Why Do We Honor Traitors In Our Schools?

The Confederacy was created for only one reason -- to protect the right of the Confederate states to enslave human beings. That is a fact. 

Another fact is that the leaders (and soldiers) of the Confederacy were traitors to the United States. They denied their citizenship in our country, and worse, they actually waged war on the United States -- killing soldiers who defended our country. 

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, there are still 198 schools in this country that have Confederate-themed names. Why do we allow this to be? Why do we honor traitors to this country by naming schools after them.

This gives the impression that we support their traitorous actions, and gives our students the impression that we still support the slavery and discrimination that they fought for.

This must change!

There Are A Record Number Of Hate Groups In The U.S.

The chart above is from the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). The SPLC keeps track of hate groups in the United States. Their latest count show the number of hate groups has reached a record level -- currently there are 1020 of them.

The old record was 1018 -- during the Obama administration. At that time, hate groups blossomed in response to the country electing its first Black president. The country's racists (and there are still a lot of them) were horrified and terrified that the country had elected Barack Obama -- and that reaction saw a number of new hate groups created.

This new resurgence of hate groups is different though. They are not terrified about Donald Trump. They consider him one of their own -- a racist and xenophobe. They heard him when he called them "good people", and they no longer think of themselves as outliers to society. This record number of hate groups are not opposing the government these days. They are supporting it, and actually consider themselves a part of it.

Donald Trump has provided cover for those promoting hate in this country, and they are rewarding him with their support.

Most Terrorists In The West Are NOT Islamic Jihadists

The chart above was made from a series of Rasmussen Polls, done between February of 2012 and February of 2015. The latest was done on February 20th and 21st of a random national sample of 800 likely voters. All of the surveys were done with between 800 and 1,000 adults, and had margins of error of between 3 and 3.5 points.

The survey shows a remarkable drop in the percentage of Americans who believe we are winning the "war on terror" -- from 51% a couple of years ago to about 19% this month (a whopping 32 point drop). Obviously the media coverage of ISIS, al-Queda, and other islamic groups, combined with the fear mongering by many of our politicians is having a big effect on the public.

Unfortunately, this is a gross misrepresentation of the truth. While the media and the politicians are trying to whip up fear of muslims (and their extremists), the fact is that people in the West (North America and Europe) face far less danger from islamic extremists (jihadists) than they do from their own home-grown non-islamic terrorists.

Take for example an article written for The Daily Beast by Dean Obeidallah. Here is part of that article, revealing the truth about terrorism in the West:

Obviously, there are people who sincerely view themselves as Muslims who have committed horrible acts in the name of Islam. We Muslims can make the case that their actions are not based on any part of the faith but on their own political agenda. But they are Muslims, no denying that.

However, and this will probably shock many, so you might want to take a breath: Overwhelmingly, those who have committed terrorist attacks in the United States and Europe aren’t Muslims. Let’s give that a moment to sink in.

Now, it’s not your fault if you aren’t aware of that fact. You can blame the media. (Yes, Sarah Palin and I actually agree on one thing: The mainstream media sucks.)

So here are some statistics for those interested. Let’s start with Europe. Want to guess what percent of the terrorist attacks there were committed by Muslims over the past five years? Wrong. That is, unless you said less than 2 percent.

As Europol, the European Union’s law-enforcement agency, noted in its report released last year, the vast majority of terror attacks in Europe were perpetrated by separatist groups. For example, in 2013, there were 152 terror attacks in Europe. Only two of them were “religiously motivated,” while 84 were predicated upon ethno-nationalist or separatist beliefs. . .

Back in the United States, the percentage of terror attacks committed by Muslims is almost as miniscule as in Europe. An FBI study looking at terrorism committed on U.S. soil between 1980 and 2005 found that 94 percent of the terror attacks were committed by non-Muslims. . .

In fact in 2013, it was actually more likely Americans would be killed by a toddler than a terrorist. In that year, three Americans were killed in the Boston Marathon bombing. How many people did toddlers kill in 2013? Five, all by accidentally shooting a gun.

But our media simply do not cover the non-Muslim terror attacks with same gusto. Why? It’s a business decision. Stories about scary “others” play better. It’s a story that can simply be framed as good versus evil with Americans being the good guy and the brown Muslim as the bad.

