Tax Attacks On the Rise

Its tax filing day -- and if youve spent the last few nights wading through reams of codes, youre probably not feeling well disposed toward our friends in the Internal Revenue Service. But would you go so far as wanting to blow them up? Conspiracies to attack IRS offices -- as well as other federal buildings -- are on the rise, according to a report released Wednesday by the Southern Poverty Law Center, a group that has tracked hate crimes since 1981.

The antigovernment movement has branched out, said Mark Potok, the reports editor. Not everyone is a white supremacist. It has a much broader base of support than a few years ago... plots and conspiracies have grown rather dramatically. Luckily, most conspirators get caught before their plans come to fruition. Banks are an easier target. The Aryan Republican Army managed to rob 22 of them to finance their activities. As Potok says, Creating a second American revolution costs money. Then again, plotting to bomb an IRS building is one heck of a way to land yourself an audit.