[None of the Above raw #11]

Raw footage for "None of the Above," a documentary on non-voters during the 1996 presidential election. This tape features footage from a KKK rally in Portage, IN. We watch as members of the KKK address an audience of followers and protesters.

00:00Copy video clip URL This tape begins with footage from in and around a Ku Klux Klan rally. On a crisp autumn day a number of KKK supporters quietly make their way into the rally. We watch as the camera operator gathers footage of the heavy police presence. Law enforcement officials are seen sprawled out all over the area keeping a vigilant watch over the event and its attendees.

04:16Copy video clip URL The camera operator and interviewer make their way over to a gated area where the KKK supporters reside. The documentarians begin to ask a number of people about their voting habits. They approach a large bearded man adorned in a leather jacket and sunglasses. The interviewer asks him whether he voted in the last primary. The man explains that he doesn’t vote very often and goes into his reasons for that decision. He explains that he is turned off by the political process because of the amount of dishonesty within the system. Ironically enough, the man goes on to say, “I mean you have your bad in everybody, you know and with the blacks and the whites, you know I’m not really prejudiced but with the blacks coming around you know there’s always a lot of fights here and there I mean, but like I said you got bad in everything. So you can’t really put it on to one person, or one color, one race or whatever you want to say, but as far as this really I’m just here just to see how it is, you know what I mean?” The man goes on to say that we will never be able to believe in the political system again.

07:00Copy video clip URL The interviewer begins to speak with another man about his voting habits. He states that he voted for Clinton in the last election. When asked why he likes Clinton as president, the man quietly responds, “Well I’m still working for one thing and foreign policy he’s been doing good.” The man goes on to say, “I wouldn’t vote for none of these actors and people that’s not been on it because we got to go against that Washington establishment. Jimmy Carter found that out.” We then continue to watch as police officials pad down the rally attendees for weapons. The interviewer and camera operator then begin to interview other people in attendance. Many turn down participating in the interview. However, some do decide to sign a release for the use of their footage in the documentary.

12:50Copy video clip URL The interviewer begins to speak with a KKK rally attendee about his voting habits. The tall, brooding man expresses his interest in voting for state issues rather than federal issues, specifically citing motorcycle helmet laws as the main issue he votes on. He also states that one person, referring to the president, shouldn’t be able to “say yes or no to everything.” The documentarians move on through the large line of attendees and begin to speak with an older man about his voting habits. The man strongly expresses his disdain for politics and the problems with the Medicaid program. He states that in order to change things in Washington, every Congressman, political official, and the President himself has to be removed. However, he goes on to express the importance of showing up to the polls and voting. “The vote was so light in the last election you just wouldn’t believe it. There’s more people than that and you say to yourself, you look around Portage, you say, hey twenty-six thousand people, how the hell does a guy get elected with thirty-two hundred votes? Where’s everybody at? What are you doing, staying home? The people got lazy!” The man goes on to express his disdain for the manipulation from the presidential candidates in the last election.

19:30Copy video clip URL Cut to an interview with Grand Dragon of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, Troy Murphy. The documentarians ask Murphy about his voting habits, specifically whether he voted in the last election and whether any of the candidates suited his needs as a voter. Murphy states that he voted for Pat Buchanan because he wasn’t the “typical run of the mill politician.” Murphy goes on to talk about the lack of fairness in the voting process, specifically citing the electoral college as being unfair. He goes on to talk about the KKK’s involvement in the voting process. “We’re involved in the process because we understand that unfortunately the way the system is, we have to accept it, but we still understand that voting is one of our, probably our best freedoms we still have here in America. And certainly it’s one way of making change legally without having to use militias or basically have anarchy here in America.” Murphy then makes a few comments about the future of voting in America. He states that those who are already voting will continue to do so, but that those who don’t probably won’t vote because of their lack of faith in the system. The camera operator asks Murphy who he would like to see as president, living or dead. Murphy says that he would like to see Thomas Jefferson in office again.

23:02Copy video clip URL Cut to an interview with another rally attendee. When approached by the documentarians, the man seems to be a little timid about the thought of an interview but slowly lets his guard down and describes his dislike of the voting process and the candidates involved in it. The documentarians quickly move on and gather footage of other attendees being searched before the rally. The line of supporters gets larger and larger as the beginning of the rally grows near. The camera operator gets some footage of a KKK supporter speaking with a reporter about his thoughts on African-Americans. “When America was born, we imported them bastards and guess what? They get better rights than we do! I’m sorry but they’re always bitching and complaining and, ‘Oh I’m black, oh my God, I’m so deprived,’ you know. Piss on you! I’m white and I’m getting fucking, they want to harass me. Excuse me.”

26:02Copy video clip URL The documentarians begin to talk with two younger KKK supporters about their views on voting. One of the men quickly begins to talk about flaws in the voting process and the need for national socialism. When asked who he voted for in the last election, the man states that he gave Pat Buchanan his vote because of the fact that he has white supremacist cabinet members. He then addresses a question about the notion of the voting process failing the American people. “Because everyone’s preaching equal rights but white people don’t have equal rights anymore. The nigger gets everything.” The young man goes on to talk about the possibility of World War III and has this to say about what would happen. “And I think when that’s going on there’s going to be a racial war, and all the blacks will be out of the country in one way or another, hopefully off the face of the earth too.” When asked when he believes this will happen, the young man responds, “Hopefully sometime before I die so I live to see a white world.” The documentarians go on to speak with a few more attendees. They eventually talk with a man who is at the rally with his young child. He talks about the flaws in the voting process, the effect of voting on the country, and his thoughts on who would make a great president. He states that he would vote for the Grand Wizard of the KKK for president before ending the interview.

