Analysis of Mark Potok's Introduction

Mark Potok opens the report with his introduction. In it he starts off on the "Patriot" movement of the 1990's wherein he has the fantasy that there was a mass uprising of militias that called themselves "Patriots" and resorted to terrorist attacks on the United States. Included in these are Ruby Ridge, Waco and the bombing of the Oklahoma Federal Building by Timothy McVeigh.

Anyone with any rational thought though - apparently this excludes those at the SPLC - would see these acts for what they were, isolated acts on the edge.

Mentioning Waco as a militia terrorist attack is ridiculous on its face. The Murrah building was the act of a couple of individuals, not a concerted effort by any organized militia. Those who believe otherwise have no proof or evidence and are therefore creating their own conspiracy theory. The Ruby Ridge incident is up for debate. Some see it as government overreacting, some see the Weavers as in the wrong.

However I would like to point out that organizations like the SPLC stoke the fires of government officials and law enforcement that there is more of a threat than there truly is when it comes to militias. Some government agencies even ignorantly use the SPLC "Hate Groups List" and their bogus "reports" as legitimate. This causes law enforcement both at the local, state and federal level to overreact.

But these lists and reports are no more than a few people calling others that they disagree with racists time and time again.

Case in point, there was no report from the SPLC on the Black Panthers and their intimidation tactics of white voters in Philadelphia at a polling place in 2008. Yet at the same time the SPLC was putting out warnings about US Citizens who were conservative, citizens speaking out against Obama Administration policies that they disagreed with, being lawful gun owners or watching and listening to news that they chose to.

In describing the Oklahoma City Bombing, Potok states: "... an attack, the deadliest ever by domestic U.S. terrorists, carried out by men steeped in the rhetoric and conspiracy theories of the militias."

I would say that Potok and his ilk are the ones spewing hateful rhetoric and conspiracy theories. As you'll see below, conspiracy theories abound throughout this report and throughout the race card playing "business of hate". Yes, it is a business; they are fighting for donations and power. Most of their rhetoric and theories could come straight out of a comic book and are laughable. I can't believe that anyone would take them seriously.

Potok continues: "Authorities around the country are reporting a worrying uptick in Patriot activities and propaganda. 'This is the most significant growth we've seen in 10 to 12 years,' says one. 'All it's lacking is a spark. I think it's only a matter of time before you see threats and violence'"

Potok automatically associates any American who identifies themselves as a "Patriot" as a potential terrorist militia member. Any information these self-declared patriots send out, whether it be forwarding an email about your disagreement with a piece of legislation or your outrage at some action by a member of congress, is propaganda in the SPLC's eyes and not of a legitimate concern.

It's also quite telling that Potok does not identify who the sources of the information and statements are from. He notes "authorities" and "says one". According to section two of the report - which I address below - they didn't want to be identified. How convenient. The real reason is that the SPLC is "cherry picking" who they listen to. They will quote only those whom they agree with and those who use their reports and information as in "Anonymous sources"

Potok goes on to say that the cause of all of this is an increase in non-white immigration and the decline of whites in the country. He does not mention illegal immigration specifically as a cause of "non-white" immigration, nor does he mention that many people are very concerned about the illegal immigration issue, while at the same time having no problems with legal immigrants. He almost outright calls politicians opposed to illegal immigration racists, saying that all of this hate - from whites only - that he sees, is being spread by "ostensibly mainstream politicians".

He also blames this supposed "uptick in militias" on media pundits. I'm assuming the pundits he means only appear on the channel they hate the most, FOX News. He also targets Lou Dobbs on CNN, as the SPLC has called for his head, because of his opposition to illegal immigration.

It is quite obvious that Potok sees only the potential for racism, "hate" or terrorism to come from whites. Nowhere in his introduction to this "report" - or should I say "race-card wet dream propaganda" - does he mention militias and hate groups of color. Potok is a racist of the highest order as is the SPLC as a whole. It only takes a cursory look at the SPLC "Hate Group List" to realize that almost the entirety of the list is made up of white groups.

There are a few groups in there that can't be ignored by the SPLC, like the Jewish Defense League who actually committed terrorist attacks in the 80's. Groups like The Nation of Islam and the Black Panthers - both of which have committed violent terrorist acts and also target groups like the Jews in addition to Whites in general and outright call for a Black only state - are also on the list.

However, a lot of the groups on their list are not racist at all, but only stand for a political view that differs from the SPLC. There are Christian organizations and those who call for immigration enforcement on "The List", many whom have mixed-racial membership and have never committed a crime, a violent act or called for violence to be used. As an example Save Our State (SOS) and the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) are both on their list, but neither has committed a hate crime of any order.

Meanwhile, conspicuously absent, are the widespread organized gangs in this country like Hispanic gangs in LA that have perpetrated ethnic cleansing, through violence, of Blacks from their community. The Mexican Mafia, who have openly called for the killing of all Blacks in LA.

Groups like MeCHA (El Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztl�n (the Chicano Student Movement)) whose motto is "Por la Raza todo. Fuera de La Raza Nada," - "For the race, everything. Outside of the race, nothing.", who have called for the removal of "the gringo" from "The Bronze Continent" (the US southwest, or to them, Aztlan). Potok dismisses this in his introduction as "nativist theories about secret Mexican plans to 'reconquer' the American Southwest".

Yes, he declares it a "nativist theory", made up by the militias, when that is the actual MeCHA stance in it's founding documents and widely disseminated! In 1995, Voz Fronteriza, the official Mecha Publication, called for the death of federal immigration agents stating "all the migra [a pejorative term for the INS] pigs should be killed, every single one." [DiscoverTheNetworks]).

Yet MeCHA doesn't show up on the SPLC "Hate Group List".

Don't get me started on the National Council of La Raza. Hello, it means, the National Council of The Race!

The NAACP doesn't show up either, though they are calling for rights and privileges only for Blacks and not for other races. That is the epitome of race hate!

But I'm getting a bit off track here.

Potok includes in this new "wave of militias" those who question Obama's citizenship, known by those opposed to them derogatorily as "birthers". While I am not sold on the idea of their claims, I do believe they have the right to question if they feel enough evidence has not been put forth that Obama is a US natural born citizen. And they have a right to do so without being called a hateful racist by some organization that pretends to be legitimate. Maybe Obama isn't, but Potok doesn't care about that, he labels them as hateful people who are joining militias or intend to do violence to people of this country. I told you there are comic book conspiracies throughout this report.

Potok continues, saying that the SPLC warned former Attorney General Janet Reno about extremists in the militia movement "that the 'mixture of armed groups and those who hate' was 'a recipe for disaster.' Just six months later, Oklahoma City's federal building was bombed."

And after that happened Potok...?

... nothing!

There were no widespread militia attacks on the United States that killed hundreds and thousands as you so vehemently insinuated was imminent. And as you so vehemently are now stating is imminent. You were wrong!

Potok and the SPLC are fear mongering in order to justify their existence and that is what this whole report is about - slandering American Citizens for donations and power.

Continue to Part Two