The Rise in Domestic Terrorism
The younger generation presents a nuanced view of domestic terror in the new age.
By: Brad Dougherty
In the past two decades, there has been a rise in domestic terrorism in the United States.
According to leading news outlets in America, United States citizens have been growing more divided with each passing year. Your typical American citizen today is slowly becoming more radical. Vulnerable, unstable individuals can become so cynical that they believe the only way to get a point across is to do something drastic. The initial step to preventing acts of domestic violence is to acknowledge how terrorism comes to fruition.
Sometimes it is difficult to understand how a man can become so twisted as to attack his nation and its people. Radicalization is the process by which an individual slowly adopts more extreme political, social, or religious views. The number of youths subscribing to radical ideologies is climbing at an alarming rate; Something must be done about this urgent problem. Boys who experience relentless bullying as children may develop problematic mental issues. A “us versus them” narrow mindset may root itself in their heads, leading to an increase in the probability of feeling the need to do something about it.
Many homegrown terrorists find themselves powerless and want to feel that they are contributing towards a better world.
Social media has been proven to be one of the major propaganda tools used to inspire domestic terrorists. According to the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism, “…in 2016 alone, social media played a role in the radicalization processes of nearly 90% of the extremists in the PIRUS data” (Jensen 2017). Young adults subscribed to any sort of social media account can be unwittingly subjected to extensive propaganda. Obscure applications like 4chan, discord, and ifunny have been proven to serve as a breeding ground for nationalism and racial hate under the guise of a humorful website. Right-wing disinformation spreads like wildfire throughout these hate-filled apps. Extremists often will visit these sites and applications to post their content and talk with others who share their views. Encrypted texting software like WhatsApp and Kik are used for safer communication for questionable conversations. It is not unusual to stumble upon a post about how to make napalm in your home “for fun.”
With the recent Coronavirus pandemic and an increasing number of mass shooting incidents occurring in the 2010 decade, the government has begun escalating its involvement in American lives. Massive gun control bills and stay-at-home orders are rubbing conservatives the wrong way. Since a majority of domestic terrorist attacks have been linked to right-wing individuals, it is safe to say that these events are only contributing to escalating polarization. Fanatical defenders of the 2nd amendment have threatened force and even a revolution against democratic policymakers. A revolution to overthrow the federal government seemed far-fetched a year ago, but with the recent “insurrection” at the capitol in January, it would seem it is not impossible.
How do we combat growing radicalization in our country?
The answer is not suppression or mass arrests, it is love and communication. Prevention starts from the home: Parents need to make time to listen to their child’s concerns. Political views, whether progressive or conservative, should not be shut down as if they were ignorant. Signs of radicalization such as increased isolation or internet addictions should be addressed sooner rather than later. Children should be encouraged to find positive friend groups that they are proud to hang around with parents. If you have a negative relationship with a family member, try not to sit on your hands; It is never too late to reach out and rebuild trust. Homegrown terrorism can come from anywhere, and it is up to us to stop it from occurring.
**Brad Dougherty is currently a graduate student at Mississippi College working on an Administration of Justice degree.
