Hate Groups on the Rise in US

[Mono]

Posted this in another topic, but I got rid of it and felt it needed it's own topic.

Hate groups are on the rise in America:

http://www.huffingto..._b_1331318.html

The number of domestic hate and extremist groups in the United States grew to record levels in 2011, led by a surge in anti-government radicalism, according to a report released today by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a prominent civil rights organization based in Montgomery, AL. In 2011 there were 1,018 "hate groups" nationally, representing a slight increase from the previous record, one year earlier in 2010, when there were 1,002 hate groups tallied.

The 2011 figures are the eleventh consecutive annual increase and the highest number since the SPLC began enumerating hate group totals in the 1980s. In 2000 there were just 602 of these groups nationally. While 2011 hate crime numbers are not yet tabulated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the agency counted 6,624 hate crimes in 2010 in the United States, an increase of only 26 from a 14 year low recorded the previous year. A 2010 analysis by the Institute for Homeland Security Solutions found that from 1999-2009 white supremacist and anti-government domestic extremist plots were only surpassed by those undertaken by radical Salafist and al-Qaeda followers during the decade.

The number of domestic hate and extremist groups in the United States grew to record levels in 2011, led by a surge in anti-government radicalism,

according to a report released today

by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a prominent civil rights organization based in Montgomery, AL. In 2011 there were 1,018 "hate groups" nationally, representing a slight increase from the previous record, one year earlier in 2010, when there were 1,002 hate groups tallied.

The 2011 figures are the eleventh consecutive annual increase and the highest number since the SPLC began enumerating hate group totals in the 1980s. In 2000 there were just 602 of these groups nationally. While 2011 hate crime numbers are not yet tabulated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the agency counted 6,624 hate crimes in 2010 in the United States, an increase of only 26 from a 14 year low recorded the previous year. A 2010 analysis by the Institute for Homeland Security Solutions found that from 1999-2009 white supremacist and anti-government domestic extremist plots were only surpassed by those undertaken by radical Salafist and al-Qaeda followers during the decade.

Photo: Southern Poverty Law Center

California, the nation's most populous state, led the nation with 84 hate groups last year according to the SPLC, followed by Georgia with 65, Florida with 55 and New Jersey with 47. The report broke

down the number of hate groups in the United States

by type and number for 2011:

• Ku Klux Klan 152
  
• Neo Nazi 170
  
• White Nationalist 146
  
• Racist Skinheads 133
  
• Christian Identity 55
  
• Neo-Confederate 32
  
• Black Separatists 140
  
• General Hate 190
  

This is just ridiculous in this day and age. Normal people need to organize and stop the hate. They are a true threat to many people in this country.

[Tornado]

Not seeing the problem. That's what happens in a country with by-law protected free speech and a government that has used fearmongering for over a decade now to accomplish whatever it wanted.

Edited March 8, 2012 by Tornado

[Mono]

They have the right to exist and say what they want. I'll even defend them if someone tried to stop their free speech. The article is just pointing out how the have has grown, which is pretty concerning.

Edited March 9, 2012 by Jay Rockman

[Johnny Boy]

I come out of a thread on Kony only to see a thread about hate groups on the rise. Just goes to show how messed up our world can be sometimes.

[Patticus]

Not seeing the problem. That's what happens in a country with by-law protected free speech and a government that has used fearmongering for over a decade now to accomplish whatever it wanted.

[Arle985]

Isn't this a normal thing, though? Every country has hate groups.

[MegaMan_EXE]

What's a hate group?

A group that hates everything?

[Stacy]

America we defend your Freedom is you don't have to.

Seirously American's seem obessed with freedom of speech (freedom in general) but when another Country wants to express their freedom chances are America is sticking its nose in (or an ICBM).

*Cough* Communism/socialism.

So in America preaching racism and Homophobia is okay because its freedom, but the right to preach Socialism is evil?

Also Homophobia seems to absent for that list.

[Mollfie]

At the moment I think a lot of people are scared, for lots of reasons and in many cases that's understandable, and when people are scared they do stupid things and hate on each other, which is much less understandable. You can see it throughout history and sadly you don't even have to look back very far. It won't just be in the US, I imagine it's happening all over and in the UK we have issues with hate-crimes too.

Edited March 9, 2012 by Mollfie

[Stacy]

At the moment I think a lot of people are scared, for lots of reasons, and when people are scared they do stupid things. You can see it throughout history and sadly you don't even have to look back very far. It won't just be in the US, I imagine it's happening all over and in the UK we have issues with hate-crimes too.

Edited March 9, 2012 by BW199148

[Axl.EXE]

The problem with the First Amendment is that nowhere in it does it say, "Don't be a dick about it, though". It really should.

[Mono]

I wouldn't call the Tea Party a hate group, though. Sure, it has racists and more, but a liberal group sometimes go overboard in what they say (for example, the non-stop use of BUSH = HITLER). I personally respect the Tea Party (not their message). They used their right of free speech to make a difference, and they were successful.

