Conservatives Call for Congressional Probe into Leftist SPLC

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WASHINGTON (ChurchMilitant.com) - A leading conservative thinktank is urging Congress to investigate leftist political action group the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).

In a report published Tuesday, the American Policy Center (APC) warned the once-laudible civil rights organization has morphed into a radical anti-conservative, anti-Christian political action group.

Owing to its close ties with the U.S. government, DeWeese writes, the Montgomery, Alabama-based institute poses a threat "more dangerous than other organizations that are fueling the flames of the far Left radicals who use violence and lies to stop honest political debate."

In response, the APC has announced a petition demanding the Congressional Homeland Security Committee investigate — and sever — the federal government's relationship with the SPLC. 

DeWeese stresses the Southern Poverty Law Center presents a danger to American freedom in two key ways.

"First," he notes, "the SPLC has contracts with the federal government, specifically the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)," with SPLC agents acting "as advisors to help define what a domestic terrorist or hate group is, even helping to write official policy for this agency of our government." 

Examples of SPLC agents' work:

• The Department of Homeland Security's 2009 report, "Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment." The assessment "targeted conservative groups that supported local rule over federal control. And it singled out groups that opposed abortion or illegal immigration."
• Two weeks after "Rightwing Extremism" was issued, DHS released its "Domestic Extremism Lexicon," which defined "rightwing extremists" as Americans concerned about federal overspending and the state of the economy, those antagonistic toward the Obama administration or the United Nations.  
• In 2010, DHS launched its "Countering Violent Extremist Working Group" to train local law enforcement in counterterrorist tactics. According to DeWeese, the program "was basically the root of militarizing local police forces." The group popularized the narrative that conservative organizations potentially pose a greater domestic terror threat than ISIS agents.
• The SPLC also oversees the DHS-funded Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, which officially certifies U.S. police forces in combating "hate groups" — a term, DeWeese writes, that ties directly to another major SPLC menace.

The Southern Poverty Law Center endangers American freedom through its practice of ideologically skewed hate-group designation. 

In 2017, the SPLC added dozens of mainstream conservative groups to its so-called "Hate Map" of more than 900 radical societies.

For their defense of Christian teaching on marriage and sexuality, the SPLC now categorizes groups like the Alliance Defending Freedom, the Center for Family and Human Rights, the American Family Association and the Family Research Council alongside the Nation of Islam, Neo-Nazis and White Nationalists.

The move prompted a furious backlash from conservatives, who slammed the SPLC for hypocrisy, as it refuses leftist radicals, despite their rioting, arson and wanton violence:

Does the list include Black Lives Matter, ICIS, ANTIFA or any of the forces that have taken credit for opening fire on crowds attending public events? Nope. SPLC's list of hate groups are those who oppose Obamacare and NAFTA, are concerned about the economy and perhaps stockpile food to prepare for possible bad economic times. These are "Right Wing Extremists." The list goes on to include people like Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers and Sen. Rand Paul. A few years ago, it included Dr. Ben Carson, now HUD Secretary. The list also includes nearly any conservative and Christian organizations that advocate limited government or Christian teachings or government adherence to the Constitution.

"There is now a new trend moving across the nation that makes inclusion on this list dangerous to the very existence of those listed on it," warns DeWeese.

"Since President Trump's election," he observes, "the SPLC has ramped up its attacks on the Right with the clear purpose of destroying conservatives' ability to speak out and counter SPLC's assault on free speech and freedom of choice."

"The SPLC is a dangerous organization, guilty of the hate it claims to fight," notes the APC president. Yet it works closely with our own government in its quest to destroy any Americans who hold opposing views, even to the point of denying them a place in society."

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