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Defamatory Poster Appalls Students

Several Kirkland House residents woke up this morning to find signs plastered on their doors denouncing "minority parasites" who live off the money of "ordinary, straight While Americans."

The flier, which was produced by a West Virginia-based group calling itself the National Alliance, asks Americans to "send minority parasites packing to fend for themselves."

Phillips Brooks House Association President John B. King '95, who lives in Kirkland's K-entry, said he was disturbed to find the flier on his and four other students' doors.

"I was appalled by the content of the poster," he said, denouncing the flier "racist and homophobic in its nature."

The flier was also found taped on one of the doors of Grays Hall yesterday.

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The National Alliance is not a University-recognized group, according to the Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard. It is not known who posted the signs or whether those who did so are affili- ated with Harvard.

In an interview last night, Dean of Student Archie C. Epps III said he had not seen the fliers.

Calls to a telephone number listed on the flier were not answered. But a recorded message warned that "non-whites will become the majority" of the U.S. population as the nation undergoes "a conversion into a Third World feeding and breeding zone."

The poster, which is titled "Free Money," rails against homosexual "performance artists," "Jewish organized crime gangs," "welfare mothers" and "crooked politicians," among others.

It claims that minorities are sucking up government funds that are not available to white Americans, "who discovered, pioneered and built America and made her the greatest nation ever known."

"If you are one of the...white majority, your job is to work hard to provide money and free goodies," the flier reads.

Student leaders yesterday denounced the flier as inflammatory, racist and homophobic.

Because no one knows who posted the sign, it will be difficult to discuss the issue in an effective way, Moon Duchin '97, co-president of the Bisexual, Gay and Lesbian Student Association (BGLSA), said yesterday.

"As distressing as it is that this will go unobserved, I wonder what the right forum would be" she said.

King said he hopes the flier elicits a powerful response.

"I hope other campus leaders will react strongly to it," he said in a telephone interview. "I hope that [those who posted the sign] will come forward and explain why they felt it was appropriate."

Elie G. Kaunfer '95, chair of Hillel, said he was equally offended by the flier. But he said he was certain the Harvard community will reject its messages.

"Every stereotype in this flyer is incredibly offensive, but I'm confident that the students at Harvard are smarter than to listen to this idiotic dribble," said Kaunfer, who is also senior editor of The Crimson.

The National Alliance flier claims the group has extensive influence beyond Boston and West Virginia. It also claims that the organization's weekly radio program, WRNO, serves "North America and the world" every Friday night

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