Western North Carolina Citizens for an End to Institutional Bigotry(WNCCEIB)

WNCCEIB's Letter-to-the-Editor

Published in The Black Mountain News (NC) on February 19, 2003

To The Editor:

In your February 13 article, "Attorney says FBI playing 'white supremacist card,'" Kirk Lyons states that it offends him that "anyone would think I would betray my country during time of war or anytime."

Whatever the facts turn out to be in the espionage case in Washington state (and Mr. Lyons has not been accused of any illegality), readers familiar with Mr. Lyons' past actions and statements might be excused for suspecting crocodile tears in his words.

After all, Mr. Lyons told the (Raleigh) News & Observer in its April 19, 1992 edition that he wanted to be the President of the Republic of Texas and that, according to article, "he might permit a small minority population to live within its borders."

Mr. Lyons has also taken credit for helping to draft the 1996 "New Albany Declaration: A Confederate declaration" which expresses the possibility of the South seceding again if demands aren't met for 'Southern rights.'

Moreover, in a 1992 interview with Volkstreue, a 'nationalist' skinhead publication for German neo-nazis, Mr. Lyons said that, "Democracy is a farce and a failure. I don't believe in democracy."

On the March 18, 1993 Sally Jessy Raphael TV show entitled, "White Collar Racists," Mr. Lyons suggested that we "divvy" up the country among the races and said, according to the official transcript of the show, "If someone will give me $300,000, I will leave the country. I will move tomorrow. I will move tomorrow."

These examples and other documentation of Mr. Lyons' activities may be read at our organization's web site, <www.main.nc.us/wncceib/>.

Sincerely,

Monroe Gilmour

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Gilmour is coordinator of WNCCEIB