Subject: M-I: Net called boon to hate groups (fwd) Date: Mon, 9 Mar 1998 10:43:58 -0500 (EST) From: "hoov" <hoov-AT-freenet.tlh.fl.us> forwarded by Michael Hoover > The number of hate groups in the United States rose by 20 percent last > year in part because the Net makes it easier to preach intolerance and > to recruit new members, the Southern Poverty Law Center said today. > > According to the center's Intelligence Project, there are now 474 hate > groups in the country, a surge that it says is fueled by captivating > racist sites, the grassroots power of the medium, and a boom in "white > power rock 'n' roll music." > > "A few years ago, for a lone Klansman to produce a pamphlet that would > maybe reach 100 people, it would take a lot of money and work, not to > mention having to find a sympathetic printer," said Mark Potok, editor > of the center's Intelligence Project. "Today that same man, for a few > dollars, can put up a slickly packaged Web page and potentially reach > millions." > > The center documented 163 Web sites allegedly promoting white supremacy, > such as the Ku Klux Klan's sites, and others encouraging the hatred of > non-Christians. However, 12 of the sites belonged to black separatist > groups, the center says. The count doesn't include sites that deny the > occurrence of the Holocaust. > > Almost half the sites were erected by organized groups that can be > contacted and joined or offer to mail out bigoted materials, Potok > added. > > "The world has shrunk for haters. Now they feel a part of a > movement--the Internet gives them a sense of community felt among > racists," he said. "Plus these movements need youth, and the Net is > providing access." --- from list marxism-international-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
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