Hate Groups, Domestic Terrorists and Government

If you watch the news, either on purpose or while waiting at the airport, you will definitely hear people talk rather passionately about the rise of hate groups and the increased intolerance and prejudice. If you don’t pay particularly close attention, you might think there is a hate group forming in every big city and small town across America. What you won’t hear discussed passionately is talk about what actually constitutes a hate group and whether the government can take the form of a hate group.

In our current political environment, these terms and labels are used without a great deal of thought and are used to provoke a particular reaction. For a working definition, the President of the Southern Poverty Law Center defined a hate group in a 2017 Huffington Post article as a group that has “beliefs or practices that attack or malign an entire class of people, typically for their immutable characteristics.” We typically have an idea of what a hate group is, but is it possible for the government to be a hate group?

I would argue that in essence, this is exactly what happened when the San Francisco Board of Supervisors acted against their fellow Americans. On September 4th, 2019, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors directed their hatred and prejudice against the National Rifle Association (NRA) by declaring the organization a “domestic terror” group. The Board of Supervisors’ formal resolution prohibits the city from doing business with the NRA as well as any other groups that do business with the NRA. The San Francisco City Board of Supervisors also called upon all other city governments and entities to do the same. If you continue to read the resolution approved by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, you will discover that they really hate the NRA. The Board “found” and declared the NRA:

• “Incites gun owners to acts of violence.”

• “Deceives the public about the dangers of gun violence.”

• “Promotes extremist positions”

• “Undermines the general welfare.”

Objectively, by any measure, the NRA must be a terrible group. Unfortunately, the Board of Supervisors passed their resolution without a legal hearing, without the presentation of evidence, without a trial, and without comment by the accused. In one fell swoop, the city of San Francisco “maligned an entire class of people,” and without justification. The city of San Francisco maligned the NRA because they don’t like guns, and they don’t like people who own guns. On September 4th, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors officially became a hate group.

Although this article is not about guns or specifically the Second Amendment, it is about our most basic rights as Americans. Regardless of whether you fall in support or in opposition of the Second Amendment, this action by the Board of Supervisors should be extremely troubling for all Americans. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors represents the City of San Francisco and establishes city policies, ordinances and resolutions on behalf of the local government and the people of San Francisco. In this particular case, the city government has targeted a legal, recognized entity in the United States based on nothing more than their own hatred and carry with them, the full weight of the local government.

But the actions by the San Francisco board is far worse than the actions of a typical hate group. Unlike other groups, the hatred by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors compels governmental action against ordinary citizens. With the label of a “domestic terror group” it is very likely that the group will be under greater law enforcement surveillance, and any legal infractions will receive greater punishment. This does not even include the financial coercion (bullying) at the heart of the resolution. Even if you hate the NRA and guns, you should be alarmed that a government that can arbitrarily apply a legal label and then suppress a group’s basic constitutional rights without due process. If such a wonton application of the power of government is allowed to stand, you have to wonder- “Who is next?”

Indeed, what other group of individuals can be named a “domestic terror group” by the Board of Supervisors? What other group of individuals can be outlawed by other city board? If no evidence is required, no trial or hearing, and no opposition, is there a limit and who is safe? Chick-Fil-A? The Fellowship of Christian Athletes? The Knights of Columbus? What if the government in question is not “like-minded.” What kind of groups might be “outlawed?”

The NRA is right to litigate against the San Francisco Board of Supervisors for this horrendous display of hatred and oppressive overreach. Surprisingly and perhaps unwittingly, the Board of Supervisors have made the NRA the champions of every American. In their recently filed lawsuit against San Francisco, they are defending every American’s First, Second, and Fourteenth amendment rights. Specifically, the right of Americans to peaceably assemble, the right to keep and bear Arms, and the right to due process. This new hate group not only has the full backing of the government, with all the associated powers, it is the government in San Francisco. This makes the San Francisco Board of Supervisors the most dangerous hate group in America. I am relieved that the NRA decide to legally challenge the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and file a lawsuit. Their lawsuit gives me hope that despite the efforts of some, to include a city government, we can continue to live in the “home of the brave, in the land of the free.”

#SanFrancisco #HateGroups #DomesticTerrorGroup #NRA #BoardofSupervisors #DueProcess