“The SPLC is a discredited, left-wing, political activist organization that seeks to silence its political opponents with a ‘hate group’ label of its own invention and application that is not only false and defamatory, but that also endangers the lives of those targeted with it.”
Yes. I am proud to be among the 47 signers of this letter, which you can read in its entirety here.
“Conservatives Urge Media: Cut Ties With SPLC Over Dangerous ‘Hate Map,’” by Katie Yoder, NewsBusters, September 6, 2017 (thanks to the Geller Report):
Conservative leaders are calling out the liberal media for a dangerous hypocrisy: While media outlets readily promote an organization locating conservative and faith-based organizations on a “hate map,” they would never do the same for a map of abortion providers.
On Wednesday, 47 conservative leaders and organizations demanded that news outlets immediately halt their use of Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) data. Composed by the Family Research Council and signed by Media Research Center President Brent Bozell, the leaders published an open letter to the media detailing why outlets should stop referencing the “attack dog of the political left” while reporting.
“The SPLC is a discredited, left-wing, political activist organization that seeks to silence its political opponents with a ‘hate group’ label of its own invention and application that is not only false and defamatory,” the leaders challenged, “but that also endangers the lives of those targeted with it.”
According to the SPLC, many traditionally conservative and faith-based organizations constitute “hate” – a smear that has real-life consequences.
The letter pointed to Floyd Lee Corkins II, who, five years ago, entered the doors of the Family Research Council with the intention of a shooting rampage. The building manager stopped him, but not before getting shot himself.
“Corkins intended to kill everyone in the building, and then go on to terrorize additional organizations,” the letter read. “The U.S. Attorney stated in federal court that Corkins targeted FRC and additional targets by using the SPLC website’s ‘Hate Map.’”
While the networks ignored the use of SPLC’s hate map in that instance, Hollywood and the liberal media routinely cite SPLC data without question. And, in the wake of the Charlottesville violence, the SPLC has only gained steam by attracting big name financial backers.
But the leaders urged that now, more than ever, the media must cut off ties with the SPLC to avoid “another Corkins.”
“We believe the media outlets that have cited the SPLC in recent days have not intended to target mainstream political groups for violent attack, but by recklessly linking the Charlottesville melee to the mainstream groups named on the SPLC website,” the letter continued, “we are left to wonder if another Floyd Lee Corkins will soon be incited to violence.”
“To associate public interest law firms and think tanks with neo-Nazis and the KKK is unconscionable, and represents the height of irresponsible journalism,” the leaders declared. “All reputable news organizations should immediately stop using the SPLC’s descriptions of individuals and organizations based on its own obvious political prejudices.”
To support their letter, the leaders cited both political and media figures debunking the SPLC and highlighted the FBI’s discontinued use of the SPLC as a “trusted source” for Hate Crimes in 2014.
For their final example, the leaders pointed to the SPLC’s attack of human rights activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who has “experienced the violent and misogynistic side of Islam first hand” as a victim of female genital mutilation, among other grievances.
In an Aug. 24 New York Times op-ed, Hirsi Ali responded to the SPLC’s accusations:
I am a black woman, a feminist and a former Muslim who has consistently opposed political violence. The price for expressing my beliefs has been high: I must travel with armed security at all times. My friend and collaborator Theo van Gogh was murdered in broad daylight.
Yet the S.P.L.C. has the audacity to label me an ‘extremist,’ including my name in a ‘Field Guide to Anti-Muslim Extremists’ that it published on its website last October.
In that guide, the S.P.L.C. claims that I am a ‘propagandist far outside the political mainstream” and warns journalists to avoid my ‘damaging misinformation.’ These groundless smears are deeply offensive, as I have dedicated much of my adult life to calling out the true extremists: organizations such as Al Qaeda and ISIS. Yet you will look in vain for the S.P.L.C.’s ‘Field Guide to Muslim Extremists.’ No such list exists.
The leader also called out the media as hypocritical.
“If a national pro-life advocacy organization were to release a map with caricatures of abortionists and title it, ‘Here’s Where the Baby Killers are Located in Your State,’ would the media run the story?” the leaders asked of a situation where Congress proposed defunding Planned Parenthood. “Would it reprint the map and discuss the location of these ‘pro-death’ doctors throughout the news day?”
