Opinion - Aug. 13, 2009

Militant groups in the United States are seeing a revival. The groups are growing at the fastest pace in a decade, says the Southern Poverty Law Center. Groups are gaining members, and new groups are forming.

Experts suggest it is a phenomenon resulting from disenchantment with government and its perceived liberal agenda, a poor economy and perhaps even the fact that the president is black.

The groups are using the new electronic communications of YouTube and the internet to recruit and promote their beliefs. For many of the groups, violence against government is a fundamental tenet.

Militant,...