These groups garnered a lot of attention after the Oklahoma bombing in 1995. Then came Sept. 11, 2001, and they were pushed into the background. But with a bad economy and an African American president, don’t be surprised to see a resurgence.
By EILEEN SULLIVAN
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON – Militia groups with gripes against the government are regrouping across the country and could grow rapidly, according to an organization that tracks such trends.
The stress of a poor economy and a liberal administration led by a black president are among the causes for the recent rise, the report from the Southern Poverty Law Center says. Conspiracy theories about a secret Mexican plan to reclaim the Southwest are also growing amid the public debate about illegal immigration.
Bart McEntire, a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, told SPLC researchers that this is the most growth he’s seen in more than a decade.
“All it’s lacking is a spark,” McEntire said in the report.
Q: Would the passing of a universal health care option count as a “spark”?