Updated and Republished from 2:56pm
Many Americans are not aware of this story, nor the terrorism that exists in the backyards of our own small towns.
Leith, North Dakota is a registered ghost town of 16-24 people. Its inhabitants are mostly farmers or ranchers, with land passed down generation to generation. The town has an apocalyptic beauty set against a prairie backdrop of wide-open sky and fields of wheat.
In May of 2012, an outsider named Craig Cobb moved in and started buying up property. He accumulated twelve plots of land, some empty, some with houses in various states of disrepair. People figured he'd moved in to be close to the Bakken oil fields some 70 miles north. Turns out he was a notorious white separatist who was plotting a takeover of the city government. Shortly after his plans were unveiled, a family of fellow white separatists moved in to start fixing up his properties.
'Welcome to Leith' is a feature film offering a glimpse into a town struggling for sovereignty against one man's extremist vision. Filmed in the days leading up to Cobb's arrest for terrorizing the townspeople on an armed patrol, Welcome to Leith is an eerie document of American DIY ideals played out in one of the most under populated states in the nation.
The story came to me via Unity North Dakota - the citizens who confronted the white supremacists when they attempted to take over Leith. One of the founders of Unity North Dakota said:
"These men and their supporters threatened our lives and those of our families. We need to confront hatred head on. We kicked them out of our state, but they're resurface elsewhere."
Hopefully, this documentary will be finished, but there is a time crunch. Filmmaker's Michael Beach Nichols and Christopher Walker have raised over $32,000 in pledges to make the film, but if they don't hit their goal of $60,000 by Wednesday, July 2nd, they will lose the Kickstarter pledges and this riveting documentary about racism and hatred in America might never be finished or released. You can check out the Kickstarter site. The pledge incentive gifts for this project are very impressive. Hopefully many folks will become involved/contribute to the making of this vitally important film.
You can visit the 'Welcome To Leith' Kickstarter site HERE.
Edit: The original title of this diary had been edited and more informative links have been added to clarify some issues of confusion. Always grateful to hear feedback from the community. -Leslie Salzillo
Facebook: Welcome To Leith Film, Cross-posted in Liberals Unite