Obama’s Election Spurs Hate Incidents and Worries of a Klan Resurgence
The election of Barack Obama has apparently spurred white supremacist anxieties and contributed to an apparent surge in hate incidents.
More than 200 hate-related incidents have been reported since Obama’s election, the Chicago Tribune reports. The most-publicized was the alleged plot by two suspected skinheads to kill 88 black students and then Obama while dressed in white tuxedos and top hats. Other reported incidents include cross burnings and assassination betting pools.
Mark Potok, who helps monitor hate groups for the Southern Poverty Law Center, told the Tribune he is worried that “a perfect storm of conditions” could favor growth of the Klan and other groups. The factors include Obama’s election, the economic downturn, and demographic statistics showing whites will be a minority group within a generation.
“We’ve seen everything from cross burnings on lawns of interracial couples to effigies of Obama hanging from nooses to unpleasant exchanges in schoolyards,” he said.
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