What is a hate group? Is it an organization of individuals who conduct violence, property damage and intimidation to promote extreme political ideologies? Is it simply an assembly of people who hate things? Can a group of six-year-olds form a hate group against broccoli?
You might find this amusing, but answering these questions carries significant political, legal and financial implications. The previous administration abused their power to make it easier to label conservative organizations as hate groups, and once they receive that label, they can become ineligible to operate as a business.
This might seem like a reasonable idea, but who is determining which groups are hateful? For the most part, it’s all managed by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
If you aren’t familiar with them, a few minutes on Google will likely turn your stomach. Better yet, this short video hits all of the major points. When you’re watching, keep in mind that this is a private organization that is not sanctioned or regulated by the government. They simply came together and decided that they should be in charge of registering hate groups.
The bias and inconsistency with which they follow through will not surprise you. What might is just how much sway they actually hold in our often backwards country.
