Racist skinhead movement growing, more dangerous

[ck4829]

In just four years, the number of racist skinhead crews in the United States has more than tripled, threatening a renewed era of street violence, according to the Fall 2006 issue of the Center's Intelligence Report.

The article, Motley Crews, tells how the skinhead scene "has entered a free-for-all phase, with new and unaffiliated local, state and regional crews proliferating rapidly. More and more of these newcomers subscribe to the ultra-violent ethos and disorganized crime profiteering of a chaotic band of Midwest-based gangster skins known as Vinlanders."

The number of skinhead crews has grown from 18 in 2002 to at least 59 today. This resurgence raises the potential for bloodshed to a level not seen since racist skinheads unleashed a wave of criminal violence in the late 1980s.

"In the last couple of years, we have seen a significant increase not only in the number of active skinhead groups, but also in the level of violence they are producing," said Mark Potok, editor of the Intelligence Report and director of the Center's Intelligence Project. "The movement was once dominated by a single powerful organization, the Hammerskin Nation, that tended to keep the lid on violence. Now, we're seeing a large number of smaller organizations vying for power and prominence, and that raises the potential for even more criminal activity."

http://splcenter.org/news/item.jsp?aid=219

[originalpckelly]

1. Oh goodness, just more of what we don't need...

We just can't win in this country can we?

[terip64]

2. This is what I have been afraid of since bush legitimized racism.

This administration has put us back 50 years in just about every way you can imagine.

[zanne]

4. When Reagan was in power...

To be openly racist became socially acceptable when Reagan was in power. The excuse was that it was "hypocritical" of white people not to "come out" of the racist closet. It became part of the "I'm OK, You're OK" racist part of the culture. When Clinton was in office, the racists went back into the closet because it wasn't OK anymore. Now, it's more than OK, it's goddam patriotic to be racist. And homophobic. And sexist. And, especially, xenophobic.

[n2doc]

3. Wonder when Bill O and Hannity will shave their heads?

Seems like their agendas are converging. Who's going to be the first skinhead senator?

[Dhalgren]

5. I think that was Jesse Helms...

[marmar]

7. George Allen wears a rug....

He's bald underneath, and his closet is full of jackboots and bomber jackets. :)

[terip64]

6. kick