Hate and Hate Groups
Some violence is rooted in extreme beliefs or hate. Some groups form around hateful or violent ideas and some misuse ideas that were meant to be peaceful. The Southern Poverty Law Center has a list of hate groups in Massachusetts (14 groups in 2021). Hate incidents are often motivated by race/ethnicity/national origin, faith, and LGBTQIA+ identity.[] Some people who join violent hate groups have a history of trauma and struggle to navigate a complex world. Addressing these risk factors might help prevent more violence. All kinds of people join hate groups, however. For example, some people believe the “Great Replacement” theory—that there is a deliberate plan to replace heterosexual white Christian citizens with people of color, Jewish
people, LGBTQIA+ people, and others.[]
[VSE47] Executive Office of Public Safety and Security. (n.d.). Reports on hate crimes in Massachusetts. Mass.gov. https://www.mass.gov/lists/reports-on-hate-crimes-in-massachusetts
[VSE52] Confessore, Nicholas & Yourish, Karen. A fringe conspiracy theory, fostered online, is refashioned by the G.O.P. The New York Times. May 15, 2022. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/15/us/replacement-theory-shooting-tucker-carlson.html https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/15/us/replacement-theory-shooting-tucker-carlson.html