“Clearly, it would not,” they determined.
In their conclusion, the leaders repeated the dangers SPLC poses.
“Given the above points, and most alarmingly that the SPLC’s ‘hate group’ propaganda has been linked to two terrorist shootings in the D.C. area,” they ended, “we respectfully request that you cease using the SPLC’s data and its various lists and maps in your reporting.”
Pet Charles says
I was wondering when people would start fighting back at SPLC. Not only that, but create a parallel list for fake news and false allegations against conservative voices. Unfortunately, suing them for defamation takes a lot of resources and they are heavily funded at this time. But sooner or later the pendulum will swing. I notice that some state legislatures are introducing bills that forbid publicly funded institutions from preventing people with dissenting opinions from speaking.
libertyORdeath says
I think a parallel list is a fantastic idea, especially since a large % of Americans have already woke up and abandoned the so called MSM. If a better researched and more truthful list was compiled and put out to conservative or logical news and media outlets, then the majority of Americans would definitely see it and hopefully think about it’s implications.
The splc list could have been fine if they would have focused on real hate as opposed to political and social targets. It cracks me up to see organizations like jihadwatch alongside groups with obvious violent and hateful rhetoric and even some with large body counts under their belt.
John Forbes says
AS YET THERE IS NOT A SINGLE ORGANIZATION AS WELL ORGANIZED OR AS WELL FUNDED AS THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD & THE SOROS FOUNDATIONS !
IT IS THEIR AGENDAS & PLANS THAT WE ALL HAVE TO FIGHT AGAINST & IT IS NOT GOING TO BE AT ALL EASY AS WE ARE ALL VERY LATE IN THE BATTLES :
BUT FOR THE SAKE OF OUR CHILDREN & THEIR CHILDREN WE MUST NOT LOSE OR GIVE UP EITHER FREE SPEECH OR ANY PART OF THE US CONSTITUTION OR ANY CLAUSE THAT WILL LIMIT RIGHTS !
THIS IS WHAT ISLAM SEEKS TO DO IS CREATE DOUBT , CONFUSION & CHAOS TO LET IT BE SEEN THAT DEMOCRACY IS A FAILURE & SHARIA WILL THEN BE PRESENTED AS THE ONLY ANSWER !
DO NOT LET THIS PEOPLE DEFEAT THE US !!!!
mortimer says
JIHAD DENIAL…the denial of the 270 million corpses left by jihad… is the MOST EGREGIOUS FORM OF INTELLECTUAL DISHONESTY.
SPLC is a medieval style, Marxist inquisition which labels its targets as non-Marxists ‘heretics’ who must be eliminated. They then hand the names to neo-Marxist media like CNN, NYT and to goon squads like Antifa and the Muslim brotherhood to do the rest.
Someone who can defend jihad … and step over the 270 million dead corpses left by jihad … is MORALLY DEAD. SPLC is association for the morally dead.
St. Michael Defend Us says
In the Summer 2017 issue of NEA Today (for NEA-retired members) (for retired teachers) there is a feature article on illegal immigration and how teachers can help illegal immigrants. Included in this information is a suggestion that teachers refer to “Teaching Tolerance” which is a project of the SPLC. Search using the web address of tolerance.org . In the NEA article there is also advice about controlling the dialogue and eliminating negative comments about illegal immigrants and muslims.
My point being, the SPLC has been successful in inserting itself into the system as an recognized authority, an entity to be trusted.
Alarmed Pig Farmer says
The IRS should audit the SPLC. With all the money they raise surely some of it has been embezzled to enrich the personal lives of the social justice warriors running it. No wait, the IRS is a pro-Islam anti-American outfit now, so there will be no audit. Why does the SPLC get tax exemption anyway?
Robeaver says
Religion. Gets tax breaks, or pays zero property tax. That money alone could find a cure for cancer. No, wait…… the Orange is defunding science. Did someone hear the USA toilet flush? The last Republic. Ancient Romans are disgusted. Have some Faith, people. Islam terrorists do, and that has been good for the human race!???
Norger says
So has/will any MSM news outlet publish and/or respond to this letter?
