Monday, March 19, 2007

Neo-Nazi Clowns try to dusrupt my lecture

I spoke last night at Xavier University in Cincinnati [where they were still mourning their loss to OSU in overtime] and my lecture was disrupted by some nut who began to scream about Ilya Ehrenburg and how Jews cause antisemitism. He was ushered out -- but not before some older man almost engaged him in a fist fight.

Then a group of skinheads marched in and stood at the back of the auditorium in two different groups. I would say there were about 20 of them.

By this time the auditorium was crawling with university security.

They wore black or red t-shirst with swastikas and other symbols. They were pretty far away but one seemed to have "White Power" on his shirt. Their leader assumed a Mussolini pose [I had to control myself from telling him that he was emulaing the wrong fascist]: arms crossed on his chest and his chest thrust forward.

Periodically he would march up and down the line and say something to the others. To me it was pretty comical. Most of the audience did not know they were there. I think some of the people who have been very disturbed had they known.

During the Q&A one audience member asked about what David Irving is doing now. I said he spends most of his time talking to skinhead lowlife characters. I looked directly at them when I said it, grinned a bit, and squelched my inclination to "just like the folks in the back."

At the very end of the Q&A session I said: "We have a number of visitors in the back. They have come to disrupt and to make a fuss. The worst thing you can do to them is ignore them. I ask, therefore, that you don't engage them in debate and conversation. They deserve one thing and one thing only: to be ignored."

Thankfully the audience complied.

As I was driving home I realized that these must be the people who attend David Irving's "Real History" conference every August. They deserve each other.

What a bunch of clowns. And what a way to spend your birthday.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Generally I am disappointed by the lectures I am required to attend by my university core requirements, your lecture however, was absolutely wonderful.

The room was practically dripping with tact as a result of the way you handled the self-important, feeble-minded loiterers in the back of the room.

-Drew