What if we opened our eyes and realized, “alt-right” supremacists are terrorists too.

When we dissect the definition of terrorism we discover the word actually means using violence, or the threat of it, to attain a political goal.

Of late, in North America we have focused our attention on labelling those who are apparently trying to affect the demise of our countries from the outside in, but we have lost sight of the poisoning of our society that is also happening from the inside out.

If we are to call Islamic extremist ideologies, terrorism, them we must also call out the “alt-right” (from the AP: An offshoot of conservatism mixing racism, white nationalism and populism; a name currently embraced by some white supremacists and white nationalists to refer to themselves and their ideology), that make up a percentage of our own population.

I am certain to say that the speech Richard Spencer gave last week at an “alt-right” conference in Washington, D.C. was one of the scariest news clips I have viewed…ever.

It spoke to me of how blind we have become to the hate that is ripe within certain people in our country, by those who wear a skin color that makes them less questioned and targeted by the general public.

At this sensitive time in our world we must become aware of all things that are contributing toward racism, violence and oppression, not just one.

The root of terrorism is the belief that one group is better than another, promoting a dehumanizing state of mind and propagating an ideology of hate.

The speech in the video below was an act of terrorism. It was meant to organize people so they no longer see others as equal. Watching it made me sick.

However, it is important for us to realize the presence of this kind of extremism in our world and that it is not just Isis related.

Anti-muslim violence and crimes have skyrocketed since the election of Trump and I believe through educating ourselves as to all the powers at play here, we can snub out this bigotry now.

No longer can we deny that terrorism comes in many packages—other than the ones we have been told by the media to look for.

As a human race, we need to rise above the backward beliefs of old, ones that state we must dominate and concur to succeed. Rather, we need to work toward goals like a balanced environment and a healthy continuation of our people—in a manner that does not use hate-promoting political agendas.

Hate feeds off of hate. Extremists, no matter what name, race, or ethnic origin, propagate each other.

To step out of this cycle of persecution we need to become honest that there is much more than Isis and Islamist-rights at work here. Terrorism is being created in our own backyard, often by us.

In coming to terms with the speech below, I will not go to a place of fear, for fear quickly lends to anger and hate.

I will continue to try to see the whole picture that is creating suffering in our world. Let’s no longer use a hate-consciousness to move us forward, but rather an educated, flexible and inclusive one.

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Author: Sarah Norrad

Image: YouTube

Editor: Travis May