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In the wake of violence like that visited upon a Milwaukee Wisconsin area Sikh Temple, questions about the perpetrator – especially about their background and possible motivations – abound. While it is still early in the investigation, it seems clear at this point that the murderous perpetrator Wade Page had affiliations with the broader White Supremacist movement – and was a member of several Hate Rock groups including ‘End Apathy’ and ‘Definite Hate’. Here, the White Supremacist Music / Hate Rock aspect of this developing account sets it apart from other mass-casualty and domestic terrorism events.
Recently, I wrote about the use of music in recruiting and radicalization among Islamist jihadi terrorists. However, one of the key points that my colleagues and I discovered as we researched music and videos that espoused the use of violence is that the amount of music produced as part of the broader White Supremacist movement including recorded and live performances, as well as festivals, is staggering. And the calls for and glorification of violence are commonplace. Not surprisingly, one of the hallmarks of White Supremacist music is its emphasis on targeting racial, ethnic, and religious minorities including Jews, Blacks, Latinos, and more recently Muslims. However, there are several themes that help to paint a more complete picture:
Awakening – While this is generally a key theme across various terrorist groups over time and location, White Supremacist groups may feel that it is their duty to spread awareness to those who are ignorant of the threats posed by non-Whites.
Conspiracy – The ZOG (Zionist Occupied Government) is purported to be pulling strings behind the scenes, while subjugating and exploiting Whites.
Decay – The collapse of ‘traditional’ values and the attendant social problems are purported to be caused by racial, ethnic, and religious minorities.
Heroes – Commemoration of those who have sacrificed for the broader cause, an example of this in the context of White Supremacist music is the band Max Resist’s song “14 words” which lionizes ‘The Order’ (Silent Brotherhood), a group that was responsible for a series of armored car and bank robberies, as well as the murder of Alan Berg.
‘Us’ versus ‘Them’ Distinctions – One of the most important and prominent themes is the obsessive focus on us/them boundaries and the essential differences between White Christians and all others.
Action – Taking actions, and in particular, violent forms of action are very commonly referenced.
A couple of years ago, one of my former students did a detailed research study examining the lyrical themes in White Supremacist music and in short found a series of reliable and recurrent themes. Those mentioned here are just a small (but representative) sample of what we found. But it is important to note that emphasizing the need for ‘awakening’ is one of the themes that is particularly important in the context of violence, because violence is positioned as the means by which the masses can be shocked from their collective complacency. Not only are the perceived problems and threats that Whites face attributed to racial and religious minorities, but the solution to those problems is purported to be through the embracing of eliminationist themes and justification of violence.
However, what sets this particular instance apart from other mass-casualty and terror attacks is that someone who was directly involved in the White Power music subculture as a creator of the music was also the perpetrator – quite possibly in the service of trying to cause others to ‘awaken’ to the importance of the problems that Wade perceived to be threatening the very core of his White Christian social identity.
Additional frustrations and grievances, along with near-term catalysts (i.e., problems with relationships, employment, etc.) certainly have an important place in unpacking the motivations of this murderer. However, this particular tragedy is one of very few that has such a direct link to Hate Rock and White Supremacist Music, and in that regard definitely warrants a very close level of follow up and scrutiny.
I’ve spent a significant amount of time thinking about, and researching, if and how music might matter in the context of violence and terrorism. And in this case, based on the initial reporting – which of course may change as additional details come out in the course of a more thorough investigation – it seems as though Hate Rock and the White Supremacist music subculture were influential factors. The myriad songs, albums, videos, and concerts that have developed in the name of the White Power music culture have often been dismissed as crude and not particularly important or influential. Perhaps this tragic and horrific case may prompt us to pay a bit more attention.
