Bad Economy May Fuel Hate Groups

As if the nation doesn't have enough problems currently, now some experts are predicting that the increasingly bad economy may foster the rise of hate groups which will be out to scapegoat others as the cause of their members' problems. For some time now, a close following of many of the self-styled "pro-family" groups and white supremacists has revealed a subtle sometimes coded message from such "family values" organizations that non-whites, non-Christians, gays, and other "not real Americans" are undermining U.S. society. While ostensibly not white supremacist organizations or movements, the underlying message disseminated by the "family values" crowd is not really so different than that of the Klu Klux Klan. All the while, of course, these organizations pat themselves on the back as the true protectors of Christian and American values. It is a troubling phenomenon and may be one of the reasons for the seeming increase in violent attacks on LGBT citizens. The Washington Post has a story that looks at the possibility that the current economic crisis will help further fuel white supremacist movements and similar such groups. Here are some story highlights:

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For 20 years, Bart McIntyre has tracked white supremacist movements, even spending two years undercover in Alabama to penetrate a violent young band of criminals who called themselves the Confederate Hammerskins. . . . . Now, as McIntyre prepares to retire from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, he and other analysts are warning that the threat from hate groups and splinter organizations connected to the Klan should not be underestimated, especially at a time of economic unrest.

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"In society, you have a very small number of people who are going to push the envelope and take it to the next step," said McIntyre, the resident ATF agent in charge in Roanoke. . . . . The number of U.S. hate groups has increased by 48 percent, to 888, since 2000, according to experts at the Southern Poverty Law Center, an independent organization that monitors racist movements.

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In addition to the economic downturn, he [Mark Potok, chief of the law center's Intelligence Project] cited rising immigration, demographic changes that predict whites will not be a majority within a few decades, and what some might see as "the final insult -- a black man in the White House."

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"These three things -- the Internet, immigration and the economic crisis -- that is the molten mixture for these guys," said Cavanaugh, who leads the ATF's Nashville office. "That is the furnace of hate. As we speak, this is happening."

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In recent years, the racist hate movement has veered away from large-scale, Klan-type gatherings as many of its most prominent leaders died, went to prison or buckled under personal and financial troubles, according to scholar Brian Levin. Instead, followers come together online at Web sites such as Stormfront.org, which attracts an estimated 150,000 registered users who view instruction manuals, learn movement history and exchange stories.

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One of the ATF's biggest recoveries came in 2007, when agents arrested seven members of a group calling itself the Alabama Free Militia. A government informant met a militia member at a flea market, infiltrated the group and eventually reported that he saw grenades in a member's home. The group allegedly stockpiled weapons while planning to attack a group of Latino residents near Birmingham. Ultimately, authorities seized 130 grenades, a grenade launcher, a machine gun and 2,500 rounds of ammunition. The trailer home of one suspect was booby-trapped with tripwires and hand grenades, according to law enforcement agents.

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The trick for investigators, the ATF's Cavanaugh said, is separating hateful words from impending violence. "They all hate, they all go to rallies, but for the most part, most of them will not go out and plant a bomb or shoot," he said. "Maybe four or five out of 100 will go out and do that. The hard part for us is to sort out the free speech and find the person who's really going to make a bomb or shoot someone."