Former hate group member
to speak tonight
 By
Laura Pelner
Campus Editor
He used to be a high-ranking official in the controversial
group, the Aryan Nation, but in 1992 he left the group and became an
advocate against hate and intolerance.
Floyd Cochran, the former fifth-ranking member
of the Aryan Nation, will speak on campus at 7 p.m. today in Stewart
Center Room 314 about hate groups in Indiana and specifically how those
groups try to recruit young members.
"When he was with the Aryan Nation, part of his
role was to recruit young people," said Joan Marshall, associate dean
for administration in the School of Liberal Arts and the chair of the
school's affirmative action committee, which is sponsoring Cochran's
visit.
"We thought it would be helpful for students and
people in the community to get a sense of how it is that someone joins
a hate group," said Marshall. "That is, why would someone join the Aryan
Nation or the Ku Klux Klan."
Marshall said the School of Liberal Arts is also
bringing Cochran to campus so people understand why someone stays in
a hate group and then why he or she leaves the group. "We wanted someone
who had lived that life, who could share it with us," said Marshall.
Along with his evening presentation, Cochran will
speak to the Interdisciplinary Studies 490B class - "Hate and Violence."
The course instructor, Rob Mate, assistant dean
of students, said, "He's going to be talking about his experiences in
the white supremacy groups, and hopefully what it was that turned him
away from that."
According to Cochran's Education and Vigilance
Network Web site, he left the hate group in 1992 after his son's life
was threatened. Cochran told another member of the hate group that his
son was born with a genetic defect — a cleft palate — and
he was told that when the Aryan Nation rose to power his son would have
to be euthanized.
Mate said Cochran's visit is important because
he has represented both sides of hate. "I'm hoping that people feel
more comfortable with him being here knowing that he can see both sides
of an issue."
Mate also said Cochran would be able to educate
people with his message. "If we know what kinds of mechanisms a white
supremacy or hate group uses to recruit members, we'll be able to better
educate our youth to be aware of what's happening to them," said Mate.
"You can't convince someone not to join a group, but through the educational
process (Cochran's) bringing to us we'll be better educated."
Cochran's presentation will complement the one
given in late February by Judy Shepard, the mother of Matthew Shepard,
the 21-year-old University of Wyoming student who was killed two years
ago because he was gay.
Marshall said Shepard gave a moving talk from the
viewpoint of someone who has been impacted by a hate crime in a violent
way. "I think (Cochran) gives us a chance to see the face of the person
on the other side of this," said Marshall. "We saw that really moving
tribute to (Shepard's) son; this will give us an idea to look at the
people who join those groups, what's going on in their psyche."
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