Key Figure

It was easy for me to choose the person to focus on for this topic, which is a key figure in the white supremacist movement in the media. There are many people who could fit in this category for certain things they have done or said but this person has an enormous body of work focused on the white nationalist world view. That person is none other than David Duke. Duke is a former grand wizard of the KKK and has ran for many government positions including president for both the republicans and democrats. David Duke founded the Louisiana based Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. He helped the organization transition from radicals in white robes to business men dressed in suits and a clean cut image. He also re-directed the Klan who were now "pro-white" as opposed to "anti-black". It goes to show you what a clean cut articulate person can do to brain wash the general public into justifying certain beliefs that have been planted in there minds. I think this goes back to our class discussions about the seed already being planted and years later it can bloom with a little watering. I feel that the followers of Duke have had experiences in their lives where they were taught or felt hatred towards other non-white groups and Duke presented a more socially correct way for them to build on those feelings. In addition to his political work Duke has also written books and has been seen on many media programs. One of the biggest impacts he has had on the movement is his work on the internet. He is the host of a podcast and frequent poster on the site stormfront.org. He realizes the importance of technology and how it can aid the movement in spreading ideas, beliefs and popularity and he has said, "The Internet gives millions access to the truth that many didn't even know existed. Never in the history of man can powerful information travel so fast and so far. I believe that the internet will begin a chain reaction of racial enlightenment that will shake the world by the speed of intellectual conquest."

This is an interesting video that I came across while reading up on Duke and his history. He says he has been urged to run for President in the 2012 elections and that he would be the most honest campaign we have seen. I have found that he is not eligible to run for president because of previous convictions for tax evasion. Either way it is interesting to speculate on how he would do in the election. If you take the time to read the comments on this video the majority of the people are in support of David Duke and his views. I am sure that in reality this isn't a nearly significant of a number to get him elected but it shows that he does have a strong group of followers. The majority of the videos I have seen about Duke he acts like the victim of discrimination because of his past and he plays on that. He has continuously stated that he is not the man the media has portrayed him to be and he that is the first article on his website http://www.davidduke.com/. But as it relates to a key figure in the media I feel that David Duke is an extremely appropriate choice for this topic.