Hate Maps — Real Life

How does putting hate groups on the map differ from hate groups putting themselves on the map? Maps claim to represent the world as it is; their crisp lines and high-contrast colors seem to indicate clear divisions and static territory. Reality eludes the map, and yet without maps we are lost. Organizations that track hate groups and hate crime hope to use the power of mapping to make sense of and ultimately find solutions to North America’s extremism. And yet the implication that we can somehow “orient” ourselves with regard to hatred enlists spatial metaphors that may not be able to bear the weight of our need for an explanation.