The Fine Line Between Separatism and Supremacy

Having lived in many different places in the world I have been exposed to a plethora of lifestyles and modes of thinking. I have seen hate, love, bigotry and closed minded thinking and the sometimes brutal actions that they bring. There is a fine line between separatism and supremacy; even though those two words are often associated with 'white power' or hate groups, there are others, such as the Amish, that distance themselves from the rest of the world to protect their family unit and way of life.

I always find it amusing that ignorance plays a huge part in the misconceptions associated with separatism and supremacy; if you say that you are a separatist you are almost automatically tagged as someone that hates anyone that doesn't follow your beliefs, is in your ethnicity or agrees with your personal mission statement. After reading many books, interviewing people from all walks of life and seeing hate in action I can't help but question my own morals in regards to what I believe in and how I project that on to others.

To clear up any misunderstanding bout the words, here are the clear cut definitions of separatism and supremacy (both definition are taken in part or whole from Dictionary.com)

Separatism: a person who separates, withdraws, or secedes, as from an established church, an advocate of separation, especially ecclesiastical or political separation

Supremacy: the state of being supreme, supreme authority or power, power to dominate or defeat

More often than not, supremacists call for action to eliminate that which threatens what they hold dearest. In the case of white supremacists, they seek to flatten all races that are not 'white'. It is almost impossible to give a solid explanation as to what or who qualifies as someone who is out of their boundaries. Some are against anyone that does not have Anglo Saxon roots; others are against a set group of people. Supremacists feel that they are superior to other races and therefore must act, to any degree, to protect their bloodline from interlopers.