SPLC report says hate group numbers are up 54% since 2000.

[madfloridian]

The Southern Poverty Law Center doesn't come out and say it, but I will. 2000 to 2008...those were the Bush years in this country. They exploited everyone they could, and divided people on purpose.

They set a tone of hate and anger, fear and divisiveness. In all my years I have never such anything like it. A deliberate change to a climate meant to divide us.

The SPLC attributes a lot of it mainly to the election of an African American as president and to the economy. I am sure both had something to do with it, but the rise in hate groups was only 4% from 2007, so the major percentage came earlier in the eight year period.

Hate Group Numbers Up By 54% Since 2000

The number of hate groups operating in the United States continued to rise in 2008 and has grown by 54 percent since 2000 — an increase fueled last year by immigration fears, a failing economy and the successful campaign of Barack Obama, according to the "Year in Hate" issue of the SPLC's Intelligence Report released today.

The SPLC identified 926 hate groups active in 2008, up more than 4 percent from the 888 groups in 2007 and far above the 602 groups documented in 2000. A list and interactive, state-by-state map of these groups can be viewed here.

As in recent years, hate groups were animated by fears of Latino immigration. This rise in hate groups has coincided with a 40 percent growth in hate crimes against Latinos between 2003 and 2007, according to FBI statistics.

Two new factors were introduced to the volatile hate movement in 2008: the faltering economy and the Obama campaign.

The report mentions that many blame immigrants and minorities for the mortgage downturn. I think much blame lies in the fact that the Bush administration used immigrants as scapegoats to win elections. The anger continued to build until the message person for the Democratic House, Rahm Emanuel, told candidates to "move right" on immigration. Thus our party did little to dispel the anger toward immigrants...who BTW did not cause the mortage meltdown.

Someone I respect said it well:

Republicans used immigration to divide the country

Speaking Thursday in Denver, Dean was critical of Republican congressmen Bob Beauprez and Tom Tancredo, whom he said used fear to divide constituents along racial lines. And trading barbs with Republican chairman Ken Mehlman at the NAACP convention in Milwaukee, where both spoke Thursday, Dean said, “We’re not going to divide Americans to win elections. The Republican Party’s ‘Southern Strategy’ used in the 1960s and 1970s lives today. In 2000, they used the racially charged word “quota” to divide African Americans. In 2004, they used gay marriage. And just you wait; in 2006 its going to be immigrants.”

I see the manipulation of the immigrant issue as a major factor in the rise of hate groups. The atmosphere was encouraged the last eight years.

Here is the map from the Southern Poverty Law Center with the number of hate groups they list for each state.

The three states with the largest numbers are Florida with 56, California with 84, and Texas with 66.

Active U.S. Hate Groups. Stand Strong Against Hate

Join people across the nation who are standing strong against hate. Add yourself to our map as a voice for tolerance. The Southern Poverty Law Center counted 926 active hate groups in the United States in 2008. Only organizations and their chapters known to be active during 2008 are included.

All hate groups have beliefs or practices that attack or malign an entire class of people, typically for their immutable characteristics.

This list was compiled using hate group publications and websites, citizen and law enforcement reports, field sources and news reports.

Hate group activities can include criminal acts, marches, rallies, speeches, meetings, leafleting or publishing. Websites appearing to be merely the work of a single individual, rather than the publication of a group, are not included in this list. Listing here does not imply a group advocates or engages in violence or other criminal activity. Download a PDF of the entire map.

Many of the groups in Florida surprised me. Some of the groups I have never heard about.

Interesting report. Sad time for our country.