Disaster Planning Context of the Movie \'American

Disaster Planning

Context of the movie 'American History X'

American culture is arguably less racist than it was 80 years ago. It is certainly less racist that it was 150 years ago. At least most people would like to think so. America currently has its first black president, something that was inconceivable even at the time of the passing of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Jim Crow Laws are no longer a part if of the legal framework of the nation. We no longer have officially segregated schools, but it can be argued that schools are still segregated culturally. The movie American History X it makes the rhetorical argument that even though America would like to believe that it has shed its racist skin, in fact racism is still a very real part of the American fabric.

In his 1998 film American History X, director Tony Kaye, makes the rhetorical statement that we are not as advanced in our fight against racism as many Americans would like to believe. The film tells the story of a former neo- Nazi skinhead who tries desperately to convince his brother not to go down the same violent and destructive path that he once did. The film is a graphic and realistic portrayal of the violence and racism that defines the neo-Nazi skinhead movement.

It is clear from the dramatic, yet factual material presented in the film that Kaye had a purpose beyond entertainment. He paints the neo-Nazi movement as the modern day KKK. He does not do this directly, but it is difficult to watch this film and fail to see the resemblance. Kaye chose is material purposefully throughout the film, making a statement with each and every scene. Kaye shows crowds of neo-Nazis terrorizing a major U.S. City with a racist acts. These scenes give the impression that the neo-Nazi movement is not an insignificant and isolated subculture only found in big city ghettos, but rather a force that has the potential to turn back the clocks of American history to less civilized times.

It would be easy to quickly revert to a historical analysis of racism and how far we have come. That is almost a kneejerk reaction when someone mentions the term racism, but this is not a movie about the 1930s or the Civil War for that matter. It is a modern movie set in modern times. Kaye presents racism as a major contemporary social issue, not a historical one. Neo-Nazis in the film commit criminal acts and many are jailed and spend prison time for their crimes, Society as a whole does not agree with, or tolerate their activities, yet, society is powerless to stop them all together. In the end the younger brother will have to make his own choice and may choose to go down the path of if racial violence, regardless of his brothers council against it. The point that Kaye makes is that racism cannot be legislated away.

Kaye's rhetorical argument in the film is that racism cannot be stopped and that it is more widespread than many people believe. It is the key rhetorical argument that must be examined. In order to examine Kaye's statement, we first need to examine the prevalence of the neo-Nazi movement and its potential to become a force in promoting its ideals throughout society. Another kneejerk reaction in American society that happens when someone says racism, is that they automatically jump to dark skinned people, and more recently those from the Middle East. Once again, the American mind set automatically jumps to a historical analysis of racism as a "black" issue. In fact, the neo-Nazi movement hates gays and any other minority group. Their favorite targets are Jews, whim they believe are in a conspiracy that secretly controls the financial institutions, the media, and even the United States Government (Southern Poverty Law Center, 2012).

The home page of the American Nazi Party opens with the greeting, "Racial Greetings White Brothers and Sisters!" (American Nazi Party, 2012). It only takes a few more sentences to see that this is not a group of individuals, but a well-organized political agenda designed to bring America under socialist rule. They talk about the success of "Phase One" serving its purpose well into the 21st Century. Later on, they talk about not "exposing themselves" through rallies or marches, but that they stress "small cell" and individual activism. It was beginning to sound like Kaye's rhetorical argument was gaining more ground. This was a movement with an intention and a purpose, just as Kaye proposed. Reading on, the platform of the American Nazi Party wants to build a self-sufficient nation that promotes the family farm, motherhood, family, an honest economy, energy, and the environment, and spiritual rebirth….but only from those who can prove they are "worthy" blood members of the white Aryan race (American Nazi Party, 2012). Their symbol is the eagle and the swastika…as chilling as the images in American History X.