After Temple Shootings, Are Hate Groups an Illinois Concern?

Concerns have been ignited about the work of extremist groups across the country since six worshippers at a Wisconsin Sikh temple were shot and killed.

We have learned more about the shooter,

The Southern Poverty Law Center counted 1,018 active hate groups in the United States in 2011. American radical right grew explosively in 2011, a third consecutive year of extraordinary growth that has swelled the ranks of extremist groups to record levels, according to a report written by the center.

Only organizations and their chapters known to be active during 2011 are included in the center's information. One of these groups, Heterosexuals Organized for a Moral Environment, is based in Downers Grove. It is an anti-gay organization.

All hate groups have beliefs or practices that attack or malign an entire class of people, typically for their immutable characteristics, according to the center.

This list was compiled using hate group publications and websites, citizen and law enforcement reports, field sources and news reports.

Hate group activities can include criminal acts, marches, rallies, speeches, meetings, leafleting or publishing. Websites appearing to be merely the work of a single individual, rather than the publication of a group, are not included in this list. Listing here does not imply a group advocates or engages in violence or other criminal activity.

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, there are 28 "hate" groups operating in Illinois, including the one in Downers Grove.

Here is the list:

Written by Chris Winston