Jacob Robida, the teenager who assaulted patrons of a New Bedford gay bar and ultimately killed himself after a chase with police in Arkansas, does not appear to have been active in local neo-Nazi social circles. But his penchant for swastikas to code numbers like “14/88,” a fact that has brought white-supremacy groups into the coverage of Robida’s rampage.
On national supremacist Web sites such as Stormfront and White Revolution, the story has been downplayed and Robida’s actions condemned. Clearly, the leaders of hate believe it is bad public relations to be associated with, or to endorse, someone who attacks innocent people with a hatchet.
But on the North East White Pride message board (http://www.newp.org/forum), comments have been more mixed:
“It’s almost a shame that this just helps the anti’s label WN [White Nationalism] as violent psychos. Though I don’t feel bad for the faggots who got injured that night.”
— CCSKIN88
“Who knows — maybe some fag down in New Bedford will decide to stay in the closet now and keep away from our kids?....
This is exactly the kinda kid we need to reach out to. This kid could be a martyr.”
— Rob
“[If] you feel an uncontrollable need to kill the enemy, please don’t target an obscure, unknown, no named, Joe Shmoe, who happens to fit the description of one of our enemies. Instead, if you have to kill someone, let it be someone of actual importance.”
— White Wolf
“Oh great, the fag lobby is getting worked up and getting press time!.... the Boston [J]ew media is now name dropping my friend Billy Roper of White Revolution in this Jake Robida case.”
— Thor’s Wrath
“Nobody was even killed, so who gives a rats [sic] ass about a few fags got a boo-boo and had to go to the hospital.”
— Wolfsnarl