31:36Copy video clip URL The documentarians are approached by one of the men from earlier in the video that spoke to a reporter about the rally. Throughout the interview, the man gets slightly perturbed over the thought of talking to the interviewer and camera operator. The man refers to the organization of the rally as “stupid.” “When Farakhan has a meeting does he have this, does he have all this: look at, horses, SWAT, helicopters, I mean, c’mon I’m just a white guy. I’m sorry I live in America. Is this stupid? Whoever arranged this needs to be out. I mean c’mon this is a waste of my money. I’m paying for this.” The man appears to be slightly inebriated. He goes on to say that he likes Bill Clinton as president because “he didn’t inhale.” The camera operator then begins to document the beginning of the KKK rally. Members of the group are seen standing behind a gated area, adorned in white clothing and hoods and other lavish costumes. Both the Confederate and American flags ripple in the wind as they are held up by various KKK members. They begin the rally by blasting some classic rock through a number of loud speakers.

38:14Copy video clip URL A Klan member addresses those in attendence and begins with a prayer. KKK members bow their heads and listen attentively as the man reciting the prayer asks that it be a peaceful rally “but if not, let the shit begin!” This cuts over to another speaker who begins to denoucne interracial marriage. Other speakers take the microphone throughout the rally. Imperial Wizard Rodney Stubs takes the microphone and talks about influx of African-Americans moving into the Portage area.

41:09Copy video clip URL The interviewer tries to do an introduction for the documentary as KKK members scream their message through the loud speakers. This lasts for several minutes.

44:17Copy video clip URL One of the members advertises a cross lighting ceremony that will take place later that night. A Klan member by the name of Steve Bauers take the mic and begins to spew off racist comments and expletives at a crowd of protesters in the distance. It is a bit of a cringe moment. He goes on to say, “All over the world not only in America, the white man is beginning to rise up in a thunderous fury to take back his land, and to take back his culture, and to take back his heritage, and to punish those who have destroyed our culture and destroyed our heritage. And when the white man begins to rise up, when the sleeping giant of the white man  rises up, NO POWER ON EARTH WILL HOLD US DOWN!” Throughout this part of the tape, the sound cuts in and out as the speaker finishes what he has to say. This cuts into another speaker who begins to spew out racial slurs and expletives at the crowd. “If you have them filthy ass pieces of scum for neighbors, you outta move out. Let ’em take control of it. Let ’em live like niggers on welfare. That’s all they come to Portage for. Chicago cannot give out no more welfare, neither can Gary, so they’re coming to Portage.”

47:51Copy video clip URL Grand Dragon C. Edward Foster takes the mic and begins to disrespect nearly every person in attendance at the meeting. “You know who we are? We are the Ku Klux Klan. We are white people, and we are proud of it. Now look at them white sluts over there hanging on them niggers. “YOU MAKE ME PUKE! YOU MAKE ME VOMIT! Yes, and the Jew media, look at this. Go home and bow down to your Zog Jew empire, and we got Bubba here [referring to an African-American member of the press]. Wonder where he stole his camera at? Go home and bow to your Jew, yeah smile Jew!” Foster goes on to say, “We just had a national gathering lemme tell you something: LOOK OUT NIGGER THE KLAN”S GETTING BIGGER!” Foster also addresses the notion of religion in the KKK. “Don’t let them fool preachers teach you that Judeo-Christian religion. That’s a paradox! There is no such thing as Judeo-Christian religion. Judaism is Judaism. Christian is Christian. There is but one God, and he is white!” Foster then talks about the KKK’s involvement in America’s school systems and goes on to angrily taunt an African-American member of the protest audience. Foster gets so heated up that even his fellow Klan members tell him to “take it easy.” Foster’s speech lasts for nearly five minutes and is extremely hard to watch.

51:42Copy video clip URL A female member of the Klan begins to give a speech on the history of the Klan. This cuts into another speaker who begins to scream out racial slurs about African-Americans and homosexuals. He also criticizes President Clinton for his support for Affirmative Action. Shortly afterwards, the Klan ends the meeting by blasting Bruce Springsteen’s “Born In The USA” through the loud speakers. A KKK member also gives a final address to the crowd and states, “The Ku Klux Klan does not stand for hatred. It stands for heritage. It stands for the love of the white race. I am a racist, and I am a prejudiced person, and I am proud to be a white supremacist.” The Klan members then slowly begin to leave the site. The camera operator gathers footage of the Klan as they are leaving. Klan members and KKK protesters also begin to shout and chant back and forth at one another.

01:00:36Copy video clip URL The documentarians begin to interview Klan member Steve Bauers about his thoughts on the American voting system. Bauers states that it is “an absolute joke” and explains why he thinks that the system has failed the American people. He goes on to say that in order to really change things in the country, there needs to be a declaration of martial law to liberate the nation’s cities. He also states that he would like to see himself or a Klansman in office. The interview gets cut off by the end of the tape.

01:02:53Copy video clip URL Tape ends.