Mariana Ramos
On Sept. 21, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) published a report following the instances of extremism in Texas since 2021. The report includes important statistics highlighting anti-Semitic incidents, extremist plots, murders and events, white supremacist propaganda, hate crimes and insurrection attempts. Along with the statistics mentioned, there are numerous instances throughout 2021-23 of these kinds of extremism ranging from hate speech to property damage to murder. The report then concludes with recommendations to policymakers on how they can combat the rising level of violence and hate.
A crucial statistic to mention is the rise in anti-Semitism. From 2021-22, the amount of anti-Semitic incidents increased by 89%, bringing the total number of such incidents to 365. That is an incident for every day of the year, but that is not all.
In an FBI report from 2021, there were 542 reported hate crimes in Texas. It makes you wonder, how many hate crimes were not reported? But the statistics only get worse. In 2021 and 2022 there were two murders and six terrorist plots relating to extremism. Following these events was the tragic 2023 shooting of nine people by a man in Allen, Texas, who bought into extremist ideologies.
As a result, the ADL adamantly urges policymakers to embrace these five initiatives: for Governor Greg Abbott to meet with other leaders across the nation to come together to come up with a solution, to utilize their PROTECT Plan, to hold social media platforms and users accountable for the hate that is spread, to improve Texas’ response to hate crimes and to protect civil rights.
While it sounds like a lot of work, it is imperative that important leaders in Texas listen and react accordingly. So far, the only law recently enacted relating to discrimination is the CROWN Act, which prohibits racial discrimination relating to hair by employers, in schools, and within housing policies, enacted on Sept. 1.
While this is an important step in the right direction, it only addresses a small part of the larger problem. This report suggests a high level of violence and other extremist behavior being exhibited in the state. In this situation, inaction is the same as condoning the actions of these individuals. We can already see what happens when this kind of behavior goes unchecked — people die. If our leaders continue to do nothing to address the rampant radicalism sweeping the state, it will continue to spread and people will continue to die for their beliefs or who they are. Our leaders need to take action now in order to protect the vulnerable members of our population that are being discriminated against.