Extremism
Extremism is one of the issues of concern in the US. The government has been facing significant challenges in curbing cases of violence emanating from extremism beliefs that have been associated mostly with religious freedom in the US. Cases of deaths and violence associated with extremism have been on the increase in the recent past with the world being on the watch-out due to the increase in terrorism cases. The ADL Centre of Extremism has been tracking cases of murders caused by different types of extremism. The issue of extremism violence has been mostly associated with right-wing extremism, and the problem has been developing differently with the development of different laws. The increase in cases of extremism has been blamed on the lenient laws of religion that have been allowing people to adhere to extreme religious beliefs and eventually turning out to be violent.
Every year in history has been recording cases of deaths caused by extremism-related violence, and the issue has been attracting attention from the government. The year 2018 is among the years that have recorded the highest number of murder cases associated with extremism. According to Fahey, Susan, and Pete Simi (45), the extremism cases are mostly associated with adherers of far-right religions. Most of the cases of death have been caused by shooting sprees where innocent citizens have been caught in-between the deadly extremists. The cases of deaths from extremist murderers have been defined to incorporate cases of domestic violence that end up becoming murder cases. Also, terrorist attacks that have been associated with extremism have been associated with the most recent rise in violence and murder. Therefore, the government has been forced to take responsive actions to fight against the rise of extremism that is threatening national unity.
Figure 1: Terror incidents have been on the increase according to the Atlas body of research
Figure 2: A graph showing the decreasing cases of terror attacks unlike tin the US
Figure 1 and 2 shows the state of extremism cases of terrorism. The graphs show that the cases have been on the decrease in the global cases of terrorism unlike in the US where the cases have been on the rise. The increase in cases of extremism in the US has forced the government to take actions towards curbing the extremism menace.
Solution
The US government has been on the spot for appearing less supportive on the global attempts to curb online extremism that has been translating to real life extremism. The rise in extremism is a cause for concern because the peace of the country is put to the test. Weine et al (55) argue that extremism should be given maximum attention for the wellbeing of the citizens. Also, the economy of the US needs a peaceful environment to maintain the high growth that has been witnessed in the past. Solutions to the issue of extremism can, however, been found easily if the laws are changed to incorporate policies that will make the environment unfavorable for extremism. Changes in the religious laws and setting policies to put in place structures that will divert the involvement of citizens in violent activities are among the solutions that may be effective for dealing with the extremism issue.
The religious laws have been lenient to allow different religions to create roots in different states. The freedom of worship has led the way for the emergence of religions that adhere to extreme beliefs. For example, the law has allowed the freedom of every citizen to practice their religious belief, and the law has been protective of religious practices. However, crucial clauses to curb the presence of extreme beliefs in certain religions have been missing, and the extremists have been relying on the gaps in the law to commit the heinous acts associated with extremism. The government should ensure that the laws concerned with religion do not leave gaps that may be used by extremists to disturb the peace and security of the citizens. The changes in the different laws should ensure that any activities associated with extremism should be illegalized so that individuals may not have excuses for carrying out the extremism acts.
Moreover, the role of law enforcement agencies should be clearly defined, and sufficient support offered where the agencies are required to take action. Costello et al (312) argue that sufficient policies have not been put in place to curb online extremism. The operations of the law enforcement agencies depend on the laws, and therefore, the laws should ensure that the agencies are provided with the surety of effective actions. For example, the law could specify the actions and beliefs that should be defined as being extreme. Also, the law should specify the actions that should be taken when cases of extremism have been spotted in public. The extremists should not be allowed to use clauses of the law to escape the legal actions that should be taken against the offenders of extremism.
Benefits of the Solution
Peace is essential in ensuring a firm economy as well as uninterrupted exploitation of opportunities. Extremism cases have been among the leading threats to national peace. Therefore, dealing with extremism violence is equivalent to solving a national issue and is beneficial to both the government and the general public. Additionally, the international perception of the situation of national peace is crucial in maintaining the good relationships that favor investments. The benefits of getting a solution vary from social to economic benefits, and the nation and the citizens are the primary beneficiaries.
The current situation of extremism is threatening the family system. Parents have been at the risk of losing their children to extremism, and the attempts to fight extremism will be of greater benefit to them. Normally, no parent will be comfortable seeing the children engaging in violence and endangering their lives. Also, curbing the growth of extremism will save children from getting recruited into extremist groups, and thus, the family system will be in a better position to grow stronger.
Moreover, the economy will be the most favored field if the nation succeeds in curbing the extremist menace. Conducting business activities in an environment with violence proves to be difficult, and the citizens will not be willing to risk their lives to do business. Therefore, the attempts to deal with extremism will ensure that the environment is conducive for doing business, and the economy will be in a position to grow. Also, the rate of investment by both domestic and international investors will tend to increase if the investors are promised of a lasting peaceful environment. Generally, the benefits of finding solutions to the issue of extremism are enjoyed by the government and the citizens who are interested in contributing to the economy.
Conclusion
The laws dealing with religious freedom have been lenient, and people have been adhering to extreme beliefs without having to face the law. The availability of more religious groups has generally increased the probability of having to deal with extremism. Changing the religious laws and ensuring checks on the beliefs allowed in the religions will help in curbing the issue of extremism. The solution to the extremism menace is beneficial to both the government and the citizens. The economy will be in a good position to grow while the government will spend less on matters to do with extremism. Finally, the family system will be saved from the destruction that comes with the adherence to extremism by family members. Generally, the issue of extremism is a national disaster that requires the attention of the government.
Works Cited
Costello, Matthew, et al. “Who views online extremism? Individual attributes leading to exposure.” Computers in Human Behavior 63 (2016): 311-320.
Fahey, Susan, and Pete Simi. “Pathways to violent extremism: a qualitative comparative analysis of the US far-right.” Dynamics of Asymmetric Conflict 12.1 (2019): 42-66.
Weine, Stevan M., et al. “Violent extremism, community-based violence prevention, and mental health professionals.” The Journal of nervous and mental disease 205.1 (2017): 54-57.