US facing surge in rightwing extremists and militias

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/04/us-surge-rightwing-extremist-groups

The US is facing a surge in anti-government extremist groups and armed militias, driven by deepening hostility on the right to Barack Obama, anger over the economy, and the increasing propagation of conspiracy theories by parts of the mass media such as Fox News.

The Southern Poverty Law Centre, the US's most prominent civil rights group focused on hate organisations, said in a report that extremist "patriot" groups "came roaring back to life" last year as their number jumped nearly 250% to more than 500 with deepening ties to conservative mainstream politics.

The SPLC report, called Rage on the Right, said the rise in extremist groups was "a cause for grave concern" given their propensity to use violence during their heyday in the 90s, most notably with the Oklahoma City bombing that killed 168 people. It added that the issues driving support for such groups were increasingly populist and that "signs of growing radicalisation are everywhere". snip

"Already there are signs of … violence emanating from the radical right. Since the installation of Barack Obama, rightwing extremists have murdered six law enforcement officers. Racist skinheads and others have been arrested in alleged plots to assassinate the nation's first black president. One man from Brockton, Massachusetts – who told police he had learned on white supremacist websites that a genocide was under way against whites – is charged with murdering two black people and planning to kill as many Jews as possible on the day after Obama's inauguration. Most recently, a rash of individuals with anti-government, survivalist or racist views have been arrested in a series of bomb cases."

[jaksavage]

1. I can't imagine

how this could happen, with all our freedom and fair and balanced media.

[NJmaverick]

2. It's getting ugly out there and we the people need to put a stop to our home grown terrorists

[chill_wind]

3. 932 active hate groups at the end of 2009. Here's a map.

http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/hate-map

You can click on by states and also see a key to their identities (Racist Skinhead, Christian Identity, KKK etc)

[indepat]

24. Enough to make one wonder what percentage of our anti-terrorist resources

is devoted to protecting and keeping us safe from the known domestic terrorist movements within? :shrug:

[Flaneur]

4. You have to wonder if SPLC doesn't overstate the threat.

I looked at the state where I currently am, South Dakota. The report says three groups, but only lists two.

One of them it identifies as a "generalized hate group," and that's the heterodox Mormons of the FLDS, who have a ranch in southwest South Dakota. They don't have much to do with anybody. They are admittedly weird, but hardly a threat.

The other one is an alleged neo-Nazi group in Jackson County. Half of Jackson County (pop. 2930) is within the Pine Ridge Lakota reservation. I imagine the Jackson County neo-nazis consist of a couple of drunk ranchers with too much time on their hands.

[NNN0LHI]

5. The ranchers in your state have a habit of getting drunk and going neo-nazi?

What the hell they drinking out there?

Don

[RaleighNCDUer]

11. You might recall the Branch Davidians were also admittedly weird but

hardly a threat, until they became a threat that killed 4 government agents and 80+ members of their own sect. Their threat was mostly to their own members, just as FLDS are - but they are racist white supremacists who are heavily armed and anti-government.

The Order consisted of never more than 15 members, but in the end wound up responsible for several murders, bank robberies, and counterfeiting, among other crimes. The size of a group is no predictor of its dangers.

If the SPLC lists them, there's a reason for it.

[yellowcanine]

17. "couple of drunk ranchers with too much time on their hands."

One could say the same about the KKKers who killed 4 little girls in Birmingham in 1963. Or Nichols and McVeigh. I am sorry but I don't think you can soft pedal this stuff. When people are bold enough to threaten families of Congressmen and bricks start flying through the windows of buildings the bombers are not far behind.

[Raineyb]

23. "Weird but hardly a threat"

Unless you happen not to be white and end up in their vicinity. I don't think downplaying the situation is remotely appropriate.

[slackmaster]

6. It's all bluster

Nothing to worry about until someone gets hurt. For now it's freedom of speech and association.

[NNN0LHI]

7. is charged with murdering two black people and planning to kill as many Jews as possible on the day

Did you miss that in the OP or are you being sarcastic?

Don

[slackmaster]

10. Did you miss the first two words of that sentence you just partly quoted?

"One man..."

That makes it a crime, not a big conspiracy.

[NNN0LHI]

13. Don't stop reading there. Finish the paragraph

Most recently, a rash of individuals with anti-government, survivalist or racist views have been arrested in a series of bomb cases.

[slackmaster]

14. People arrested for breaking laws, nobody hurt

Sounds like law enforcement people are doing a good job.

[yellowcanine]

18. Nobody hurt yet. To me it feels like the runup to the McVeigh/Nichols bombing..

People were not getting hurt then either - until a whole lot of people got hurt.

[slackmaster]

20. I agree that there is a problem, but I don't see any viable solutions being suggested here

Ones that don't involve trampling on the First Amendment.

[yellowcanine]

22. Awareness is the beginning and the 1st Amendment doesn't cover threats or incitement of violence.

Plus sufficient light on these activities can compel responsible people to condemn them and help to make it clear that violence or threats of violence are not going to advance a particular cause. Speaking out against dangerous talk and persuading political sympathizers of the thugs to speak out is also protected by the 1st Amendment. That is mostly what I see being advocated here.

[HughMoran]

8. Trash-talking fools

Nobody is scared of your macho talk. You wanna take on the Government? Go right ahead and do it. Morans.

[SolidGold]

9. My answer: Counter-Revolution

There is nothing better than over throwing a revolution with a counter-revolution.

This will be the first charter of my new political party, the Pizza Party!

[goldcanyonaz]

12. I agree, but their real agenda is to rid the world of Jews.

I was doing some research on a term another posted "14/88" and ended up on a site called stormfront.

I spent quite a bit of time there engrossed by their hate and their rational for hating. It was truly frightening.

[cilla4progress]

15. These ASSHATS!

They would rather stew in their filthy brew of lies and crap, than admit that someone - esp. a Dem., esp. a black man - could know what the hell he is doing and be the BEST damned President we've ever had.

[kctim]

16. Sigh

If its not muslim terrorists from the right, its racists anti-govt "terrorists" from the left.

Fear. Fear. Fear.

[w8liftinglady]

19. i'm so proud-Texas has 66!

why am I not surprised?.

[cayanne]

21. Do you have a human rights task force in your community?

I joined the human rights task force in my county and am on the executive board. I live in a very small, rural mountain town in north Idaho full of these nutty thinkers. A lot the the crazier ones are members of the new Evangelical church here. When I'm told liberals need to be taken out I stand up to them and say well here's the face of one of those liberals, you come after me I'll kill ya. They always back down because they know us well enough to know that my husband and I aren't the liberals they are talking about. See, we help them when they or our community are in need. They also know we have our rifles loaded and placed around he house. Basically, they get riled up by Fox but these folks are mostly all talk.

Not so with some in my county who have joined the patriot movement and are having big rallies near the Coeur d'Alene area featuring prominent members of militias such as former Graham County, Arizona sheriff Richard Mack, dubbed a “long-time militia hero” by SPLC.

The Aryans are trying hard to regroup here but can't get a good stronghold after Morris Dees busted them so they are trying to move to John Day Oregon. Another note, they can't legally use the term Aryan Nation any more because the defendants who won the lawsuit against them also gained the rights to that name. Thank you Morris Dees and the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Please stand up to them by getting involved. If you have a HRTF or equivalent in your area please join to help your community to not only stand up to these cretins but also help with the education of our young people against this hatred. If there isn't one in your area, please get with like minded friends and start one. So many people will be happy to help you start one.