Looking In The Mirror

MORE ACTS OF TERRORISM in America are perpetrated by extreme conservative white supremacist groups than by all other groups combined, Islamic included. And yet, such organizations as the alt right or KKK are not categorized as terrorist groups, inexplicably, probably because they have the tacit support of mainstream conservatism. White Christian conservative America is not inclined to look closely at itself, but rather, to point accusing fingers at others with whose beliefs it disagrees. Fortunately, an organization founded in 2009, "Life After Hate", is looking in the mirror. Founded by a former leader of one of the largest and most dangerous extreme right wing white supremacist neo-Nazi organizations in the world, which originated in Chicago in the nineteen eighties, Life After Hate is devoted to reconciling groups which traditionally consider themselves enemies. It also focuses on encouraging white supremacist groups to redeem themselves, to rethink their pernicious ideology. Their efforts have successfully brought Muslims and Islamaphobes, gays and homophobes, democrats and republicans, Yankee and Red Sox fans together for brief periods of time, without excessive violence. Life After Hate had achieved such impressive results by 2016 that two weeks before Obama left office, the Department of Homeland Security planned to provide several million dollars in grant money to various organizations in the U.S. devoted to fighting terrorism through reconciliation. When Trump took office, all such grants earmarked for groups fighting so called "Islamic-terrorist" organizations were approved, and allowed to proceed, but Life Beyond hate, which focuses on combating white supremacy, was rescinded of its money. if one did not otherwise convince one's self, one might find one's self tempted to reach the conclusion that the Trump administration, which at the time included Steve Bannon, was not sufficiently opposed to the white supremacy to wish to assist to oppose it with financial assistance. Or, that the Trump administration does not consider terrorist hate groups devoted to white supremacy to be terrorist groups. Or that the Trump administration is not opposed to white supremacist terrorism. Or that the Trump administration lacks mirrors.