stormed the nation's capital
watched in a state of
disbelief. It also sparked
fear and concern among some
people about possible future
violent attacks organized and
carried out by extremist
groups. But according to new
data while extremist and hate
groups sent shifted their
operations from the fringes of
mainstream. The number of hate
groups has actually declined
over the past 10 years. But
the number of hate incidents
has skyrocketed.
They show up armed and
dressed in military fatigues.
Others carry flags or wear
shirts displaying who they
support. Others try and blend
in not wanting to be
identified in 2020 the rising
presence of extremist and hate
groups across the nation was
on full display and those in
Washington who took notice I
think the greatest terrorist
threat to the homeland.
Is the home run about
Southern Poverty Law Center.
The number of white
nationalist groups in the U.S.
hit an all-time high in 2019.
One year later they dips by
18%. It also noted slight
declines among anti immigrant
anti Muslim an anti lgbtq hate
active hate groups across the
nation also saw a decline,
especially compared to the
record high in 2018. But while
declined. The number of hate
incidents has not and experts
say the chances of more
violence is higher now than
ever before.
And that's largely to do
with the rhetoric that we're
seeing and the degree to which
people are unified right now
here in Arkansas, the number
of hate groups has gone down
record set back in 2010.
But if you look at the anti
defamation League's heat map
which tracks hate extremism
and anti Semitic and terrorist
You'll see a different
story. According to the ADL
the number of incidents has
skyrocketed more than 500% in
just the past 4 years.
The majority of them
involving propaganda one of
things that I'm not going to
do today is I'm not going name
any particular because really
I just want to give them
oxygen William Kennedy is a
supervisory special agent with
the FBI here in Little Rock.
He says unlike other parts
of the country the level of
hate groups in the natural
state has been consistent. We
are looking at essentially the
same case load today that
looking out. 6 years ago as
in 2020. 2 factors had a huge
impact on their declining
numbers. The first was covid
which according to the splc
minimized hate groups activity
both in person and online.
The other the recent
crackdown by social media
important now is they require
any.
To to get then you know
then you are Michael Hayden
with the splc says these
groups are now trying to find
that oxygen by using encrypted
messaging apps to better
communicate. And eventually
them from doing that won't be
easy now that hate groups have
found their way into the
mainstream. I think we're
going to be just come to
grips.
With the fact that there's
potential longevity for this
this insurgency in our
country.
But green black also
believes the solution to
in the hands of both lawmakers
and society as a whole you
should hate someone based on.
You know how they pray or
where they're from or how they
more people to bring the
country together.
It's no secret that the
history with white
supremacists currently
Arkansas is one of 3 states
without a specific hate crimes
law. Many believe passing a
hate crime law is necessary
including governor ASA
Hutchinson. Last year he
called on lawmakers to approve
such a law with harsher
2020 Senate bill 3 was
introduced its currently in
Judiciary Committee, but if
it's passed it would create a
sentence enhancement for
against the person due to the
personal attributes such as
race religion or orientation.
It would also require the
crimes in the state. We'll
have an impact. We'll have to
wait and see.