Please. There are not "Nazis from Roanoke". There is one uber-racist who lives there, a person named Bill White. Here is an article from the Roanoke Times:
http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/36566
From that article:
"White said he is the only Roanoke member of the group, which also calls itself America's Nazi Party, and he said he was joined Saturday by NSM members from Michigan, Kentucky and Illinois, in addition to supporters from Toledo.
In recent years, White has emerged as a controversial figure in Roanoke, largely for his real estate purchases, which included at least 15 properties in Roanoke's West End since the spring of 2004. Some critics question why the editor of a white supremacist Web site would want to buy property in a racially mixed neighborhood.
In November, White became the target of a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development investigation looking into complaints alleging unfair eviction and housing discrimination."
Roanoke has a history of reasonably good race relations. It got through the integration period without the riots that plagued places like Greensboro, NC, due to the combined efforts of some prominent black and white businessmen, who worked behind the scenes to keep the peace.
It sickens me to see Roanoke tarred with such a negative brush because ONE disturbed individual has moved there ( he's really from Maryland), and has been spreading such a hateful message.
I stand corrected by your superior information.
WhatI meant was "why does it take a wierdo to draw attention to this condition?".
I think this event has drawn some attention to some neighborhoods "in transition" - that I haven't really thought about. Some tough demographics at work. Couple this with aging boomer population who cannot escape conditions. Not a good combination.