LOS ANGELES — The first amendment of the U.S. Constitution has protected citizen rights of debate, discussion, and the open exchange of ideas for over 200 years. However, this “American way” of freedom is being threatened by a political attack group known as the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). In PragerU’s latest video, “The Anit-Hate Group That is a Hate Group,” Karl Zinsmeister, an executive at the Philanthropy Roundtable, exposes the SPLC for attempting to undermine American liberty.

The SPLC was created in 1971 as a civil-rights law firm, but has since transformed into a malicious attack group that targets any organization or person they disagree with. Through the help of establishment media, the SPLC releases a notorious “hate map” of people, organizations, advocates and charities it subjectively deems to be “extremists” and “haters.” The list now totals 917 groups in the United States.

Zinsmeister explains the two-pronged approach of the SPLC:

“Find a handful of crazies, with barely any followers, no address, and no staff, and blow them up into a dangerous movement – proof that there are neo-Nazis lurking everywhere,” and then, “undermine legitimate political voices that they oppose, by associating them with extremists like the KKK.” 

For example, the Alliance Defending Freedom is a network of attorneys who have donated more than a million volunteer hours in defense of religious liberty. These freedom fighters have been “hate listed” by the SPLC next to 130 Ku Klux Klan chapters.

Other individuals and charities advocating on behalf of religious freedom, such as influential social scientist Charles Murray, and Muslim women rights activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali, were labeled “white-nationalists” and “anti-Muslim extremists” by the SPLC. The largest category on the Hate Map includes groups wary of centralized government. However, as Zinsmeister points out, preferring smaller government is a mainstream American tradition and far from extremism.

“Mind you, it is entirely fair to disagree with any of these folks. But it is utterly unfair to call them haters or extremists,” observes Zinsmeister.

The true colors of the SPLC were revealed by Mark Potok, leader of the SPLC, who was caught on camera saying, “the press will describe us as ‘monitoring hate crimes’…. I want to say plainly that our aim in life is to destroy these groups, to completely destroy them.”

Rather than preventing it, The SPLC’s bullying and name-calling tactics actually incites hate. The Hate Map has influenced SPLC supporters to physically assault people who disagree with them. In 2017, author Charles Murray was attacked at Middlebury College while promoting a book. In 2012, a gunman unsuccessfully attempted mass murder at the Family Research Council. The attacker told authorities that his actions were a direct result of the SPLC labeling the Family Research Council as a hate group.

Despite such violence, the SPLC continues to grow. Why? The establishment media constantly quotes them, adding credence and believability to their work. Scare stories about “dangerous reactionaries” attract reader’s attention and fuel American misconceptions. Second, alarmism acts as a great fundraising technique. In 2015, the SPLC raised $139 million in addition to the $400 million of assets they already had.

“… So, the next time you see the Southern Poverty Law Center quoted in the news, just remember:  The masterminds behind the SPLC aren’t eliminating hate; they are fueling it,” Zinsmeister concludes.

MEDIA NOTE: PragerU contributor, Karl Zinsmeister, is available for interview as is PragerU’s Founder, Dennis Prager and CEO, Marissa Streit. Contact: MediaInquiries@theKcompany.co

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PragerU, founded by Dennis Prager in 2011, is a not-for-profit organization that helps millions understand the values that shaped America and provides millions of Americans and people around the world with the intellectual ammunition they need to advocate for limited government, individual responsibility and economic freedom. In 2016 alone, PragerU’s videos received over 250 million views, a figure that will eclipse 350 million in 2017. PragerU is a resource for all who value liberty. It is a threat to all those who do not. 

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