David Lane (white supremacist)
A violent extremist whose writings from prison became a foundational text for modern white supremacist movements.
1938–2007 (age 69)·American white supremacist and criminal·Birthday: November 2·The Silent Generation
Biography
David Lane's life was a trajectory from fringe activist to convicted domestic terrorist. A committed neo-Nazi, he helped found The Order, a militant group dedicated to sparking a racial war. The group's campaign of robbery and violence culminated in the 1984 murder of Jewish talk radio host Alan Berg in Denver. Lane, who drove the getaway car, was convicted on racketeering and civil rights charges, receiving a 190-year sentence. It was behind bars that his influence metastasized. He authored the '14 Words'—'We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children'—a mantra that became the central creed for white nationalists worldwide. His prolific output of essays and manifestos, circulated through prison networks and early internet forums, provided an ideological framework that outlived him, making him a prophet of hate for a new generation of extremists.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
David was born in 1938, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When David Was Born
The biggest hits of 1938
#1 Movie
You Can't Take It with You
Best Picture
You Can't Take It with You
David's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1938Born
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1943Started school
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1951Became a teenager
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1954Could drive
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1956Could vote
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1959Turned 21
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1968Turned 30
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1978Turned 40
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 50
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 60
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2007Died at 69
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
Key Achievements
- Co-founded the violent white supremacist terrorist group known as The Order (also called the Brüder Schweigen).
- Authored the '14 Words,' which became the defining slogan of the white nationalist movement.
- Was convicted and sentenced to 190 years in prison for his role in the racketeering conspiracy that included the murder of Alan Berg.
- Wrote numerous essays and tracts from prison that systematized a racist, anti-Semitic ideology.
Did You Know?
Before his radicalization, he worked as a used car salesman and a long-haul truck driver.
He was a member of the Ku Klux Klan and the Christian Identity movement before helping to form The Order.
Lane died of complications from a heart attack while incarcerated at the federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana.
His '14 Words' are often paired with an accompanying '88', a numeric code for 'Heil Hitler.'
“We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children.”