Honestly, when is the last time we heard the media refer to those who attack abortion clinics as “Christian terrorists,” even though these attacks occur at one of every five reproductive health-care facilities? That doesn’t sell as well. After all we are a so-called Christian nation, so that would require us to look at the enemy within our country, and that makes many uncomfortable. Or worse, it makes them change the channel.

That’s the same reason we don’t see many stories about how to reduce the 30 Americans killed each day by gun violence or the three women per day killed by domestic violence. But the media will have on expert after expert discussing how can we stop these scary brown Muslims from killing any more Americans despite the fact you actually have a better chance of being killed by a refrigerator falling on you.

And then we have this unsettling bit of truth from the Southern Poverty Law Center:

Currently, there are 939 known hate groups operating across the country, including neo-Nazis, Klansmen, white nationalists, neo-Confederates, racist skinheads, black separatists, border vigilantes and others.

Since 2000, the number of hate groups has increased by 56 percent. This surge has been fueled by anger and fear over the nation’s ailing economy, an influx of non-white immigrants, and the diminishing white majority, as symbolized by the election of the nation’s first African-American president.

These factors also are feeding a powerful resurgence of the antigovernment “Patriot” movement, which in the 1990s led to a string of domestic terrorist plots, including the Oklahoma City bombing. The number of Patriot groups, including armed militias, skyrocketed following the election of President Obama in 2008 – rising 813 percent, from 149 groups in 2008 to an all-time high of 1,360 in 2012. The number fell to 1,096 in 2013.

This growth in extremism has been aided by mainstream media figures and politicians who have used their platforms to legitimize false propaganda about immigrants and other minorities and spread the kind of paranoid conspiracy theories on which militia groups thrive. 

The truth is that Americans face very little danger from terrorism. An American is far more likely to be hit by lightening than killed by any kind of terrorist -- and far more likely to be killed by a home-grown non-islamic terrorist than by an islamic extremist. The politicians, especially the Republicans, won't tell you this because that would anger many on the right who support them. These people want to believe that all terrorism comes from a different religion and a different country -- and have no desire to look at their own bigotry in the mirror.

And it's nearly as bad with the media. They only cover stories that people want to hear -- stories that will increase their readership or viewership. Looking too hard at home-grown terrorists or other violence in this country just brings criticism, and sadly, they are more in the business of selling advertisements than in telling the uncomfortable truth.

If you doubt what I am saying, just look at this long and rather frightening list of terrorism in the U.S. by the radical right since the Oklahoma City bombing. It was composed by the SPLC.

Indiana Same-Sex Marriage Ban Tossed By Federal Judge

Indiana has joined a growing list of states that have had their same-sex marriage bans declared unconstitutional by a federal judge. U.S. District Judge Richard Young announced on Wednesday that he was striking down Indiana's ban. Judge Young did not stay his decision, so same-sex marriages can start in that state -- unless Indiana's Attorney General, who has said the decision will be appealed, is able to get a stay from the appeals court or the Supreme Court.

Now there is only one state (North Dakota) left with an unchallenged ban on same-sex marriages. All other states have either legalized same-sex marriages, had their bans struck down and are waiting on an appeal, or are having their ban challenged in a federal court. Hopefully, the appeals court decisions will start coming in soon, so we can move on to the next level. The Supreme Court is no longer going to be able to avoid making a decision on this issue (whether states banning same-sex marriage violates the U.S. Constitution) -- as it has been doing for quite a while now.

UPDATE -- The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals has just upheld the federal court decision that tossed out Utah's ban on same-sex marriage. The decision was temporarily stayed to give Utah time to appeal to the United States Supreme Court. This is what we've been waiting for. The Supreme Court must accept this case and finally decide this issue, or let the appeals court decision stand (which would legalize same-sex marriage in Utah, and probably across the nation). The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals held that:

". . . the Fourteenth Amendment protects the fundamental right to marry, establish a family, raise children, and enjoy the full protection of a state's marital laws."

"A state may not deny the issuance of a marriage license to two persons, or refuse to recognize their marriage, based solely upon the sex of the persons in the marriage union." 

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Meanwhile, the Southern Poverty Law Center (the foremost organization fighting hate in this country) has decided to strike a blow for gay/lesbian rights in a different way. They want to outlaw the repulsive and damaging "reparative therapy" (which holds that gays/lesbians can be cured through therapy). They have filed suit in New Jersey against one of the clinics offering the reparative therapy, accusing it of fraudulent practices. If they win the New Jersey case, it will provide a blueprint for attacking these horrible clinics across the nation. Here is how they describe their effort on their website.

