As Mainers, we want to believe we live among tolerant, level-headed and community-minded people. And, for the most part, we have comfort that this is the mostly the case of our home state. But, to ignore the hate that exists in our state is to accept hate as a part of our Maine culture.
According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit dedicated to fighting social and racial justice, there are more than 800 active hate groups across America -- including three active hate groups here in the state of Maine.
The organization identified these groups as active by having acted upon their extreme beliefs, including racism, in the past year.