SPLC Urges Congress to Investigate Extremism in the Military

[kpete]

Source: Southern Poverty Law Center

SPLC Urges Congress to Investigate Extremism in the Military
07/10/2009


The Southern Poverty Law Center today urged Congress to investigate growing evidence that racial extremists are infiltrating the U.S. military in order to ensure that the armed forces are not inadvertently training future domestic terrorists.

New Saxon profileIn a letter to committee chairmen with oversight over homeland security and the armed services, the SPLC said it recently found dozens of personal profiles on a neo-Nazi website where individuals listed "military" as their occupation — the latest evidence of extremist infiltration gathered by the SPLC. It also cites FBI and Department of Homeland Security reports supporting the SPLC's concerns.

"Evidence continues to mount that current Pentagon policies are inadequate to prevent racial extremists from joining and serving in the armed forces," SPLC founder Morris Dees wrote. He added, "Because the presence of extremists in the armed forces is a serious threat to the safety of the American public, we believe Congressional action is warranted."

The letter was sent to the chairmen of the House and Senate committees on Homeland Security and Armed Services. The SPLC has raised its concerns with Pentagon officials since publishing a report in 2006, but no apparent action has been taken.



Read more: http://www.splcenter.org/news/item.jsp?aid=384

[babylonsister]

1. Good. Rec'd. I hope they get some action on this. Framed that way,

it's scary.

[lazer47]

2. It is best sometimes to be very careful what one asks for

Racial extremist come in all colors and diverse backgrounds,the SPLC might get more than they wished for..

[jody]

3. "FBI says U.S. criminal gangs are using military to spread their reach"

and many more if one googles "gangs military".

Those gangs include ones dominated by African-American or Hispanic ethnic groups.

[hootinholler]

4. So you can be a neonazi and it's ok but be gay and it's not.

:shrug:
Go Figure.

-Hoot

[JonLP24]

5. I was in the Army from '05-'08

I haven't ran into any outright extremist but I'd ask someone who has been in 10-15 years and not me. However when it comes to white men, I've heard more then a few slurs and general dislike of african-americans in leadership positions. Not all but quite a few and I suspect many were closeted. Whenever information was spread that I had a black wife many would ask in shock and awe mostly because I don't fit the stereotype of what a black woman would look for in a man in their heads and some of them would burst out in exaggerated AAVE. Also other then work functions white people mostly hung out with white people and I was one of the very few that actually hung out with black people. After deployment when I learned more about others personality I hung out with mostly black people as well as other races but the funny thing is not a single black person had a problem with me having a black spouse unlike many white men.

The good thing about the Army there is plenty of minorities in leadership positions for example we had a black woman as our Battalion NCO who was a Command Sergeant Major. The downside is Officers are over 90% white.

[laststeamtrain]

6. Congress Urged to Probe Claims 'Racial Extremists' Infiltrating the Military

Source: The Public Record

Congress Urged to Probe Claims 'Racial Extremists' Infiltrating the Military
Written by The Public Record
Friday, 10 July 2009 14:07

A prominent civil rights organization called on Congress Friday to investigate growing evidence that racial extremists are infiltrating the US military in order to ensure that the armed forces are not inadvertently training future domestic terrorists.

In a letter to committee chairmen with oversight over homeland security and the armed services, the Southern Poverty Law Center said it recently found dozens of personal profiles on a neo-Nazi website where individuals listed "military" as their occupation - the latest evidence of extremist infiltration gathered by the SPLC. It also cites FBI and Department of Homeland Security reports supporting the SPLC's concerns.

"Evidence continues to mount that current Pentagon policies are inadequate to prevent racial extremists from joining and serving in the armed forces," SPLC founder Morris Dees wrote. He added, "Because the presence of extremists in the armed forces is a serious threat to the safety of the American public, we believe Congressional action is warranted."

The letter was sent to the chairmen of the House and Senate committees on Homeland Security and Armed Services. The SPLC has raised its concerns with Pentagon officials since publishing a report in 2006, but no apparent action has been taken.

Read more: http://www.pubrecord.org/nationworld/1006-congress-urged-to-probe-claims-racial-extremists-infiltrating-the-military.html

[Politicalboi]

7. If ONLY they were gay

They would be fired in a heart beat.

[Big_Mike]

8. I think this is much ado about very little

Given a military end strength of 2.8 million counting both active (1.39M) and reserve forces (1.46M), as of 2008 <http://www.globalfirepower.com/country-military-strength-detail.asp?country_id=United-States-of-America>, you would have to expect representation, if only as a portion of the available population. I retired some time ago, but during my service ('70s to '90s), racism was not a large problem. The Army addressed that issue in the late '70s very strongly, and it showed in various ways. Was it stamped out? No way. But was it relatively minor? Yes, certainly. So far as I was concerned, everyone was simply Army Green, in varying shades of darkness.

As far as limiting the roles of blacks, at least in the early to mid '80s, my Commanding General was black, and he owned all the tactical nukes in Europe at that time. Doesn't seem to be a position they would give to a no talent person.

AFA gang members are concerned, there always has been, and I think always will be people who enlist to gain skills to use back on the street. But, as I know from personal experience having led former gang bangers, many have their eyes opened by serving and drop from the gangs. I could be a myopic white guy, but many of them stayed in for a career, not just 3 or 4 years.