Ever since the shootings in the Holocaust museum, I’ve been mulling over the question of what the internet can do about hate groups. That was answered for me this morning in my inbox by this awesome article on Alter.net that debunks myths that Conservatives tell about hate groups in order to distance themselves from them. Some of the highlights:
Myth: This is a minority movement that we don’t have to worry about.
Fact: The number of hate groups is up 54% in the US since 2000.
Myth: These are the acts of lone wolf crazies.
Fact: The people committing these crimes may be lone wolves, but they are steeped in deeply entrenched movements that validate their ways of thinking and their actions. It is a reasonable argument that the James Von Brunns of the world would not have done what they did without the approval and motivation of a strong internet hate community.
Also, excellent suggestion in point #7 to write advertisers who advertise on shows where someone is using hate speech logging the statement, the time of the statement, and the fact that you won’t buy their product if they are supporting hate speech. This method was apparently successful in getting people like Don Imus off the air.
Thanks again Alter.net for an eye-opening and timely article! Also, the video at the top of this article endeavors to expose the same myths.
