Just Thought You Should Know: Hate Groups and Antigovernment Groups Are On The Rise

Hate groups have been present in this country for decades, but a recent report released by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) show an 813% rise in the number of such groups since 2008, with increasing numbers each year.  Hate groups are most prevalent in California, with 84 total, and Texas with sixty-two.

The  SPLC counted over 1,000 hate groups in the U.S. in 2012.  By the SPLC's standards, hate groups, "have beliefs or practices that attack or malign an entire class of people, typically for their immutable characteristics,"  and their activities can include "criminal acts, marches, rallies, speeches, meetings, leafleting or publishing."

The rise in hate groups has been fueled by the election of President Obama, the poor economy and more recently, the gun control debate in the wake of the Connecticut school massacre, according to the annual report of the SPLC, which tracks American hate.  "The anger, angst, frustration and fear surrounding the economy have very much poured fuel on the fire,"  said Mark Potok, a senior fellow at the  SPLC.

The increase in hate groups prompted the SPLC to write a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, warning of the potential for domestic terrorism and urging the creation of a task force to assess whether there are enough federal resources devoted to the threat.

Hate groups are now transitioning from racist hatred to hatred focused on the government and its reprensentatives.  The patriot and militia groups are some of the fastest growing groups, and their goals and rhetoric must be understood in order to implement successful strategies to counter their behavior if they should become violent.

Corporate media has paid little attention to this story.  Both the New York Times and MSNCB covered the report on the day the SPLC issued it, but other than that, establishment media have done little to shed light on this subject.  To me this is a frightening situation, and I just thought you should know.