This Guest Essay first appeared on PennLive.com May 2, 2021--
On Jan. 6, armed insurrectionists attacked the U.S Capitol and the world learned what we already knew: domestic extremists present a serious, credible, dangerous threat to our democracy and to all Americans.
We can find the seeds of that threat right here in Pennsylvania; we are one of the states with the highest number of residents arrested as a result of the insurrection at the Capitol.
These numbers are alarming – but we are encouraged that now, more than any other time in recent memory, Pennsylvanians acknowledge this threat and want to know how we can protect against it.
The threat is not new; this has been a persistent and growing problem through our entire history.
On Oct. 27, 2018, a white supremacist motivated by antisemitism and xenophobia murdered eleven people at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh.
The attack fit a pattern of increasing violence, and law enforcement has noted an increase in extremist-related terror plots or attacks over the year before.
Pennsylvania is home to ongoing extremist activity, which can threaten to boil over into violence and unrest.
White supremacists have increasingly engaged in propaganda efforts in recent years, with the numbers of flyering and stickering incidents more-than-doubling every year since 2016.
In 2020, extremists hosted at least eight in-person events in Pennsylvania, the most in the last five years.
These included protests and flash demonstrations, white power concerts and private swastika burnings - similar to the cross burnings popular with groups like the KKK.
In one notable incident, approximately 15 individuals associated with the National Socialist Movement, a neo-Nazi group, marched through Brandon Park in Williamsport carrying flags with swastikas during their national meeting.
We can and must fight domestic extremists while also ensuring that we protect civil rights and civil liberties, including the right of free speech, peaceful protest and petitioning your own government.
This is no easy task. It requires a clear understanding of the nature and threat of domestic extremism, the tactics extremists use to engage and recruit, and the tools and resources needed to counter extremist activity.
We are committed to prioritizing this threat, providing resources to respond to these threats, and seeking to prevent the next generation of extremists.
Government cannot solve this problem alone. Educational institutions, the business community, and civil society must all commit to countering the threat.
This includes providing people of all ages with the skills to identify disinformation and misinformation, recognize extremist rhetoric and activity, and understand how and when to confront it.
It also means holding social media platforms responsible for adhering to and enforcing their terms of service; they must do their part and reliably monitor activity to ensure they are not empowering or enabling extremist actors.
We must empower Pennsylvanians to recognize and safely confront extremist ideologies when they are expressed by friends, families, and colleagues.
There is power in personal connection, and we must harness this power as part of the frontline fight against extremism.
It is difficult to accept that our neighbors and colleagues may be engaged with groups that pose such a serious threat to our safety and our democracy.
But Jan. 6 brought the issue right into our homes. We must meet this threat with all the resources at our disposal.
Our organizations are working together to combat extremism, and we call on law enforcement and leadership across Pennsylvania to take meaningful action to address this threat.
That’s what is required to keep Pennsylvania safe.
Josh Shapiro is the Attorney General of Pennsylvania, and Shira Goodman is the Regional Director of the Anti-Defamation League.
[Posted: May 3, 2021]
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