Fargo man who marched in Charlottesville responds to family estrangement – TwinCities.com-Pioneer Press

FARGO, N.D. Peter Teffts voice was hoarse, the result, he said, of tear gas he breathed over the weekend in Charlottesville, Va., where white supremacists and counterprotesters clashed during demonstrations that turned deadly.

This is the beginning of the new civil rights era, said Tefft, a 30-year-old from Fargo who describes himself as a pro-white civil rights activist and whose family members publicly disavowed his views Monday.

Asked how he felt about the estrangement, Tefft said he doesnt hold anything against his family and that he was angry that relatives, including a 13-year-old niece, were receiving threats.

Teffts father, Pearce Tefft, sent the Fargo-based Forum newspaper a letter to the editor condemning the involvement of his youngest child in the events that happened in Charlottesville.

In Pearce Teffts letter to newspaper, he described his son as an avowed white nationalist and said the rest of the Tefft family wants the world to know they reject the vile, hateful, and racist rhetoric his son has embraced.

In a Monday phone interview, Pearce Tefft said his son did not grow up learning such things, but began expressing extreme views on race about two years ago.

Pearce Tefft said hes not sure of the source of his sons involvement in the white nationalist movement, but he believes it is bolstered by praise from like-minded people whenever his son speaks out on the subject.

He got lost in getting kudos. I dont know for sure, Im speculating, Tefft said, adding that when his son returned to Fargo from Charlottesville, he handed his son a copy of the letter he wrote and let his son know he wasnt welcome at family functions until he distanced himself from groups that foment racial hatred.

I look at Peter as a prodigal son, Tefft said. I do pray that he will renounce all this stuff and come back.

He didnt grow up with it, and I do think he will change, Tefft said, adding: Maybe Im screaming at the wind, I dont know. I just hope he will.

During the weekend events in Charlottesville, Peter Tefft spoke to a number of media outlets and images of him were circulated on the internet.

Peter Tefft said he went to Charlottesville to hear speakers give talks, listen to music and exercise the right to free speech.

Were not politically incorrect, were factually correct, he said, adding, Im certainly not a hateful person.

He said he is looking to organize a pro-white civil rights event in Fargo in October. He said he expects 200 to 300 local residents would attend.

Peter Tefft grew up in Fargo and works in construction as a drywaller and framer, according to his father, who said the attention his son has been getting has been hard on siblings and other relatives, some of whom, he said, have received hateful attention on social media sites because people think incorrectly that family members share his sons views.

Its just wrong; they said some terrible things, Pearce Tefft said, referring to comments directed toward his family.

In his letter to the public, Tefft said he is breaking his silence on his sons views because one reason Nazism took root in the world was because people hesitated to stand up against what they knew to be wrong.

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, Tefft said.

Jacob Scott Wieber, Peter Teffts nephew, said in an interview with WDAY-TV that the majority of the Tefft family are progressive-minded people.

Our grandfather, Pearce, who is Peters father, taught us all to believe in the fundamental equality of all human beings, and we all believe in social justice and equality, Wieber said.

His (Peter Teffts) mind has been poisoned by stuff hes found on this crazy rabbit hole hes gone into, added Wieber, who cautioned people not to judge the rest of the family on the actions and beliefs of one member.

Its just been a great big headache, Wieber said. I would say these people are motivated by the right motivations Nazis should not have a welcome place in this country but theyre targeting the wrong people. Its friendly fire, in a way.

Wieber said that if he could say one thing to his uncle, I would say if he has any love left in his little hateful heart for us, he should change his name.

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Fargo man who marched in Charlottesville responds to family estrangement - TwinCities.com-Pioneer Press