Attacks against homosexual people such as that of a gay male in Bangor, Maine, thrown off a bridge to his death. The murder of James Byrd Jr., African American, who was tortured, dragged and beheaded by a truck in Jasper, Texas, in the summer of 1998 . Wyoming student Matthew Shepard, gay male, tortured, beaten and left tied to a fence to die in October 1998. The assassination of Dr. Barnett Slepian, obstetrician, shot through the window of his home because he supported women's right to chose abortion. The litany could go on and on.
Code words disguise racial issues and shape public discourse.
Phrases such as illegal aliens and special interests have become wedges used to block alliances. Such language appeals to those disinclined to embrace overtly racist politics but inattentive to power imbalances. Overt bigotry is back in fashion. The White Aryan Resistance encourages its members to use racist music to recruit new believers. It's good propaganda, and can influence more people than a speech, says the White Aryan Resistance.