Hate.com: Extremists on the Internet

Eager to exercise your commitment to free speech and tolerance for views you and information scientists like yourself may find odious? The HBO-aired Hate.com: Extremists on the Internet offers a grim exploration of the folks behind websites opposed to non-whites, gays, American government and a host of other targets. Often called hate groups (largely defined by who they hate), these--by and large--WASP instigators run websites built not only for the dissemination of intolerance, but also for the purposes of recruitment. Narrated by Morris Dees of the Southern Poverty Law Center, this program introduces and explains the historical significance of the radical groups operating the various websites examined here. Subjects are allowed to express their views fully, in the process frequently damning themselves with their own words. Kingpins such as Matthew Hale (World Church of the Creator), Richard Butler (Aryan Nations, Christian Identity) and Dr. William Pierce (author of The Turner Diaries, a title revered by Timothy McVeigh, among others) forthrightly talk about their doctrines, tactics, and goals. A cautionary note: in the process of exposing the haters, a fair amount of their often polished and occasionally lushly-produced output is displayed, not unlike the notorious Meese Commission's report on pornography which reproduced a lot of fine smut. Still, while the program contains inflammatory language and imagery, the heads-up warning is vitally important. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (M. Tribby)