Just weeks ago, groups of white supremacists and neo nazis stormed the US Capitol in an attempt to disrupt the certification of the Presidential election, confirming Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States. It was an act of domestic terrorism. Video footage showed the insurrectionists running through the hallways of the Capitol building, yelling for Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. An image surfaced of a man sitting in her desk, leaving a note that read: “We will not back down”. Congresspeople hid anxiously inside the building, anticipating the worst and fearing for their own lives. Insurrectionists climbed the wall of the Capitol and broke windows to let themselves inside. They flew flags that read “TRUMP 2020” and wore antisemetic T-shirts. There are truly no words to describe the horror that was January 6, 2020. And while this only lasted the duration of one day, it was a build up of factors that were responsible for this act of domestic terrorism.
In the past 4 years, the US has seen a rise in far-right extremism and domestic terrorist groups, and although there are many reasons that are responsible for this, it has a lot to do with Former President Trump. During his presidency, Trump fed lies and conspiracies to his followers. He told the white supremacist group known as the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by” during a debate in 2020, as well as repeatedly claiming the 2020 Presidential Election was rigged, and made incredibly offensive comments to marginalized groups and his fellow politicians. His administration refused to use the term “right-wing terrorism” and severely downplayed white supremacy. Trump’s language surrounding right-wing extremism is incredibly dangerous. Gretchen Whitmer, Governor of Michigan, who has been a target of many of these far-right attacks, described how extremists found “comfort and support” in Trump’s language. Extremists hear one quote by Trump and use it as an ultimatum. Trump was, and still is, the fire of extremism, but he was also the fuel being added to it.
And although these far-right conspiracists and white supremacists have been kicked off social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, they have flocked to new platforms, like Gab. Gab’s website reads this: “All are welcome”. The message says the word “all”, but it seems to emphasize that a certain group of people is welcome that is not welcome on other platforms. These platforms are especially dangerous because they lack infrastructure to manage users. These platforms allow people to conspire and plan with no consequences or punishment whatsoever. We’ve seen what these groups are capable of doing, so without anyone to monitor their activity, there is no telling what could happen.
It’s necessary that these white supremacist groups are recognized as and are treated as terrorist organizations. They are groups with goals of spreading hate and violence- and some even seek a civil war. The attack on the capitol in January demonstrated what these groups are capable of doing, and what they are able to get away with. Their power has a lot to do with their demographic- they are all made up of white men. The fact that these people were able to break into the U.S. Capitol, stealing government documents, damaging federal property, and putting lives at risk, is just one example of their white privilege. In June, we watched as police officers shot rubber bullets and tear gas at predominantly peaceful Black Lives Matter protestors. The peaceful protestors were speaking out against the continuous systemic oppression of Black people in America. These protests did not resort to violence even in the midst of deadly racial oppression, while the insurrectionists at the capitol were sore losers who refused to accept an election that was fairly won. While it is almost impossible to change the minds of these far-right extremists, as they have been brainwashed for years, the government must still take action to prevent their plots from happening. We must also make sure to prevent these conspiracies from brainwashing our youth, as it is much easier to prevent than to change. But the first step in repairing the roots of far-right extremism in our country is to recognize it for what it is: domestic terrorism.
