The
Southern Poverty Law Center issued a report yesterday that notes
an alarming increase in so-called "patriot" and right-wing militia groups in the past year. According to the report, in 2012, there were 1,360 so-called "patriot" groups whose core, paranoid belief is that an oppressive U.S. government is taking away their rights, and is aiming for a global "socialist" government. Included in the "patriot" group numbers are 321 militia groups, which are their armed auxiliaries. Since 2009, these groups have grown over 800 percent, with the rise attributable in significant part to the election of President Obama.
Ever since the Oklahoma City bombing, public awareness of the existence of such self-styled right-wing "patriot" groups and militias has risen. They bear watching, since their radical and frankly unhinged views represent a small, but growing, threat to our democracy.
Here's the trend since the 1990's (note the aforementioned spike in 2009):
(
click to enlarge)
