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LEFT-WING ORGANIZATION DISSEMINATES MISINFORMATION ABOUT THESE AMERICANS, LINKING THEM TO RUBY RIDGE AND “MILITIA” GROUPS

by Sharon Rondeau

(Apr. 22, 2010) — The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has published an article entitled “Meet the Patriots” in which it takes aim at 40 Americans on the grounds that they are anti-government, racist, anti-immigration, or anti-Obama.

The list begins with Pastor Chuck Baldwin and includes people such as Joseph Farah, Editor-in-Chief of WorldNetDaily and Devvy Kidd, a prolific writer and speaker.

The article attempts to connect “the Patriots” to anti-abortion activists capable of violence or characters such as Timothy McVeigh by providing a “timeline” which dates back to the early 1990s. The final entry in the timeline is April 19, 2010, citing that date’s activities as “Antigovernment Patriot groups, including the Oath Keepers, plan to play prominent roles at a Second Amendment March in Washington, D.C. The website promoting the march is topped by a picture of a colonial militiaman, and key supporters include Larry Pratt, a long-time militia enthusiast, and Richard Mack, a former sheriff and militia hero.” Stewart Rhodes, Founder of Oathkeepers, is also on the “Patriots” list.

Page 4 of the report also labels Judge Andrew Napolitano and Congresswoman Michele Bachmann “Enablers” and claims that Napolitano is “vying to become a fixture on the far-right lecture circuit.”

Last spring, Alex Jones, who is also on the “Patriot” list, reported that a document issued from a “MIAC” center in Missouri contained “over 32 characteristics police should watch for as signs or links to domestic terrorists, which could threaten police officers, court officials, and infrastructure targets.” Jones’s article stated that “The Southern Poverty Law Center was cited as a research source for the ‘Missouri Documents’.”

On April 7 of last year, the Department of Homeland Security issued a report which labeled certain groups of people, including veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, as potential “rightwing extremists.” Much of the report appears to have similar wording as those posted at the Southern Poverty Law Center:

During the 1990s, these issues contributed to the growth in the number of domestic rightwing terrorist and extremist groups and an increase in violent acts targeting government facilities, law enforcement officers, banks, and infrastructure sectors.

Chuck Baldwin wrote yesterday that “our federal government has chosen to exalt the SPLC to the position of being its ‘go to’ source for information regarding ‘potential domestic terrorists and similar characterizations. As a result, the information and reports disseminated by SPLC wind up in police reports and bulletins all over the United States. As an example, the SPLC had its fingerprints all over the infamous MIAC report.”

Page 1 of the SPLC report acknowledges the Obama eligibility issue by including Bob Campbell, Founder of the American Grand Jury, and correctly reporting, “Campbell insists that Obama wasn’t born in the United States and thus is constitutionally ineligible to serve as president. The group also seeks to indict Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for her role in the purported conspiracy to defraud the American people by getting Obama elected.” However, it incorrectly states that Campbell lives in Arkansas.

A report in the Los Angeles Times which quoted the SPLC article stated that “The SPLC said resentment of Obama is one factor fueling anti-government sentiment.”

According to Wikipedia, the purpose of the SPLC, founded by Morris Dees, was “suing racist organizations.” A page from the organization’s website depicts a “hate map” which purportedly shows “Active U.S. hate groups” across the country with the accompanying description: “Hate group activities can include criminal acts, marches, rallies, speeches, meetings, leafleting or publishing…Listing here does not imply a group advocates or engages in violence or other criminal activity.” The group also maintains “Intelligence Files” on individuals it deems to be “extremists” where the reader can browse by “ideology,” “group,” or “individual.”