Hate groups in us

Hate Groups in the US A hate group is in essence defined as a methodological movement or group of people that promote and practice hatred, violence, antagonism and resentment against certain races, religion, gender, culture, ethnicity or other similar segments of the society. These groups came into existence because of certain malicious minded individuals who wish to disturb the peace and harmony within the society with their corrupt and twisted mind set. They have the ability to influence the weak minded individuals in the society and thus, form groups of such kinds. Their primary purpose is to spread malice and enmity and create a source of fear within the society. Hate groups are known to be more prevalent in the United States of America (USA) with a constant rise in the numbers and as per the Southern Poverty Law Centre ( SPLC) , 2011 has shown over 1000 active hate groups (Roy, 2002). The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the SPLC are the two main organizations in the USA that monitor hate groups and help maintain law and order. (Roy, 2002) Various reasons and explanations have been put forward by researchers as to why such hate groups exist, the main factors being: economical crisis, antipathy towards the immigrating crowd, political turmoil, change of governments and minor groups not been given equal opportunities. Reasons can be plenty but none justify their existence and the fact that the US government is unable to eradicate such groups. SPLC maintains a list of these groups and supports the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in their fight against these radical groups. The hate groups demonstrate their views through speeches, meetings, rallies and criminal acts of violence as well to prove their point (Roy, 2002). The SPLC had listed 926 active hate groups in 2008 within the US, the most well known groups being: Ku Klux Klan, Neo Nazi, White power Skinheads, Black Separatists, Anti-Muslims and the White Nationalists amongst many others. (Roy, 2002) The Ku Klux Klan is one of the oldest hate groups in the US. The first Klan originated in 1865 and faded out in 1870. The second Klan came into being in 1915 and survived until 1944. The Klan revived again in 1950s and has strong presence across the US today. They have always segregated themselves by their costumes- long robes, masks and pointed conical hats (Roy, 2002). Many influential politicians are known to have been members of this Klan. They have essentially practised racism, antipathy towards immigrants, racial discrimination against blacks and incorporated violent measures like using bombs and killing people mercilessly, committing murders and getting away with it. Today the entire community considers them to be more of terrorists than just a malevolent group (Roy, 2002). The other hate group that is prevalent in the US is the xenophobic Skinheads. They are extremists promoting white supremacy and hatred towards the Jews in particular. They also have a dress code that differentiates them from other groups. They shave their heads, wear combat boots, flight jacket, jeans and sport a lot of tattoos on their bodies, the designs being more of Nazi origins. This group came into being in 1960’s with radical views on racism and Jews. They have been known for being violent with Asian immigrants and transsexuals. The presence of these racist skin heads is found in most of the other hate groups including the Ku Klux Klan (Roy, 2002). Works Cited Roy, J. M. Love to hate: America’s obsession with hatred and violence. Columbia University Press. 2002. Print