Interestingly, Utah is not on this list but Idaho is. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not mentioned, though I think it should be. My former church (Roman Catholic) is mentioned in passing when discussing New Hampshire. Here is the paragraph with that information from the article:
"New Hampshire is home to six hate groups — two neo-Nazi groups, two anti-Muslim groups, white nationalist group Patriot Front, and anti-Semitic group Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This organization, the largest hate group in the state, practices radical traditional catholicism — an ideology rejected by the Vatican which holds that Jews are “the perpetual enemy of Christ” and claims that some recent popes have been illegitimate."
I have to assume that Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is not very fond of the current pontiff.
I should also note (ant the article states this) that the determination is not which state actually has the most hate groups but rather which state has the largest number of hate groups per million people. This is why the rankings may look unusual.
It is a per capita stat, or per million capita, which just moves the decimal point,
I expected Idaho would be nearer the top of the list, though it did make the top ten. I didn't expect Nebraska at all, nor did I expect Montana to be on top.
There is far less prejudice today than there used to be. But big money is trying to stir it up again. It’s more illusions and narratives than reality. Someone is trying to play divide and conquer.
My advice. Turn off the echo chamber and take a look around for yourself. You will find the world is much different than what the media says it is.
I'm not surprised Montana leads the list for hate groups per capita. The state's political make-up was already complicated and added another level during the Trump era.
The most populated towns tend to lean democrat. This would include Helena, Missoula and Bozeman (my hometown). Until recently, Montana had historically had democrat governors and its two state senators were democrats for a long period of time. Once you leave the dense areas the towns become smaller and the politics more conservative.
Prior to the Trump era, it was common to drive through rural Montana and see a Ron Paul campaign sign on a barn or hay stack. Those signs have been replaced with Trump signs. Also, Trump supporters in small towns near Bozeman will often meet so they can parade down main street and stick it to the "big city liberals.' They drive 10mph in both lanes with their Trump and confederate flags flying from their jacked up trucks, while they blow diesel exhaust and honk their horns.
There have also been an increasing number of anti-Jewish propaganda being left on cars in targeted areas and one sick event where the local synagogue was spray painted.
It doesn't help that our current governor is a huge Trump ally (Trump and Jr. came to Montana a number of times to campaign for him), which I'm sure has caused an uptick in support for hate groups. He continues to spew the Trump rhetoric which only fuels more hate.