Montana has a bit of a reputation as a haven for crackpots. "Unabomber" Ted Kaczynski, the antigovernment Freemen and U.S. Capitol gunman Russell Weston Jr. come to mind. Our wide-open spaces and live-and-let-live nature are attractive and accommodating to all kinds, including some unsavory folks. But we have our limits. Matthew Hale found that out.
Hale is the prominent head of the World Church of the Creator, an organization that preaches the gospel of "racial holy war." He's been a too-frequent visitor to these parts, but one who's never found the welcome mat out for him. His rendezvous with followers met with community opposition, a speaking engagement at the University of Montana effectively countered by peaceful protesters, and the State Bar of Montana's Commission on Character and Fitness told him to get lost when he applied for a license to practice law.
Hale professes innocence, contending that he was targeted for prosecution because of his white supremacist views. We'll have to defer to the jury on that. We've seen enough of Hale in these parts to know he's a very calculating man. He was exceptionally skillful at rousing the rabble, running his mouth right up to the very brink of incitement. When one of his followers went on a minority-shooting spree in Illinois and Indiana five years ago, for example, Hale laughed about it but deflected all responsibility. But many bigots are eager to believe others think the way they do, and it's likely that was Hale's undoing when one of his "followers" turned out to be an FBI informant.
There's an awful lot of room in Montana for all kinds of people. But this has always been a place that values neighborliness. Montanans have always had to count on one another for many things. At the same time, it's also a state where people tend to respect one's wishes to be left alone. But Montana isn't a place to live if you want to wage holy war against your neighbors or all you want to do is stir up trouble. Matt Hale didn't find Montana very hospitable. That's a credit to the people of this great state.
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