
{\obeylines
Examiner Letters to the Editor
Friday, 9 December 1988
\smallskip
Tom Jennings
164 Shipley St.
San Francisco CA 94107
(415)-882-9832
}
\parskip8pt

ref: Thursday, 8 December Examiner article (starting on page 1)�
regarding violent fascist skinheads in the Bay Area.

\centerline{* * *}

You article on violent fascists in Thursdays Examiner was�
generally good, in that it illuminated something that's being�
ignored in our society, but also very misleading, and may even�
put some of us in danger from would-be do-gooders. 

People cannot be reduced to clothing or haircuts, just as we�
cannot be reduced to just skin color. This is dangerous, short�
cut thinking. 

The ``How to Spot a Skinhead'' drawing was simply wrong: you�
cannot spot bigots by the way they dress. There are more bigots,�
racists, anti-semites, fascists, etc. that wear ``normal�
clothes'', in both numbers and proportion, than there are�
otherwise. (Besides, fashion-wise, most skinheads wear surplus�
nylon ``bomber jackets'', not leather or denim.) The drawing as�
about as useful, and as amusing, as those ``How to Spot a�
Preppy/Hippy/Whatever'' posters. 

The same sort of simplistic thinking is at work in many�
``Neighborhood Watch'' programs, where neighbors are instructed�
to report ``suspicious looking persons'' to the police;�
frequently this means that a black person in a predominantly�
white neighborhood is reported as ``suspicious looking'', out of�
fear and ignorance, rather than overt racism.

For example, I have very short hair, a black leather jacket,�
levis and Doc Martens. I am not a skinhead, a bigot or fascist,�
nor am I a fag-basher; as a matter of fact I am gay. If you had�
done a bit more research, you would have found that many, if not�
most, people that wear funny haircuts, leather jackets, levis and�
boots do more specifically anti-fascist work than many ``normal�
looking'' people; we volunteer for grassroots political groups,�
support human rights in the US and abroad, do community service,�
work at Rock Against Racism shows, all ages/drug free shows,�
political protests, etc. Even if you don't agree with these�
things, they are hardly bigoted or fascist acts. Also, the nasty�
skinheads (as opposed to the OK ones) consider us their enemies,�
too.

Fortunately or unfortunately, you have to interact with people in�
some way to find out what their views are. Fact is, most wars�
were started by white people who wear suits. These sort of people�
have also done a large proportion of the atrocities against�
fellow humans in recorded history. See how useful this process�
is?


\leftskip 3in\obeylines
Tom Jennings
San Francisco CA

\bye
