WKSU News: Anti-government groups double in Ohio

Monday, February 28, 2011 Anti-government groups double in Ohio Southern Poverty Law Center report shows increase in hate groups nationwide Story by DAWN EINSEL

In just one year, anti-government groups have doubled in Ohio, according to a new report by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

The report shows a jump from 13 to 27 throughout the state. The law center’s Mark Potok says that the election of President Obama, increased propaganda and the economy are all factors that lead to a national surge.

Potok on the rise in anti-government groups

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The Southern Poverty Law Center says the United States is now home to more than 1,000 hate groups, including 824 conspiracy-minded, anti-government organizations.

Listener Comments:

I don't see any proof. If there really are anti-government groups in Ohio, then where's the pictures, huh? Pretty sad if you ask me.

Posted by: Laynee (Oregon) on May 26, 2011 12:05PM

For more info on the Southern Poverty Law Center, Google these search terms:

"SPLC — 2011– Forty Years of White Supremacy"

"Southern Poverty: richer than Tonga"

"The Southern Poverty Law Center - A Special Report"

Posted by: fr more (Santa Monica) on February 28, 2011 11:02AM

1. There is no legal definition for “hate group,” which is why even the FBI does not track “hate groups.”

2. The SPLC uses the deliberately meaningless term “hate groups” in its fund-raising propaganda precisely because it allows them to denigrate their perceived opponents without accusing them of any actual crimes.

3. The “Hate Map” is a fund-raising tool, nothing more. It provides no information whatsoever on the alleged groups, in fact, the SPLC didn’t even bother to make up locations for 262 of the groups; that’s 26% of the total.

http://wp.me/pCLYZ-8u

Many of the alleged “groups” are listed twice in the same location.

4. Since the SPLC is the sole arbiter of the meaningless “hate group” label, AND because SPLC fund-raising is directly tied to creating the illusion of an ever-increasing threat, it is in their direct financial interest to raise the numbers each year.

Last year the SPLC took in $31 million donor-dollars in donations and earned $26 million in interest on its bloated “Endowment Fund.” That’s $57 million dollars for last year alone. Since 2003, the SPLC has taken in more than a third of a BILLION dollars in tax-free cash, and yet the number of “hate groups” always goes up.

http://wp.me/pCLYZ-82

5. The most ironic (read: "hypocritical") thing about the Southern Poverty Law Center is that NOT ONE of its top ten, highest paid executives is a minority.

http://wp.me/pCLYZ-7m

In fact, according to the SPLC's hometown newspaper, the Montgomery Advertiser, despite being located LITERALLY in the back yard of Dr. Martin Luther King's home church, the SPLC has NEVER hired a person of color to a highly paid position of power in its entire 40 year history.

Some "experts"

Posted by: Richard Keefe (New Market) on February 28, 2011 8:02AM

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