Jews Offering New Alternatives for Healing (JONAH) fraudulently claimed to provide services that “convert” people from gay to straight. These services, known as conversion therapy, have been discredited or highly criticized by all major American medical, psychiatric, psychological and professional counseling organizations.

The Southern Poverty Law Center filed a first-of-its-kind lawsuit against the New Jersey conversion therapy organization for fraudulent practices. The lawsuit, filed in the Superior Court of New Jersey, charged that JONAH, its founder Arthur Goldberg, and counselor Alan Downing violated New Jersey’s Consumer Fraud Act by claiming that their counseling services could cure clients of being gay.

The lawsuit describes how the plaintiffs – four young men and two of their parents – were lured into JONAH’s services through deceptive practices.

Customers of JONAH’s services typically paid a minimum of $100 for weekly individual counseling sessions and another $60 for group therapy sessions. The lawsuit describes sessions that involved clients undressing in front of a mirror and even a group session where young men were instructed to remove their clothing and stand naked in a circle with the counselor, Downing, who was also undressed. Another session involved a subject attempting to wrestle away two oranges – used to represent testicles – from another individual.

Downing and other JONAH counselors also used techniques that left clients alienated from their families. These techniques encouraged clients to blame their parents for being gay, going so far as to have clients participate in violent role play exercises where they beat effigies of their mothers.

JONAH, formerly known as Jews Offering New Alternatives for Homosexuality, was founded by Goldberg, a former Wall Street executive and attorney who was previously convicted of three counts of mail fraud and one count of conspiracy to defraud the federal government. He was ultimately disbarred from being an attorney.

Aside from being junk science, conversion therapy also promotes the idea that gay men and lesbians choose their sexual orientation, a position that encourages a climate of anti-gay bigotry.

The American Psychological Association has expressed concern that conversion therapy practices, such as those espoused by the National Association for Research Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH), “create an environment in which prejudice and discrimination can flourish.” JONAH’s practices include discredited methods invented by NARTH co-founder Joseph Nicolosi with no sound medical basis.

The Racist Right-Wing Militias

This graphic from the Southern Poverty Law Center is disturbing, and more than a little frightening. It shows the real danger this country is facing -- an armed and racist militia movement on the extreme right. The Republicans don't want to admit this, because they want all the right-wing votes -- even those from truly dangerous groups. And the Democrats are too timid to label these nuts for what they really are.

Why do I say they are racist? Just look at the chart (which shows the number of these dangerous groups between 1995 and 2012). Note that the number of these groups has ballooned since President Obama took office. That's not a coincidence. And it's not because the president is a socialist (or even a liberal). The truth is that he is a moderate, which is why he has disappointed so many progressives. The number of these groups are growing because they are attracting racists, who simply cannot stand the idea of an African-American being in the White House -- no matter how qualified he may be.

The frightening truth is that these racist right-wing extremists pose a much greater danger to this country. That's because they are already in this country, are armed to the teeth, are convinced that only they know what is best, and hate anyone who doesn't agree with them -- and too many of them are willing to kill their fellow citizens.

Now More Than A Thousand Hate Groups In U.S.

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has released its annual intelligence report on hate groups in the United States, and it paints a pretty grim portrait of America. Hate groups are still proliferating in this country, and as the chart shows, for the first time since the SPLC began keeping tabs on them the number of different hate groups has topped 1,000. These groups grew from 932 of them in 2009 to 1002 of them in 2010 (a rise of 7.5% in the last year and a rise of 66% since the year 2000).

The SPLC says the reasons for this continued growth is "resentment over the changing racial demographics of the country, frustration over the lagging economy, and the mainstreaming of conspiracy theories and other demonizing propaganda aimed at minorities and the government."

Mark Potok, editor of the SPLC Intelligence Report, said, "Far-right extremists remain highly energized, even as politicians across the country co-opt many of the radical ideas and issues that are important to them. This success in having their voices heard in the political arena, where they have long occupied the fringe of conservative thought, might eventually take the wind out of their sails, but so far we're not seeing any sign of that."

