Politicians will use any excuse to undermine the right to protest. The latest assault is the “Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2021” which U.S. House Democrats are heavily backing. Under the guise of preventing homegrown terrorists the bill increases resources and training for federal, state and tribal agencies to assess (aka: spy on) community groups.
Ostensibly this legislation targets the right-wing rabble that attacked the Capitol. But historically that isn’t who is called “terrorists.” The FBI has a nasty history of targeting Civil Rights organizations. And post-9/11 new laws were used to go after animal rights activists that threatened businesses with their actions.
Anyone challenging the status quo is suspect. For all their bluster, the Proud Boys and their ilk do not. They prop up the racist, misogynist, capitalist system. It is the radicals, labor militants, and BLM activists that the powers-that-be want to crush.
So, let’s not give the government more ways to harass us. There are plenty of laws already on the books to use against the right-wing insurrectionists. Leave the rest of us alone.
