Earlier this month, Assemblywoman Angela V. McKnight (D-31) introduced A-5790. If passed and signed into law by Governor Murphy, the Hudson County Democrat’s bill would direct the New Jersey Attorney General to create, compile and maintain a domestic terrorism “database” for the state:
“The database shall include, but not be limited to, the following information concerning each domestic extremist organization: any name or nickname associated with the organization; a description of the organization’s purpose and objectives; information concerning membership and recruiting tactics of the organization, including whether the organization is known to recruit current or former members of a law enforcement agency or the military; and any known criminal activities of the organization.” [Emphasis added.]
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A spike in the activities of what has been labeled as “right wing” hate groups remained a leading preoccupation for the Left both during the Trump years and its immediate aftermath, one which reached new heights following the jarring January 6th Capitol Hill riot. Whether federal and/or state legislation is the appropriate way to deal with these individuals (where they actually exist) is a matter of some controversy.
“[M]any terrorists actually hope to elicit government overreactions in order to increase membership rosters,” Northeastern University Professor Max Abrahms told Reason in January 2021. “[S]uch overreactions give people an incentive to become terrorists—not only by creating grievances but also by reducing the relative risks of turning to violence.”
“For many reasons, this wide-net approach risks breeding more terrorists,” Abrahms concluded.
There’s also the issue of possible unequal enforcement.
Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) and four other U.S. senators recently questioned whether the U.S. Department of Justice was treating January 6th rioters differently than Antifa and BLM perpetrators of similarly criminal acts…
NEW🚨5 Republican Senators write letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland raising “concerns regarding potential unequal justice” related to the prosecution of #CapitolRiot suspects compared to those criminally charged in social justice protests during the summer of 2020. pic.twitter.com/xDnRgAwqIY
— Eric Flack (@EricFlackTV) June 8, 2021
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