While there are hate groups in all states, some have many more than others. You can go here to see the numbers for all states. The states with the most hate groups are:

California...............68
Texas...............59
Florida...............48
New Jersey...............47
Mississippi...............40
Georgia...............39
Pennsylvania...............36
Tennessee...............35
Michigan...............35
Alabama...............33
Ohio...............32
New York...............31
South Carolina...............30

In addition the the groups designated as hate groups, the SPLC also tracks two other kinds of groups -- "nativist extremist" groups and "patriot" organizations (including militias). The nativist extremist groups are defined as those "organizations that go beyond mere advocacy of restrictive immigration policy to actually confront or harass suspected undocumented immigrants or their employers." These groups grew from 309 groups in 2009 to 319 in 2010 -- an increase of 3%.

But the Patriot movement groups, who see the federal government as their primary enemy, had the most explosive growth in the last year. They grew an astounding 61% -- from 512 groups in 2009 to 824 groups in 2010. The militias, a part of this movement, grew from 127 groups in 2009 to 330 groups in 2010 -- a growth of 160%.

When the hate groups, the nativist extremist groups and the patriot groups are added together, we have a pretty scary scenario.   Collectively these groups grew from 1,753 in 2009 to 2,145 in 2010 -- a frightening increase of 22% in just the last year.

None of this is happening in a vacuum. With the election of an African-American president and the growth of the minority population far outpacing the white establishment, these groups have seized on these things to once again come forward with their hate-filled agenda. The really sad part is that this agenda has been embraced by many on the right -- especially the teabaggers and the Republican Party (who are using these people in an effort to return to power).

There is a discussion to be held on immigration, the deficit, and other issues, but appealing to the darkest side of human nature is not the way to hold that discussion. An immigrant nation such as ours must never abandon its goal of tolerance and diversity.

Family Research Council Is A Hate Group

The Family Research Council has become a very powerful group among American right-wingers.   So much so that its annual gathering, called the Value Voters Summit, is considered to be a "must-attend" event by major Republican politicians -- especially those running for the party's presidential nomination.

The group, and its bigoted leader Tony Perkins, has been trying to pass themselves off as a christian group just trying to defend strong christian values -- values they would love to force on all other Americans.   But's that's just a lie -- unless you consider hatred and bigotry to be christian (and American) values.

Finally, someone has called them out on their lies.   The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), the most outspoken and effective group battling for equal rights and an end to bigotry, has officially added the Family Research Council (FRC) to its list of "hate groups".   The SPLC, which has broken the back of many hate groups like the KKK by taking them to court and winning sizeable judgements for their victims, keeps a list of hate groups in America -- a list that currently has over 900 hate organizations on it.

The SPLC says a hate group is one that has "beliefs or practices that attack or malign an entire class of people, typically for their immutable characteristics."   Although Perkins and the FRC are incensed over the hate group classification, there is no doubt that the FRC fits the definition of a hate group.  

The FRC has shown an extreme hatred of homosexuals and worked for years to deny that group the same rights enjoyed by other Americans.   That would be bad enough, but this group doesn't mind spreading outright lies to achieve their hateful goal.   One example of this is the lie they are currently spreading to defeat the elimination of the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.   The FRC is telling people that homosexuals are three times as likely to commit sexual assaults as heterosexuals -- an outrageous lie supported by no evidence at all (except in the black heart of Tony Perkins).

The FRC has in the past defended its hateful actions by claiming their beliefs are religious-based.   They have the right to their own beliefs, however hateful.   But by going out and spreading outright lies in an effort to affect government policy to deny others their equal rights, they have stepped over the line and earned their designation as a hate group.

I applaud this action by the Southern Poverty Law Center.   It's high time for decent Americans to stand up against this kind of unconstitutional and un-American bigotry.

The SPLC listed the FRC among 18 anti-gay hate groups, including National Organization for Marriage, Traditional Values Coalition, Liberty Counsel, Family Research Institute, and the American Family Association.   The full list of these anti-gay hate groups can be found here.

Today Is "Mix-It-Up Day" At 10,000 Schools

Today, November 13th, is Mix-It-Up Day in approximately 10,000 schools across the nation. You might wonder just what is Mix-It-Up Day. I don't blame you. Until recently, I was unaware of this program also.

In 1991, the Southern Poverty Law Center started its Teaching Tolerance program. The program was to provide free materials to teachers and schools to help them to teach their students tolerance and an appreciation of diversity. In 2002, they added Mix-It-Up Day to the program.