Bill says
Please sign this Whitehouse petition seeking to declare SPLC and CAIR hate groups and suspend their funding: https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petiton/declare-southern-poverty-law-center-and-council-american-islamic-relations-hate-groups-and-suspend-their-funding
Wyldeirishman says
Just getting a 404 at that link 🙁
Johane Bissonnette says
Me too!
libertyORdeath says
Thanks yet again to all those who signed this letter and are using their notoriety to combat the disinformation and outright lies that are constantly spewing from the bowels of organizations like the SPLC. With recent history in my mind, i am am extremely concerned that the facts and logic will simply be rejected in its entirety in the same way that jihad violence and Islamic supremicism are rejected and mostly completely ignored by far too much of the population in the West.
I have attempted to get some clarity on the SPLC “Hate list” from the horses mouth, but have met with nothing but disdain and refusal to respond. The most I have gotten is an email stating that…”everything you ask about is on our website”. However, any thinking person willing to read thru the copious amounts of garbage on the site will clearly see that there is a lot missing when it comes to the hate map and list, much of which has already been covered on this site.
For instance…
– why is there no list section for antisemitism?
– why are the only antisemitic groups listed related to holocaust denial, Nazism, Black seperatism or White supremacy? Are there no Islamic groups in the US that would be considered antisemitic hate groups? (CAIR, ISNA, etc.)
– Why are there no anti-female hate groups listed?
– Why are there no Hispanic groups listed such as MEChA or La Rasa?
– why are there no Islamic groups AT ALL? Most of the readers here know that there are dozens, if not more.
– why are groups like Black Lives Matter and Antifa not on the list?
All of the above are easily supported with piles of evidence regarding the nature of their hateful activity, yet splc is not even willing to discuss the topic.
I also requested info regarding the criteria used to compile the list and map to no avail. Seems like a textbook example of how SPLC does research…opinions and feelings first, facts second if at all.
gravenimage says
SPLC “discredited, left-wing organization that seeks to silence its opponents with ‘hate group’ label”
…………………
That sums it up.
Matthieu Baudin says
Yeah, we’ve got to learn to stand up effectively against these quasi religious, overly evangelical, highly prejudiced, contemporary left hate groups such as the SPLC. They seem determined to put a Goebbels inspired shackle on plain free speech.
Guest says
Abortion is murder. The SPLC are liars. Do I need to say more?
Henner720 says
As antisemitism rises, Germany labels Hezbollah right-wing extremist group http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Hezbollah-labeled-right-wing-extremism-as-anti-Semitism-in-Germany-rises-504597
Transmaster says
The SPLC is nothing more than an extortion organization. If you don’t pay us off then we will label you as a hate group. Like the Anti Defamation League with is another outfit that uses extortion to make money.
I see the SPLC is showing Casper, Wyoming as a location of “hate” what a joke. The Wolves of Vinland, which is a neo-pagan group which follows the teachings of Our Father Odin in the old Nordic way. I know some of these people calling them a hate group just because they follow the Old Norse religion and use it’s symbols. They have nothing to do with the NAZI’s who ripped off much of the mythos of the Old Norse religion for its Aryan master race BS. The swastika is a symbol that was in use thousands of year ago in Iron Age Europe and Scandinavia. The SPLC also labels them a hate group because the Wolves use the term “folk” and they are not defining the word in a way the SPLC likes so the SPLC says that “Folk” means white people. The Wolves of Vinland use the term in it’s original Norse meaning, A “folk” was a democratic meeting of ‘the people” to make governing decisions.
Eric says
Unfortunately some Black activist and the Congressional Black Caucus allow the SPLC to set the political agendas for the Black community. SPLC made that list of Confederate monuments to be taken down and some Black activist followed the lead of the SPLC. The SPLC will use Confederate monuments as a big fund raising tool. Not one Black organization or individual will benefit from this.
Meanwhile Black unemployment is at 50%. Most of the men on death row are black men. Not a beep from SPLC or some Black activist for that matter. Note that Dr. King did not attack symbols of racism but attacked racism in fact head on ( voting rights, discrimination, unjust war). I myself have tried to point out to other Black people as to how the SPLC is misdirecting us, but I get ignored.
Keep exposing the SPLC. They may have done good work in the past, now they are just a fund raising con operation.
Eric