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Commentary

Partisan Plot: Dem Trap Springs Empty

May 26, 2022

Congressional Democrats’ instinct to exploit every tragedy for political advantage has proven reliable as ever. In the wake of the racially-motivated mass shooting in Buffalo, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) moved on Tuesday to consider the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2022 (H.R. 350), which the U.S. House of Representatives passed on May 18 with only a single Republican vote (from retiring Illinois Representative Adam Kinzinger). The act authorizes “dedicated domestic terrorism offices within the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to analyze and monitor domestic terrorist activity.”

But the bill seems to recognize only one kind of domestic terrorism, and not the most popular or prevalent. While the act uses a standard definition of “domestic terrorism,” it also includes 13 references to “white supremacism” and similar terms, along with four references to “neo-Nazi,” in a mere seven pages. Furthermore, no other flavors of hate-motivated violence are mentioned, despite recent high-profile incidents, such as anti-Jewish violenceanti-Asian violenceanti-Taiwanese violence, or anti-white violence.

There is no mention of the BLM movement’s attempt ”to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction ...” in cities across America during the summer of 2020. Nor is there mention of violence against conservative political actors, such as the 2012 attack on FRC’s headquarters, resulting the first conviction under D.C.’s Anti-Terrorism Act of 2002, the shooting of Republican lawmakers practicing for the congressional baseball game, or threats against Supreme Court justices and pro-life advocates in reaction to a leaked draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade.

“It reminds me very much of the Patriot Act,” remarked FRC President Tony Perkins, “which I opposed. And I know many Republicans embraced because George W. Bush was president, and [they assumed] it would be used right[ly].” But Perkins insisted policies should be considered on their merits, “separate from whatever administration may be in power.” Biggs agreed. “[T]his gives expansive power and authority to intrude into the lives of Americans and to expand the surveillance state,” he said.

“When you listen to the rhetoric,” Perkins added, “one can see how this act could easily be abused to target political opponents.” The bill would “require that all employees [of the domestic terrorism office] undergo annual anti-bias training.” In the twisted mind of Washington, “anti-bias training” means lectures based in critical race theory, which could be accurately described as Left-wing bias training. “At the very heart of critical race theory is, if you’re white, you can’t escape your whiteness,” warned Perkins, “and so you have to be sympathetic to white supremacy no matter what you are or what you say.”

Rhetoric inspired by critical race theory has already been used to target political opponents. “Parents who go to school boards and speak out against the leftist orthodoxy ... have been subject to surveillance,” warned Biggs. In fact, a DOJ whistleblower confirmed that “people have been surveilled and targeted and labeled [as domestic terror threats] by the Department of Justice simply for going to public school meetings and speaking heterodoxy to this leftist mantra.”

Only days after DHS shuttered its poorly conceived “Disinformation Governance Board” (because apparently saying the wrong thing can threaten the homeland?), the administration’s congressional allies have advanced a bill to require agencies, including DHS, to establish distinct offices devoted to domestic terrorism motivated by a particular viewpoint. But for most senators, this isn’t their first rodeo, and they won’t be fooled so easily. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) called the Democrats’ bill “the disinformation board on steroids,” and promised the bill would never get the 10 Republican votes needed to reach the 60-vote threshold. Still, Perkins encouraged listeners to “contact your senator” and tell them what you think about H.R. 350.

Biggs warned “they’ve already started” attempting to purge “white supremacists” from the Capitol Police, other police agencies, and the military. Of course, they didn’t find many because there simply aren’t many. But an abundance of contrary evidence cannot deter the Left from their relentless pursuit of white supremacy because “this is a dogma to them,” he said. “This is the religious faith that they adhere to ... authoritarianism and control.” Because they believe as a faith that all white people are racist, finding evidence of racism against a few white people only serves to convince the Left that racism is well-hidden. So they’ll have to look harder “out of faith. But it won’t stop there,” said Biggs.

Joshua Arnold is a senior writer at The Washington Stand.