It is a rather simple concept. On this day in school cafeterias all across the country, students are asked to sit next to someone new for just one day. It is hoped by doing this, students will not only make a new friend, but will begin to question and cross social boundaries.

Program director Samantha Elliott Briggs says, "Nowhere on school campuses are social boundaries more obvious than the cafeteria. But it's also the ideal place for students to tear down these walls and get to know people they might not otherwise meet. Mix It Up is a starting point for better understanding and unity among students".

Organizers hope that the day will:

*Encourage students to cross group lines and meet new people.

*Foster school spirit and unity.

*Raise awareness about social boundaries.

*Help students make new friends.

*Make students feel more comfortable interacting with different kinds of people.

What a great idea! If it just accomplishes part of what is hoped for, it will be well worth the effort. It is nice to see an organization trying to bring people together in this country.

We could use a whole lot more of these kinds of things. Tolerance and acceptance are not being taught enough these days.

Texas Is Fertile Ground For Hate Groups

No organization in this country knows as much about hate groups and keeps a closer eye on them than the Southern Poverty Law Center does. The SPLC has just come out with its annual report on hate groups. The new report covers the year of 2006.

The SPLC lists 844 active hate group chapters in the United States. That is a 5% increase over the 803 chapters active in 2005. Not surprisingly, Texas is still proving to be a fertile recruiting ground for these new groups - especially the new immigrant-bashing hate groups. After seeing the results of of the Farmers Branch election, this should not shock anyone. Around 68% of the voters there think it is perfectly OK to discriminate against Hispanics in housing.

In 2006, Texas had 55 active chapters of hate groups of all kinds. The only state with more active hate group chapters was California with 63 chapters. The 10 states with the most active hate group chapters are:

1. California (63)

2. Texas (55)

3. Florida (49)

4. South Carolina (45)

5. Georgia (44)

6. Tennessee (35)
7.New Jersey (34)

8. North Carolina (33)

9. Virginia (31)

10. Mississippi (28)

There were four states that had no active hate group chapters. This does not mean they have no one espousing hate - just that they're not organized. The four states were Hawaii, South Dakota, North Dakota and Rhode Island.

Here are Texas' 55 active chapters, along with the hate groups they belong to:

American White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan (2)

San Angelo, Sherman

Bayou Knights of the Ku Klux Klan (1)

Midlothian

Brotherhood of Klans Knights of the Ku Klux Klan (1)

Lake Jackson

Empire Knights of the Ku Klux Klan (1)

San Angelo

Imperial Klans of America (4)

Austin, Desoto, Houston, Lefors

National Knights of the Ku Klux Klan (1)

Blue Ridge

Texas Knights of the Invisible Empire Inc. (1)

San Antonio

White Camelia Knights of the Ku Klux Klan (2)

Cleveland, Houston

American Thule Society (1)

Texas

Aryan Nations (2)

Bellmead, Houston

National Alliance (2)

Dallas/Ft. Worth, Houston

National Socialist Movement (3)

Houston, Lubbock, Richardson

White Revolution (1)

Texas

Aryan Wear (1)

Keller

European and American Unity Rights Organization (1)

Dallas/Ft. Worth

Blood and Honour (1)

Richardson

Confederate Hammerskins (2)

Dallas, Houston

Lone Star State Skinheads (1)

Houston

Aryan Covenant Church (1)

Anderson

Christian Guard (1)

Texas

Gospel Broadcasting Association (1)

Houston

League of the South (8)

Austin, Iredell, Northeast, Panhandle, Rio Grande Valley, South Central, Southeast, San Angelo

Nation of Islam (7)

Austin, Dallas, Ft. Worth, Houston, San Antonio, Texarkana, Waco

New Black Panther Party (2)

Dallas, Houston

Border Guardians (1)

Livingston

Desastrious Records (1)

Springtown

Old Guard Records (1)

Plano

Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints (1)

Eldorado

Jewish Defense League (1)

Waco

Power of Prophecy (1)

Austin

What a sickening list! Texas has every kind of whacko hate group that there is. Constitutionally, these creeps have the right to spout their hatred. But we have the right to fight them every step of the way. To fight them, you must know them. That is why I printed the list, and that is why the SPLC keeps watch on these hate groups.

It's a dangerous job, but the SPLC does an excellent job of keeping tabs on all the hate groups in America (probably even better than the government). But they are a private group and this is expensive work. If you can afford it, send a few dollars their way and help them fight the hate.