically accepting as gospel every word of groups like Klanwatch who have their own political axes to grind.

Bookmark/Search this post with:

delicious | digg | newsvine | technorati