Hate groups thrive in Florida

In just one week -- two cases of despicable hate spreading in Central Florida have been reported.

In Titusville, Brevard County, the KKK tried recruiting at an apartment complex. And in Fruitland Park, Lake County, pictures of a cop wearing Klan clothes surfaced.

The Alabama-based Southern Poverty Law Center says Florida is the third most active state for hate groups, right behind Texas and California.

The civil rights law firm, along with the Anti-Defamation League, believes Barack Obama's Presidency and the worsening economy are strengthening white supremacy groups along the I-4 corridor.

For one, the Nationalist Coalition, a white supremacy group, actively recruits on the web, and is one of many hate cults in the sunshine state.

“But overall, they're a tiny part of the population,” said UCF criminal justice Professor Ken Adams. “If I had to guess, I would say one percent or less.”

But these groups are a threat nonetheless, said Professor Adams.

The hatemongering in Central Florida includes the ever-active KKK.

“They talk explicitly about killing people, about racial purity, about the gene pool, and purifying the gene pool,” said Adams.
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And the Klan's not alone. The Confederate Hammerskins are also in town. They idolize Nazis and often promote white power music. They advocate violent overthrow of the government. Some of these people are believed to have stockpiled weapons.

Another growing group: the Council of Conservative Citizens. It might sound like a right-wing talk radio group, but they're actually white nationalists.

“These are not people who show up at the town hall meeting to complain about their taxes or water bill,” said Adams

Adams adds that the bad economy gets the hate groups more angry and ready to point blame.

And that President Obama has become a visual aide for white extremism.

On The Web:

http://www.splcenter.org/intel/map/hate.jsp