Family Research Council making empty threats against SPLC

Tony Perkins of FRC

Floyd Corkins, the man who attempted to shoot up the Family Research Council last year, was recently sentence to 25 years in prison, as he should be.

However, FRC and its president, Tony Perkins, continues to falsely connect Corkins to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

In 2010, SPLC labeled FRC and several other religious right organizations as hate groups due to their constant distortions and attacks on the lgbt community. FRC and Perkins continues to blame SPLC for Corkins' attack on FRC headquarters.

According to One News Now - which is owned by the American Family Assocation, one of the groups listed by SPLC as a hate group:

 . . . Corkins confessed that he wanted to kill FRC employees because of the organization's opposition to homosexual marriage. He was motivated by the listing of the FRC as a “hate group” by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The American Family Association, which operates the OneNewsNow website, is also labeled a “hate group.”

 Tony Perkins, president of the FRC, says the SPLC has been given a platform to “recklessly label and incite hatred” toward the FRC and other conservatives. He blames that in part on the relationship with the U.S. Justice Department. "And it is very troubling and it's dangerous, and the Southern Poverty Law Center is inciting violence,” Perkins tells OneNewsNow. “It is clearly connected in this case to this act of violence and they do need to be stopped."

 . . . The Southern Poverty Law Center "is actually linked now, through the evidence in federal court, to terrorism,” says Perkins. “We will be looking at every avenue possible to protect not only FRC but to protect all conservatives and all Americans from the reckless behavior of the Southern Poverty Law Center."

Is Perkins implying a lawsuit against SPLC? Well he never said so and I personally think he is just yanking the chain.

There are two huge roadblocks in FRC's way should the group attempt to pursue a lawsuit.

1. There is no evidence that Corkins was linked to SPLC in any way.  What had emerged is that Corkins was an extremely disturbed young man.  According to his own lawyer - via ABC News -  Corkins was receiving treatment for mental illness at the time of the shooting.  And according to the Huffington Post, Corkins was experiencing auditory hallucinations and thoughts of killing not only right-wing Christians but also his parents in the months leading up to the shooting.

2. While it would be easy to prove that SPLC had nothing to do with Corkins' crime, the repercussions of FRC taking SPLC to court would seriously backfire on the group. No doubt, SPLC would have to prove that its designation of FRC as a hate group is accurate. I have no doubt that SPLC could prove this and then some based upon not only the material it has amassed on FRC but also based upon other material which may be sent to it via several other folks, including a certain blogger with a huge file on the myriad of times FRC has lied, spread propaganda, cherry-picked studies, relied on junk science, and basically smeared the lgbt community without regard for shame for truth

And trust me when I say that I would not only send the material by express mail, but it would be gift wrapped.

So I really don't think Perkins or FRC is actually stupid enough to take on SPLC in a court of law where, according to a certain attorney, "the witness stand is a lonely place to lie."

But damn, it's a nice thought to think that FRC would be stupid enough to try.