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| Tefft posted a picture of himself with a statue of Thomas Jefferson in Charlottesville |
The father of a white nationalist who was caught on camera protesting
at the violent Charlottesville rally has publicly disowned his son.
Pearce Tefft, whose youngest son Pete was among a group of white
supremacists who marched in Virginia on Saturday, says his son is
no longer welcome at family gatherings unless he changes his beliefs.
'I, along with all of his siblings and his entire family, wish to loudly
repudiate my son's vile, hateful, and racist rhetoric and actions,'
Tefft, of Fargo, North Dakota, wrote in an open letter to the Inforum.
Pearce Tefft, (right) the father of white nationalist Pete Tefft (left)
who was caught on camera protesting at the violent
Charlottesville rally has publicly disowned his son
'I have shared my home and hearth with friends and acquaintances of
every race, gender, and creed. I have taught all of my children that
all men and women are created equal. That we must love each
other all the same,' he continued. However, he acknowledged, that
Peter chose another path.
Pearce Tefft, who is in is 60s, insists he doesn't know where his
son picked up his extremist beliefs.
While he was reluctant to speak out about his own son, Tefft acknowledged:
'It was the silence of good people that allowed the Nazis to flourish the
first time around, and it is the silence of good people that is allowing
them to flourish now.'
'My son is not welcome at our family gatherings any longer. I pray my
prodigal son will renounce his hateful beliefs and return home.
Tefft of Fargo, North Dakota, said he doesn't know where
his son (pictured) picked up his extremist beliefs
Tefft posted a picture of himself with a statue of
Thomas Jefferson in Charlottesville
'He once joked, 'The thing about us fascists is, it's not that we don't
believe in freedom of speech. You can say whatever you want.
We'll just throw you in an oven.'
'Peter, you will have to shovel our bodies into the oven, too. Please son,
renounce the hate, accept and love all.'
He also urged people not to harass other members of the Tefft
family who reject Pete's hateful rhetoric.
Pearce Tefft isn't the only family member to speak out
about Pete's nationalism.
His niece Jo, who described Pete as 'my Nazi uncle', tweeted: 'Pete Tefft literally had a psychotic break while high on acid and turned into a Nazi one day. That's it. That's the story.'
Pete's nephew Jacob Scott also denounced him, telling WDAY 6 that the whole family, who he described as 'bleeding heart liberals' were horrified by Tefft who had made threats against his own family.
The Dodge Challenger (pictured), which is registered to Fields, plowed into counter protesters, killing one woman and hospitalizing 19 others, as violence erupted at a rally where thousands of white nationalists gathered for an alt-right event in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Saturday. Police said a total of 35 people were treated for injuries
People were heard screaming and crying in the aftermath of the smash, as blood was splattered on a car's windshield and victims were desperately calling out for medical help
A witness claimed the act was intentional. He said : 'Yeah, it was intentional. About 40 miles an hour, hit about 15-20 people, crashed into the two cars in front of it, and then backed up and sped away while cops were standing on the side of the road and didn't do anything'
'Peter is a maniac, who has turned away from all of us and gone down some insane internet rabbit-hole, and turned into a crazy Nazi. He scares us all, we don't feel safe around him, and we don't know how he came to be this way. My grandfather feels especially grieved, as though he has failed as a father.'
The younger Tefft, who is listed as owning a drywall business in Fargo called Dodeca Drywall, was photographed at the Charlottesville rally which swiftly turned violent on Saturday. One woman was killed at the event after a white supremacist plowed his car into the crowd, also injuring 19.
Tefft previously admitted he was '100 per cent pro-white' after a series of posters were plastered around his home town, naming him as a Nazi.
The posters were displayed in January after an activist noticed Tefft's extreme political views online, including a Tinder account that reads 'We must secure the existence for our people and a future for white children.'
Tefft, who was reportedly married but lists himself as single on Facebook, told the Inforum his post reflected his desire for a white wife and children.
'I'm a white Christian and 100 percent pro-white. 'White Supremacist' is a word used to intimidate Christians and to stifle discord when all of us should be communicating,' Tefft said.
'I'm interested solely in legal political action to further pro-white interests. We as white people have a right to exist, our own identity, and a right to campaign politically and legally for our own interests,' Tefft said via email, adding he plans to respond to the posters by starting a newspaper or newsletter with the help of 'many associates.'
James Alex Fields Jr (left and right), of Maumee, Ohio, was arrested on Saturday after he 'intentionally drove his vehicle into a crowd of anti-fascists at white nationalist rally, killing Heyer and injuring 19 others' in Charlottesville, Virginia
White activists clash with a group of protesters as the violence flared in Charlottesville on Saturday
The opposing groups got into brawls throughout the march
Hundreds of white nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the 'alt-right' march down East Market Street toward Lee Park during the 'United the Right' rally
Rescue workers assist people who were injured when a car drove through a group of counter protesters, killing one
(The Mail, UK)
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