Connection between Online Hate & Offline Hate Crimes

Brian Marcus, of the ADL, moderating this panel raises the excellent (and as yet, unanswered) question.

How is online hate connected to offline hate crimes?

Pascal Hertzscholdt, answers that these are connected, but didn't mention specific examples (or, perhaps I missed it).

Sgt. Camp, does not see an increase in hate crime because of the Internet, but does see the Internet as emboldening some.

David Dietch, sees several specific examples. He mentions email groups related to Muslim jihad, where the Internet facilitated participation of individuals. He also mentions that videos you used to only be able to acquire at obscure bookstores are now widely available as free downloads on the Internet. On the domestic side, he again mentions the animal rights groups.

I'm troubled by the shift in focus away from white supremacist groups, and think that this is telling in some ways.