Civil Rights Organizations Name On Congress Not To Draft New Home Terrorism Legal guidelines

President Biden, in his inaugural address following the attack on the Capitol on January 6, stated his intention to combat the rise in domestic terrorism, extremism and white supremacy. But while Congress is considering how to work on this longstanding American problem, a coalition of civil rights organizations sent a letter to lawmakers in the country saying they shouldn’t create a new domestic terrorism law. KUNM’s Khalil Ekulona spoke to Becky Monroe of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights about the group’s concerns.

BECKY MONROE: The Leadership Conference is a coalition of over 200 civil rights organizations. This includes organizations that fight for racial justice and represent communities that are broadly oriented towards hatred. So it is really a very diverse group that have come together because they see this as a civil rights priority.

Based on who signed this letter, we are organizations that take pride in working with communities that have battled white nationalism and supremacy for generations. We are delighted with this renewed focus and recognition of the real danger that white nationalists pose.

And I think one thing that we find really important is that there are over 50 domestic terrorism laws that could be applied, there are hate crime laws, there are many laws that could be used to target white nationalists to be held accountable. The failure is not due to a lack of the correct tools or statutes. It’s not about having the will to prioritize where the real threat is coming from.

And we know this not only from the civil rights community, but also from the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, even under the Trump administration, who have recognized that the greatest threat to national security from white nationalists comes from white supremacists. The FBI director testified as such. I think the problem with creating a new domestic terrorism indictment is that we know from recent history and history a few years ago that this approach, while perhaps well-intentioned, will end up in the system that we are now have been used in a way that will harm black and brown communities.

KUNM: I think you mentioned the word and the phrase is that government officials and lawmakers lacked the will to face this very serious problem. What words do you have for officials about the work they should be doing to keep this stuff from gaining momentum?

MONROE: The first thing I would say, and always say, is: Listen to the people who are most spoken to. Listen to the people who have struggled against racism and discrimination, often for generations. You should be the people who guide your actions. I think one of the things in this country that we need to talk about if we really want to get to the root of white supremacy is to talk about both truth and reconciliation and reparation and to see that these things are interconnected are.

And right now there is a lot of raw pain. Because I think talking to people I think when you saw what happened on January 6th it was horrible. But it was also deeply troubling for communities that have literally had to fight this since the beginning of our country to see this kind of shock that people have had, that this was real, that this is who we are.

It’s absolutely part of who we are. It is also absolutely correct that the people who fight back the most, who fight the most for this democracy, come from the communities that had every reason to give up this country and did not.

KUNM: And finally, even though the coup attempt was only a few weeks ago, it feels like a long time ago. How can people preserve the reality of what that was? How can we keep this

MONROE: In all honesty, I think conversations like this that we are having, I hope to do. I think we have to make sure we all keep that focus. And to insist that we do not lose sight of the role of white supremacy, not only in this uprising but also in the violence across the country. I think we saw a local movement for truth and reconciliation commissions. So cities that have taken over. I think this is an excellent way of doing this. I think there are many things we can do locally and nationally.

But we must insist that when we talk about oneness we are talking about it in a way that requires truth. I think this next government can help support this, but we all have to hold them accountable.

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A longer version of this interview can be heard under No More Normal: Consequences