James Wickstrom

James P. Wickstrom (born 1942) is an American radio talk show host, Christian minister, white supremacist and antisemite who lives in Linwood, Michigan. He is known for his many strong right-wing opinions; he is intensely anti-communist and denounces those he perceives to be communists, such as Barack Obama (and Nelson Mandela, whose death he rejoiced in 2013, describing him as a "vile black terrorist"). He frequently advocates the mass murder of Jews, non-European Americans, homosexuals, drug addicts, and race traitors, in accordance with the Christian Identity movement.[1] He is a founding member of the racist, anti-semitic, anti-government Posse Comitatus movement.[2][3]

History

He was born in Munising, Michigan.[4]

Periodically, Wickstrom has written racially inspired articles, and has operated as a pastor in Christian Identity organizations. In 1980, Wickstrom ran unsuccessfully in Wisconsin as a Constitution Party of Wisconsin candidate for United States Senator, coming in third with 16,156 votes; and was a Wisconsin representative to the American Independent Party's national committee.[5] He was the party's nominee for Governor of Wisconsin in 1982, coming in fourth with 7,721 votes; and remained on the national committee.[6] During this same period, he attracted national attention to the ideology of the Posse Comitatus movement, as an outspoken defender of the rights and concerns of Gordon Kahl, including an appearance on the Phil Donahue Show. In 1985, after his arrest, he was no longer listed as an official of the Constitution Party of Wisconsin.[7]

Criminal actions and convictions

In January 1982, Wickstrom lost when he sought election as chairman of the town of Fairbanks, Wisconsin.[8] He decided to set up his own municipality, a Posse enclave on the banks of the Embarras River within the boundaries of Fairbanks. He put public notice of the creation of the "Constitutional Township of Tigerton Dells" and a meeting to elect officers of the township in a local paper. The announcement described Wickstrom as "acting clerk"; at the meeting, Wickstrom was "elected" Clerk and Municipal Judge and fellow Posse member Donald Minniecheske was "elected" the Tigerton Dells Chairman and Assessor.

Over the next seven months, Wickstrom took applications for and issued a liquor license and a cigarette license, attempted to file various documents indicating he was a judge or town clerk with local and state offices, and threatened to sue the Shawano County county clerk if she did not cooperate with his demand for official printed ballots.

Since none of this was lawful under the relevant Wisconsin statutes, in 1983 Wickstrom was arrested for "assuming to act as [a] public officer". (During the trial, he announced to the court that he planned to set up similar townships in other states, and had the presiding judge served with an ersatz "subpoena" for a "Citizens Grand Jury", signing the document as "Judge". He was found guilty, and served over thirteen months in jail (he'd received the maximum nine-month sentence on each count, to be served consecutively).[9] (Minniecheske was sentence to nine years for possession of stolen property and other crimes.) Wickstrom's sentence was eventually commuted; as part of the terms he was not to associate with the Posse or similar groups. He moved to Pennsylvania, and was later arrested and convicted of a plan to distribute $100,000 in counterfeit U.S. currency to white supremacists attending the 1988 Aryan World Congress.[10][11] He was paroled in 1994.[12]

In 1990, Wickstrom was convicted of counterfeiting currency and possessing firearms illegally as a felon. He was sentenced to 38 months in jail.[13][14]

Ideology

Wickstrom derives his beliefs from his interpretation of the Christian Bible. He preaches what he refers to as Two Seedline Racial Covenant Identity, an ideology which among other things, postulates that the Caucasian race is made in the image of God. Furthermore, people of Jewish descent are not considered the "children of God", but rather the children of Cain. Wickstrom categorically rejects the Jewish religious doctrine which states that Jews are "God's chosen people", stating that in fact members of the "white western, European" race are the actual Israelites referred to in the Christian Bible.

Current activity

Wickstrom hosts a weekly internet radio talk show, Yahweh's Truth. During the show, Wickstrom often has a limited number of guest speakers, where the topic is predominantly his perception of a communist, Zionist mandate operating in the United States whose goal is to destroy the civilized Western nations, or nations where Caucasians are the ethnic majority. According to Wickstrom, this goal is to be seen out through authoritarian and corrupt financial practices, multiculturalism, media infiltration, miscegenation and globalization. As well, he invites his listeners to call in to speak their views on world issues, which are typically similar to Wickstrom's.

Rhetoric

Wickstrom's frequent anti-globalist rhetoric has drawn the attention of such activist groups as the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League. Wickstrom frequently alleges Jewish domination of religious, political, educational, and monetary "dynasties" which determine national direction.

References

  1. ↑ "THE VILE BLACK COMMUNIST DOG MANDELA IS DEAD!". Dr. James P. Wickstrom. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
  2. ↑ https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/individual/james-wickstrom Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. ↑ https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19880701&id=Na5RAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1G0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6800,253739&hl=en. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. ↑ "Munising, Michigan". City-Data.com. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
  5. ↑ Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. The state of Wisconsin 1981-1982 blue book Madison: Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, distributed by Document Sales, 1981-1982; pp. 823, 887, 908
  6. ↑ Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. The state of Wisconsin 1983-1984 blue book Madison: Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, distributed by Document Sales, 1983-1984; pp. 686, 821
  7. ↑ Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. The state of Wisconsin 1985-1986 blue book Madison: Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, distributed by Document Sales, 1985-1986; p. 836
  8. ↑ 'Leader of Posse denies Klan Link,' Milwaukee Sentinel, April 3, 1981, part 2, page 3
  9. ↑ 798 F.2d 268 James P. WICKSTROM, Petitioner-Appellant, v. Walter SCHARDT, Respondent-Appellee; No. 85-3224, United States Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit. Submitted July 8, 1986; Decided Aug. 19, 1986
  10. ↑ Smith, Brent L. Terrorism in America: Pipe Bombs and Pipe Dreams; Binghamton: SUNY Press, 1994; p. 60
  11. ↑ Buchanan, Susy. "Return of the Pastor" Intelligence Report, Winter 2004, Issue Number: 116; Southern Poverty Law Center
  12. ↑ Roddy, Dennis B. "Aryan Nations moving to state" Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 29, 2002
  13. ↑ https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/individual/james-wickstrom Missing or empty |title= (help)
  14. ↑ https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19880701&id=Na5RAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1G0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6800,253739&hl=en. Missing or empty |title= (help)

External links

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