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Wednesday, August 28, 2013

White Supremacist Tries to Take Over North Dakota Town Quietly, Legally; Fails



I an almost crazy story out of western North Dakota, Craig Paul Cobb, a white supremacist wanted in Canada (but not badly enough for them to actually extradite him when offered the chance – they apparently were o.k. not having him back), slowly and quietly bought up parcels of land in a tiny western North Dakota town near the Bakken Shale fields.  The town had 19 people before he got there. He bought up a lot of the town’s available real estate for a few thousand dollars here and there, most of which had been on the market forever.  He then started recruiting others on white supremacy message boards with the lure of cheap land, nearby available jobs, and the promise that if they were quiet for long enough, and enough moved to town (around 20 people), they could effectively take over the town politically by doubling the population.

Things went awry when Cobb opened up his mouth when someone in town asked what he was doing.  The Southern Poverty Law Center, who monitors white supremacy message boards, also showed up in town and talked to the mayor.  The town reacted appropriately and bought up the rest of the available parcels so Cobb would have nowhere else to buy.  The town’s one black resident is unsettled by the new neighbors.

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