Brandon TurbevilleActivist Post
December 19, 2014
If anyone was wondering whether or not The Southern Poverty Law Center was still active in targeting American citizens for their personal beliefs or attempting to dismantle their First Amendment rights, the SPLC has reasserted itself yet again – this time targeting “hate music” and “white power rock bands” on online music and retail services.
An “investigation” was recently undertaken by the SPLC in order to determine whether or not the music of bands that the SPLC deems offensive or racist – except for explicitly racist rap music – were being sold on online services like iTunes, Amazon, or Spotify. As one might expect, this “investigation” revealed a number of bands and songs that the SPLC believes Americans do not have a right to hear, access, or produce.
This investigation and the subsequent report has resulted in the removal of a number of bands and songs from iTunes. The SPLC has complained that Amazon and Spotify, however, are responding too slowly to their command.
On its own website, the SPLC stated,
On the heels of an SPLC investigation that found songs by dozens of white power rock bands being sold on iTunes, Apple has begun removing hate music from its service, though other sites offering hate music, such as Amazon, have been slow to act.
“Apple is doing the right thing by preventing iTunes from being used as a recruitment tool for white supremacists,” said Heidi Beirich, director of the SPLC’s Intelligence Project. “Amazon and other online retailers that continue to sell this music need to realize that they are providing a powerful platform for extremists to reach young people with messages that advocate hate and violence against African Americans, Jews and others.”
