Radical Right Update

The radical right is seething at the moment as they try to run against the tides of an increasingly different political landscape. The anger seething amongst many on the right stems from an increasingly different racial makeup, the state of the economy (loss of jobs, bailout of bankers and elites), and the passing of many liberal policies that have been termed as “socialist” by many conservative pundits. According the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) the number of hate groups has ballooned with the number of hate groups rising by an estimated 54% between 2000 and 2008, as there has been an increasingly angry backlash against non-white immigrants. As highlighted by the video posted below, many of these people, hiding behind the veil of free speech, are spewing truly insulting remarks towards a wide group of people. In a truly deplorable attempt at comedy one of the klansman says that half the Mexicans coming over “live in mud huts” and that living in a van is like living in the Taj Mahal. Another man interviewed hinted that the gestation period of a Mexican is no more than three months, while also saying that he does not “need black people.” What use is this rhetoric in our national narrative? I do not believe that the maligning of a group of people was an imagined use for the first amendment.

The United States is truly a special country. No other country has been founded by a diverse group of immigrants and risen to prominence on the world stage—the most powerful country in the world to be exact. Many, however, it seems have forgotten the history of this country. If we are to be truly correct, we are all, no matter if you’re Irish, Mexican, Jewish, been here since before your great grandpappy could remember, immigrants. Over 61% of Americans polled believe that the United States is in decline. If this is true, we have no one but ourselves to blame. We focus on everything and anything that divides us, and can never come together in beneficial ways. I believe that the reason that progressive initiatives such as healthcare have failed is truly a racial question. It is much harder for people to help others that are different from themselves, be it a racial, religious, or socio-economic difference.

I’m sorry if this post seems like nothing more than me rambling, but really I’m tired of this shit. In 2010, are we really acting like this?

Souther Poverty Law Center: Raging on the Right