Report: Texas has second most groups in the country
According to a new report, Texas has become one of the nation’s leaders in a category no one wants to become a leader in.
The Southern Poverty Law Center released its annual report on hate groups in the nation. Mark Potok wrote the report, and told KTRH Texas is a breeding ground for extremist groups.
“By our count there are 62 hate groups in Texas. A lot of skinhead groups. A fair number of Klan groups. And a number of black supremacist groups,” Potok explained.
One of those groups being the New Black Panther Party. Potok explained why the numbers are on the rise.
“It’s related to the kinds of cultural conflict you find in Texas. Texas has a fair amount of conflict between Latinos and Anglos; between black Americans and white Americans and so on,” Potok said.
Dena Marks of the Anti Defamation League told KTRH the sheer numbers are cause for concern.
“That’s scary and something that needs to be monitored. I am not surprised that they have said something like that,” Marks said.
Marks also says the numbers are in line with what she has been seeing.
“There certainly seems to be a lot of hate incidents that are happening. Just because they are reported doesn’t mean they are happening. But there does seem to be a lot, yeah,” Marks stated.
Texas has the second most hate groups in the country. California has the most with 82. Florida, Georgia and New Jersey all have over 50 hate groups according to the report.
Some other reasons for the increased numbers in these groups according to Potok are the Obama Administration's stance on guns, and the President's re-election in November.
