Eugene Robinson of the Washington Post recently published an op-ed piece demonizing the Hutaree Militia. Robinson accurately expresses that the actions of this radical group was atrocious. Its plan was to assassinate federal, state and local police officers as a self-proclaimed “Christian” militia. As Robinson describes, “I put the word Christian in quotes because anyone who plots to assassinate law enforcement officers, as a federal indictment alleges members of the Hutaree Militia did, is no follower of Christ.” Robinson’s column goes down from here.
He asserts that nearly all of domestic terrorism in the United States comes from right-wing “nut-jobs.” He suggests anti-government radical groups only exist from right-wing militants. He neglects the violence that has taken place as a result of the left’s actions and other groups. Apparently, Mr. Robinson does not remember Bill Ayers and the Weathermen of the 1960s and 70s. This left-wing radical group was suspected in multiple counts of bombings, jail breaks and riots. Its only focus was against the government. It supported communist ideals and was opposed to the war in Vietnam, but responded to violence with only more violence.
Similarly, the attack on Fort Hood by Nidal Malik Hasan was a radical and atrocious attack on nearly 50 civilians and soldiers. This attack was legitimized in the name of Islam and was directed against America. What about the ideas of the New Black Panther Party that denies the happening of the Holocaust? It is a group that is notorious for being anti-white, anti-Semite and anti-homosexual. What about the race riots in the 1990s that caused California nearly $1 billion in damages? These riots were not deemed as domestic terrorism, but wrongfully labeled acts of cultural expression.
I have no problem with Eugene Robinson speaking out against a group of radicals. What they intended on doing was vicious, and thankfully they were stopped, but to say that right-wing radicals are the only source of domestic terrorism is a fallacy. Their source of anger and insane ideology was fueled by hate of their government, but so were all the other counter examples I pointed out.
I have recently studied Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X in my political theory class. The one thing I learned from studying their ideologies is that polarization will not lead to forward progress. MLK focused on the communality between all men, while Malcolm X focused on the differences. Robinson’s column had the potential to successfully warn others about the violent consequences of radical irrational violence. Instead, he demonizes an ideology because a select few acted to the extreme. I am going to pick up Robinson’s slack and tell the story like it should have been told.
Domestic terrorism is the lowest form of protest; it’s cowardice, it’s ineffective. The groups get a small amount of publicity, but rarely get the change they seek. Their minuscule actions get less coverage than Lindsay Lohan’s latest trip to rehab. The general public sees their hate and anger and generates negative stereotypes against their cause. All of these groups I have mentioned are trying to go up against a powerful majority. If the government and majority develop negative connotations towards these groups — they can be sure to forget change. There are always exceptions to the rule. If the government is physically harming you — you have a natural right to protect yourself. However, in the case of most domestic terrorism, ideologies or theologies are taken out of context and used for hate.
We live in a place that allows even the most extreme “nut-job” to have a chance to vote. Every time there is a majority change in Congress or a different party president elected, there is a successful non-violent change of government. This is the way the system works; be patient, use it.
We do not need ideological or religious extremists making bad names for all of us. This is how conservatives get called fascist, liberals get called communist and Muslims and Christians get associated with violent extremists. We don’t need people like Eugene Robinson facilitating negative stereotypes anymore than we need the extremists. Call it what it is, an atrocious act of cowardice. Sooner or later people will learn that a bullet makes a bang, but a ballot brings change.
