California State University, San Bernardino
Professor of criminal justice at California State University, San Bernardino and director of its Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism; co-author of The Limits of Dissent: The Constitutional Status of Armed Civilian Militias
Is the 'alt-left' really a thing? President Trump said “alt-left,” and the term is becoming increasingly common. But where did it come from? And what is “antifa?”
An Orange County KKK Rally Turns Violent Over the weekend, three people were stabbed and more than a dozen arrested at a Ku Klux Klan rally in Anaheim. The white supremacist group has been in the news for other reasons too. Today, Donald Trump is getting blasted by his Republican competitors for failing to denounce the KKK when asked about it on CNN Sunday. So what's going on? Why is the KKK suddenly in the spotlight again and what is its presence here in California?
Countering Extremism: Social Media and Surveillance in California Mass shootings in Paris, Colorado Springs and San Bernardino have generated more pressure than ever on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. They're being asked to monitor messages worldwide, alert federal officials and take threats and hate-speech off line — without becoming agents of government or ideological censors. At the local level, the LAPD and county sheriffs rely on community partnerships to find out when ideas might turn into violent action — at the risk of religious profiling that's illegal and counter-productive. We look at challenges that can't be avoided.
Dylann Roof, Hate and Extremism "You rape our women and you're taking over our country. And you have to go.” Those are the words spoken by alleged killer Dylan Roof, according to a cousin of Reverend Pinckney, who spoke to survivors of the attack in Charleston. He reloaded his gun five times, they say. Roof was given a gun recently as a 21st birthday present from his father. There are pictures online of him wearing a jacket with a flag of apartheid-era South Africa and a flag of Rhodesia, later renamed Zimbabwe. He’s also been photographed with a Confederate States of America license plate. He has prior arrests for trespassing and drug possession, and a friend has said he was a heavy user of prescription drugs. We look at Roof’s apparent racism and what it could tell us about the nature of his crime.
America Deals with an Act of Terror Speaking of the two bombs that killed three and wounded dozens at yesterday's Boston Marathon, President Obama today announced , "Given what we now know about what took place, the FBI is investigating it as an act of terrorism." The crime scene is 12 blocks long in the heart of a city still in a state of shock. There have been no arrests and no one has claimed responsibility. Praising "exhausted runners who kept running to the nearest hospital to give blood, and those who stayed to tend to the wounded," and medical staffs and students at several local hospitals, he called on all Americans to be on the alert. We talk to Bostonians and update the investigation. What can be learned from the history of terrorism in the United States?
Hate, Terrorism, and America's Religious Pluralism Since they first arrived in the US more than 100 years ago, Sikhs have experienced brutal discrimination. Since September 11, they've been subject to scorn and retaliation. Now six have died along with a gunman, after a shooting spree in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. Others are on the critical list. Investigators are trying to determine why Wade Michael Page shot up the Sikh house of worship. We hear from a man who knew him as part of the hate music scene and raise some disturbing questions about American intolerance of a major world religion.
Personal Rage, Hostility and Deadly Gunfire America's latest mass killing took the lives of seven people, including the gunman, who shot up a Sikh house of worship in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. Law enforcement agencies want to know if Wade Michael Page acted alone. We talk with a criminologist who knew him as part of the hate-music scene. Since they first arrived in the US more than 100 years ago, Turban-wearing Sikhs have experienced brutal discrimination. They were the first targets of retaliation in the US after the attacks of September 11. Was this a hate crime or an act of domestic terrorism? How could it happen in a country based on tolerance of religious pluralism?
Southern California Responds to the Death of bin Laden President Obama last night urged Americans to be vigilant for a possible backlash, a warning not lost on officials here in LA. Security has already been beefed up at LAX as well as at sports and commercial centers. We hear about security concerns and learn what bin Laden's death means to Muslims, families of September 11 and soldiers whose comrades have died or are fighting in Afghanistan. To report possible terrorist threats, phone 1-877-A-THREAT
How an Uncontested Mosque Became the 'Ground Zero Mosque' Last Friday, President Obama said Muslims have a right to include a mosque in a new community center two blocks from where the World Trade Center used to be. On Saturday, he said he did not mean to comment on the "wisdom" of the project, which many interpreted as a retreat from his first remarks. That suggests the political power of the controversy over what's come to be called " the Mosque at Ground Zero ."
How an Uncontested Mosque Became the 'Ground Zero Mosque' Seven out of every 10 Americans now oppose the mosque to be located inside an Islamic center two blocks from the World Trade Center site in Manhattan. A few months ago, nobody cared. But what's come to be called "the Mosque at Ground Zero" is this month's angriest political issue. Last Friday, President Obama said Muslims have a right to include a mosque in their new community center. On Saturday, he said he did not mean to comment on the "wisdom" of the project, which many interpreted as a retreat from his first remarks. How did that happen? Was it a creation of right-wing Islamophobes? Are politicians now exploiting fears of a highly diverse religion? Have the mainstream media played a paradoxical role by downplaying Islamic extremism?
Is Right-wing Extremism on the Rise? Conservative pundits are up in arms about a new report warning that right-wing extremists are a threat to America's internal security. Prepared in conjunction with the FBI and unlike a previous report about left-wing radicals, it contains few specifics and names no names, but it does say returning veterans could pose a danger. Though the Obama Administration has apologized for that, mainstream conservatives still insist they're under unwarranted political attack. We hear both sides and ask what this dispute and the Tax Day "tea parties" mean for the future of Republican politics.
Is the threat from Russia missing from the Russia meddling probe? There's much being made about the Trump administration's possible ties with Russia. But the bottom line is Russia's effort to influence American democracy. Do the President and his aides care enough to take action before voters go back to the polls?
Ex-FBI Director Comey tells his side of the story Today, former FBI Director James Comey came close to calling the President who fired him a liar. The White House denied the claim and called it insulting, but Republican Senators did not challenge Comey’s truthfulness. Many questions remain: did the President try to obstruct a federal investigation? Later, we’ll go behind the “velvet rope” for a look at 5-Star health care for the richest Americans.