Turner turned off

The website of rabidly racist internet-radio host Hal Turner has been shut down by hackers. Turner, who has openly called for the murder of judges on his show and website, has gone to court to stop them. (People like Turner aren't big on irony.)

An anonymous cadre of pranksters has targeted Turner's weekly Internet radio program and Web sites, in escalating attacks over the past two months that have all but put him out of business.

Turner, a white supremacist who has advocated violence against minorities and government officials, is trying to fight back, with a federal lawsuit that accuses five Web sites and "John Does 1-1,000" of engaging in fraud, extortion and racketeering.

Acting as his own attorney, Turner recently asked a judge in Newark, N.J., to grant an injunction against the Web sites, which he says make the attacks possible. But the judge said he first needs to hear from the defendants — whoever they may be.

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"He is a racist. He is viciously anti-immigrant. He's an anti-Semite and he openly urges violence of the worst sort," said Etzion Neuer, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League's New Jersey office.

Although the ADL "cannot condone any of the actions against him," Neuer said, "there's a certain irony that Turner is appealing to the courts when he has previously called for the death of judges ... I don't think any right-thinking person sheds a tear when Turner ceases broadcasting, but we would hope this would happen by legal means."

Mark Potok, who monitors hate groups for the Southern Poverty Law Center in Alabama, finds it amusing that Turner is turning to the legal system for help.

"He has gone from advertising `portable (expletive) lynching machines' to actually calling for the assassination of half of Congress and any number of other people," said Potok.

"If you watch what he says, he's very aware of exactly what the limits of constitutionally protected speech are," Potok said. "(He) is walking that line about as close as humanly possible."

I don't normally condone cyber-attacks, but if there's anyone in America who deserves this kind of treatment, it's Hal Turner.

Damian P.

Posted by damian at February 6, 2007 12:23 PM