Edited March 9, 2012 by Jay Rockman

[Tornado]

I would like to add "The Tea Party" as a hate group.

Edited March 9, 2012 by Tornado

[Mick]

That is scary that there's so many in New Jersey. I live on the border of NJ too. I'm shocked that they're still around. The first verse of Crazy Train by Ozzy sums up how I feel.

Crazy,but that's how it goes

Millions of people living as foes

Maybe it's not too late

To learn how to love

And forget how to hate

[Mono]

That is scary that there's so many in New Jersey. I live on the border of NJ too. I'm shocked that they're still around. The first verse of Crazy Train by Ozzy sums up how I feel.

It is totally crazy. I think it might be too late. Many people don't believe in love these days... Unfortunately people are always going to hate until the end of time... I hope I'm proven wrong.

[Mick]

The majority of the people in the US are hard working, sensible people. These hate groups represent about only 1% of them. So don't worry too much.

Yeah, I don't think there's any where I am. Perhaps in like the middle of NJ or something. I'm closer to the northern part of NJ.

[No more]

We have to accept that hate will always be a human factor, take away creed and colour there will always be another excuse to hate. I don't support hate groups but we have to accept that this is the case especially with the economic difficulties we're going through.

Edited March 9, 2012 by iVYRAVE

[Tornado]

...like a rhetoric that advocates medieval policies to scare and pacify people.

Oh. I wasn't aware that the American government wasn't made up of people like like Pelosi (a.k.a. The de facto Leader of the Democrat Party) who would go so far as to fucking invoke Godwin's Law in order to get the populace to support what they wanted.

But do continue to think that such tactics are employed purely by one side of the political divide if that makes you feel better.

Edited March 9, 2012 by Tornado

[Patticus]

Oh. I wasn't aware that the American government wasn't made up of people like like Pelosi (a.k.a. The de facto Leader of the Democrat Party) who would go so far as to fucking invoke Godwin's Law in order to get the populace to support what they wanted.

Is that really any worse than right-wingers calling anyone in favour of anything even remotely socialist Communists? Both are extreme and opposing ends of the political spectrum, and both have resulted in millions of deaths over the past century. Arguably, Communist regimes have killed even more than fascist ones, and America has lived in fear of them for far longer than fascists, so the invocation of Communism should be more offensive and more unpalatable than Nazism.

But I don't think Communism has a 'law' attached to it so maybe that's why nobody ever calls people up on its use.

[Stacy]

We have to accept that hate will always be a human factor, take away creed and colour there will always be another excuse to hate. I don't support hate groups but we have to accept that this is the case especially with the economic difficulties we're going through.

Lets just hope it doesn't lead to World War III.

[Patticus]

Lets just hope it doesn't lead to World War III.

Why would it lead to World War 3? Hate groups have always existed in one form or another, and seldom have they acquired the followings necessary to launch global conflicts intentionally. And no, the assassination that lit the European tinder box in the summer of 1914 doesn't count, because the intention was and could never have been anything even approaching World War 1. The Nazis themselves... well that is clearly one glaringly obvious example of a hate group overwhelming the establishment of a country, however one could argue that the circumstances culminating in Nazi domination were unique and that no such scenario is playing out today in the west.

Edited March 9, 2012 by Patticus

[Stacy]

Why would it lead to World War 3? Hate groups have always existed in one form or another, and seldom have they acquired the followings necessary to launch global conflicts intentionally. And no, the assassination that lit the European tinder box in the summer of 1914 doesn't count, because the intention was and could never have been anything even approaching World War 1. The Nazis themselves... well that is clearly one glaringly obvious example of a hate group overwhelming the establishment of a country, however one could argue that the circumstances culminating in Nazi domination were unique and that no such scenario is playing out today in the west.

Justing them being on the rise isn't good, whos to say it won't happen again in some shape or form.

[Patticus]

Justing them being on the rise isn't good, whos to say it won't happen again in some shape or form.

Their being on the rise is the result of numerous contributing factors and circumstances, which could soon swing round and herald a decline in their numbers. However, even when they're on the rise, they are divided, fragmented, and in such a state only pose a danger to those people they hate in their immediate vicinities, rather than people on a national or international scale.

[Tornado]

Is that really any worse than right-wingers calling anyone in favour of anything even remotely socialist Communists? Both are extreme and opposing ends of the political spectrum, and both have resulted in millions of deaths over the past century.

But that was my point...

Edited March 9, 2012 by Tornado

[Stacy]

Their being on the rise is the result of numerous contributing factors and circumstances, which could soon swing round and herald a decline in their numbers. However, even when they're on the rise, they are divided, fragmented, and in such a state only pose a danger to those people they hate in their immediate vicinities, rather than people on a national or international scale.

Still its navie to think that another WWIII won't happen regardless of these hate groups.