EXPERTS AGREE THAT the number of people in today's militias has grown substantially in the past few years, although they also say that to categorize all militias as racist or anti-Semitic would be inaccurate. "There is no doubt that the militias themselves were founded by individuals who were both racist and anti-Semitic," says sociologist Lawrence Evans. "And because their membership pretty much reflected those views—and all the paranoia that went with them—few people took them seriously."

However, Evans cautions, in the past two years a lot has changed. "What we're seeing are militias overhauling their image, assuring people that they're not racists or bigots—just patriots who love their country." Devin Burghart, a researcher for the Coalition for Human Dignity, which tracks right-wing groups, agrees wholeheartedly. "Getting up and talking publicly about race...