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Our View: We're on the map Friday Jan 6, 2017 at 12:01 AM The news that Ashland made the Southern Poverty Law Center's map of hate groups and operations may be disturbing, but upon closer examination, it's less significant — and less connected to Ashland — than it might appear at first glance. Ashland made the map because of Jeff Rense, who operates Rense Radio Network out of his home outside of town. Rense keeps a very low profile, threatens to sue those who criticize him, and did not respond to a Tidings reporter's request for an interview. In a 2015 report on Rense, The Southern Poverty Law Center described him as a "velvet voice" who indulges the fantasies of callers to his show. His website touts foods to counteract the effects of Fukushima radiation and magnets to heal you while you sleep. Originally, Rense's own radio program focused on tin-foil-hat conspiracy theories: "chemtrails," alien abductions and the like. In recent years, however, anti-Semitic themes have been added, including a weeklong celebration of Adolf Hitler's birthday, the SPLC noted. The SPLC estimates Rense rakes in more than $50,000 a month from his enterprise. And he's providing airtime to prominent hatemongers, including David Duke and Robert Black of the neo-Nazi group Stormfront. None of this has much to do with Ashland, except that Rense chooses to live here. He could operate his radio network from anywhere. But his presence is a reminder that despite Ashland's progressive reputation, it is not immune to the hatred and intolerance that plague the rest of the country.