[Vision2020] Hess Leaves NIC News Staff

[Tom Hansen]

>From today's (February 13, 2007) Spokesman Review -

"The Southern Poverty Law Center calls Hess a white supremacist of national
prominence. He was formerly the California leader of the European-American
Rights Organization, a group run by ex-Ku Klux Klansman David Duke."

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hess leaves NIC news staff 
Activist blames 'political correctness'

Meghann M. Cuniff 
Staff writer
February 13, 2007

Self-proclaimed European-American civil rights activist Stan Hess left his
position on the North Idaho College student newspaper last week because the
paper uses the phrase "illegal immigrants" to describe people who come into
the country illegally.

Hess says he prefers the term "illegal aliens."

"If I have to be basically handcuffed by political correctness, it frames
the discussion in a way that is not conducive to free speech," Hess said. "
'Illegal immigrant' is an oxymoron." 

Sentinel adviser Nils Rosdahl said the newspaper adheres to The Associated
Press Stylebook, which recently released an addendum that calls for
journalists to use the term "illegal immigrant" instead of illegal alien.

Hess, 62, called the style policy "censorship and a violation of the First
Amendment" in an e-mail to the entire Sentinel staff.

The Southern Poverty Law Center calls Hess a white supremacist of national
prominence. He was formerly the California leader of the European-American
Rights Organization, a group run by ex-Ku Klux Klansman David Duke.The
Sentinel is a for-credit class - any NIC student can join the staff, simply
by signing up and paying the fee.
 
Hess, 62, said he was heartened by his showing in the five-way race for a
seat on the NIC Board of Trustees last November - he garnered nearly 12
percent of the vote - and wanted to stay involved on campus. He said when he
joined the Sentinel that he hoped to write stories of interest to
European-Americans.

But in his recent e-mail to the Sentinel staff, Hess wrote that he joined
the class "as an exploratory probe into the mindset of political
correctness."

"I received essential intelligence, which will prove invaluable for the
European American Community," he wrote.

Hess has been active in anti-immigration work, attending rallies while
working with Duke's organization in California. He traveled to Bonners Ferry
last week to talk about the issue with Gov. Butch Otter, who was visiting
the North Idaho town.

He told Otter that when he was in California, he had been "pushed out of our
state by illegal aliens" and didn't want the same thing to happen in Idaho.

In an interview Monday, Hess said his activism stems from an incident in
1975 in which he was shot in the face and called a "white boy" while driving
a cab.

Hess wrote at least one story for the Sentinel, about bus service at NIC,
but news editor Holly Bowen said she couldn't publish it because he was no
longer on staff. Rosdahl said Hess was not a problem during the short time
he was part of the class.

"He was the very first one to turn in his story," Rosdahl said.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho