The shootings in El Paso and Dayton that occurred on August 3rd show that America is not as secure a place as we are led to believe. Evil ideologies are still prevalent in today’s America, ideologies that were once thought to be dead and gone. Attacks today by white supremacists are rising, and the federal government’s response has been pitiful at best. 

White nationalism must be labeled as a domestic terrorist threat. Its primary way of communicating, the website known as “8chan,” must be investigated and monitored the same way that ISIS message boards were investigated and monitored. White nationalism is an evil, disgusting ideology that stews up racism towards non-whites. White nationalists hate this country and they hate the people within it. White nationalists are the true enemy, and they must be treated as such. 

Antifa too should be labeled as a domestic terrorist threat. These “anti-fascists” stifle speech, attack innocent civilians, and brutally injure journalists (the unfortunate irony). They seek anarchy and wear masks to cover their cowardice in doing so. Antifa is a violent organization, and a response to them must be made sooner rather than later.

Part of the American experience is the citizens of this country reaffirming their beliefs in the creed that makes this country as amazing a place that it is. It is time now for the citizens of the United States to once again embody that creed and reject the terrorist threats our great country faces within our borders. 

The hatred that we see coming from these two groups is morally reprehensible and has no place in our society. This is a country that has ended slavery, Jim Crow, and women- and gender-based discrimination. It has pursued for nearly 250 years its ultimate goal in becoming a place of liberty and justice for all. Defeating white nationalism and anarchy is the next step in achieving that goal.