Skinhead Movement Is Larger & More Violent

Some of you may have noticed that on our blogroll is a listing titled SPL Center. This is the Southern Poverty Law Center, and they probably do more than any non-governmental organization to oppose the violent racist groups in this country.

The latest Southern Poverty Law Center Intelligence Report has some bad news for decent and law-abiding Americans. According to the report, the number of racist skinhead groups has more than tripled in the last four years. In 2002, there were 18 skinhead groups in this country. Today, there are at least 59 skinhead groups.

Mark Potok, director of the Center's Intelligence Project, says, "In the last couple of years, we have seen a significant increase not only in the number of active skinhead groups, but also in the level of violence they are producing. The movement was once dominated by a single powerful organization, the Hammerskin Nation, that tended to keep the lid on violence. Now, we're seeing a large number of smaller organizations vying for power and prominence, and that raises the potential for even more criminal activity."

This is a personal issue with me. I was shot last year by a member of the Aryan Brotherhood, who thought he needed my car more than I did. While this was not a racial incident, it does point to the fact that no one is safe from these violent criminals. If they want something of yours, or if they don't like the way you look, they will maim or kill you in a heartbeat.

Maybe it's time for the FBI to stop eavesdropping on our phone calls, and pay a little attention to these violent and growing groups. This is no "orange alert" terrorist hoax. These groups are real, and they are a constant and looming threat to the security of our country and the safety of our citizens.