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Don't Kid Yourself, They Haven't Gone Away
North Miami Beach, FL June 10, 2001 Aaron H.
Schectman
THINKING ALLOWED
Essays on issues, ideas and reflections on the times. Published now and
then, Opinions pro or con are welcome.
DON'T KID YOURSELF, THEY HAVEN'T GONE AWAY
Carol and I receive "Southern Poverty Law Center" materials put out by
Morris Dees regularly. Today, on the Op Ed page of the New York Times, he
and a colleague presented a report on "American Terrorism". Every time we
receive one of SPLC's reports in the mail it gets heavier and heavier. This
is because of the maps and charts included that track the groups thought to
be hate and militaristic centers for activists.
There is a season for such terrorist activities. It ebbs and flows with
the economy and rise of local opportunistic leaders. And, it never goes
away. With the bombing in Oklahoma there was a noticeable proliferation of
GROUPS not just individuals who became public. They haven't gone away.
When the McVeigh trial showed the public outrage at a tragedy, not a valid
retaliation for Ruby Ridge and the David Koresh immolation, the groups
declined in number. But, don't kid yourself, they haven't gone away.
I asked myself if the numbers reported by the SPLC meant anything. It was
the same with the reporting of the anti-Semitic attacks that are counted by
Jewish organizations. They rise - and there are cries about how America is
not good for the Jews. They fall - and pundits point out how much better it
has gotten for minorities. This is because the success of the tiny minority
of Jews in the world is linked to the way the general population treats
people of color, the poor, foreign born, non-English speaking and female
Americans.
But if the formal organizations of bomb makers, KKK groups, and the quasi
military bands disperse, that does not mean they go away. They put their
guns, swastikas, robes and medals away for a time. They haven't changed
because most Americans despise what Timothy McVeigh did. They remember the
raids of the American governmental agencies on reclusive people just like
themselves. They see themselves as heroes and real Americans. They also hate
"government" and think they have a right to stamp it out.
Don't kid yourselves, they haven't gone away. Carol's Evaluation:10 out of
10.
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