Speech #1090144976

We confront a central danger to Americas national interests and cannot be complacent in the face of such threats. Mr. Speaker. the AntiDefamation League. which monitors farright extremists. reports that neoNazis and white supremacists have capitalized on the recent immigration reform debate and have ratcheted up their antiHispanic action. Racist use of the national debate to further their ideology in pursuit of a "Whites only" America is a hateful display and reminds us of the insidious racism. prejudice. and antiSemitism that exists and that is spread on the Internet. The AntiDefamation League reports a disturbing trend of increased violence against Hispanics and of persistently troubling levels of antiSemitism. Games that target particular immigrant. ethnic or religious groups are indicative of the deeplyrooted hatred that we confront. The recent uptick in the spread of racist shoottokill video games on the Internet is very disconcerting. The level and intensity of attacks against Hispanics has reached dangerous new highs. with rightwing extremists joining antiimmigration groups. The recent racist protests and rallies held across our nation are a disgrace to our country and a threat to American stability. Immigration is likely the most important factor in the growth of extremist groups. and in their gaining new members. We must be vigilant is guarding against the racist. xenophobic EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS. Vol. 152. Pt. 8 sentiments surrounding our immigration debates. While such hatred is sadly not new. our recent debates and legislation are attracting the attention of extremists. Over the weekend. the Ku Klux Klan and neoNazis protested nearby at the Antietamm National Battlefield in Sharpsburg. Maryland. Under the auspices of speaking out against "black on white crime" and illegal immigration. the message vocalized could not have been clearer: as a Klan member said. "Mexicans. Jews. all these immigrants. we want them out of here . Such rhetoric is frightening. There is no gain. but loss by all. when hatred and anger are spread. Hispanics. regardless of their citizenship or immigration status. are increasingly becoming the targets of hatred and violence from white supremacists. In an attempt to call attention to some of the problems of modern tools for spreading hate. the Congressional Task Force Against AntiSemitism sponsored a briefing last September that highlighted the importance of fostering international cooperation in combating intemet hate. and of working with organizations like the OSCE to combat antiSemitism globally. Mr.