SIGNING THE SUICIDE PACT (David Hill, The Bronx):

American Nazi Party adopts Salem road (CARA ROBERTS MUREZ, January 28, 2005, Statesman Journal)

Marion County has allowed a Portland-area skinhead group to adopt a rural Salem road as part of a volunteer litter clean-up program.

The signs proclaiming that Sunnyview Road NE between Cordon Road and 82nd Avenue is sponsored by the American Nazi Party NSM were installed Monday.

County officials say they were legally advised that excluding the organization would violate a constitutional right to free speech. Their choices, they said, were: allow the group to join the program, remove all of the signs from the program or refuse the group and risk a lawsuit.

Commissioner Sam Brentano said he wanted to turn the organization down anyway and face whatever lawsuits came.

He was outnumbered by commissioners Patti Milne and Janet Carlson. The commissioners did not vote on the issue, but gave staff direction by consensus.

Milne said she considers it strictly a constitutional issue that goes to the core of being American.

You have to pretty badly misapprehend what it is to be an American in order to believe Nazis have to be tolerated. At any rate, the locals could have some fun creatively defacing the signs--pink triangles and Darwin fish would be a good start.

Posted by Orrin Judd at January 28, 2005 11:35 PM