Poisonous snakes and alligators are not the only reptiles preying on victims of this disaster. The Missouri Attorney General's office has moved to freeze the assets of St. Louis based Frank Weltner, who is soliciting money for "aid" to white victims of Hurricane Katrina.
I first heard of this this morning on local NPR Station
KBIA-FM:
Lawsuit Filed Against Hurricane Fund
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI (2005-09-08) A St. Louis man's website seeking donations in the name of hurricane relief prompts a lawsuit by attorney general Jay Nixon. The action is aimed at self-described white separatist Frank Weltner, whose assets Nixon wants to freeze. Nixon contends there's no evidence that money donated through the site would reach the storm's victims. Nixon says the web site links to at least ten sites operated by Weltner with Hurricane relief-related themes. He says Weltner also operates a site widely regarded as anti-semetic (sic). The attorney general says all of the sites are linked to a suburban St. Louis post office box for donations. A listed number could not be found for Weltner to seek comment.
The Washington Post reports:
Today a Missouri federal judge signed a temporary restraining order against Frank Weltner, 64, of St. Louis, Mo., that prohibits him from accepting donations through the slew of Web sites he registered with names like www.donate-katrina.com, www.clergydonations.com, and www.internetdonations.org. Weltner is also the owner of JewWatch.com, a decidedly anti-Semitic Web site
Weltner is affiliated with the white supremacist National Vanguard project and produces radio shows and seminars for this Klan supported white supremacist and anti-Semitic hate group.
Other web based race hate groups are also cashing in on Katrina. One of the most abominable is whiterevolution.com (content advisory -- truly hateful stuff here) which reports things like:
They're eating people! A black civil rights leader is reporting, "It is reported that black hurricane victims in New Orleans have begun eating corpses to survive." After only three and a half days without their welfare checks for twinkies and ho hos, those fat, black, oddly-shaped welfare mommas have decided those corpses floating by would look might tasty with barbeque sauce on them.
..and seeks support from "white patriots" to fund tent cities for whites only in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama. The site also has begun a campaign called "Cartridges for Katrina" in which they promise:
For every black looter you shoot, and provide proof of a clean kill, White Revolution will provide reimbursement of all expended ammunition, at no charge. That's our guarantee, to you.
There is poison in the floodwaters of Katrina, allright, and some of it is truly evil. Let's hope the Department of Homeland Security will fix these despicable scum in its sights as part of its campaign to make the devastated areas "safe" for actual rescue and recovery efforts.
Update [2005-9-8 13:40:44 by Eddie Haskell]:: The BBC is running a piece about this as I type on it's Newshour program by reporter Leslie Cohen reporting from Baton Rouge. Will post a link as soon as audio is available