For many years, we believed the most dangerous and discredited forms of racism, nativism and militant nationalism were safely contained, dungeoned in some sub-basement of our national life. Now they are out in the open again, demanding legitimacy and leaving troubling questions in their wake:
- How far back into our history do their roots extend?
- What connects them?
- Who has kept them alive?
- Why did they reemerge in their current form?
- When did they first work their way into our political mainstream?
We look for answers by tracing a journey of ideas that began in 19th century America and galvanized in the 1990’s by the violence of Ruby Ridge and Oklahoma City. Along the way, we seek insights from the following: histories of American jurisprudence, political extremism, labor and race relations, religious life, economic and agricultural policy, veterans’ affairs, the flood of money into politics and the role of outside groups such as the NRA.
“Clear presentation of class”