‘Wildly Offensive and Dangerous’ — Lawmakers Spar Over Extremism and Veterans
Vets
By Hannah Ray Lambert | October 14, 2021
United States lawmakers heard testimony Wednesday, Oct. 13, on domestic violent extremism and the recruitment of veterans, but they spent much of the hearing sparring over why left-wing groups were omitted from the discussion and whether the hearing could stigmatize veterans further.
The House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs hearing referenced the Jan. 6 Capitol riots numerous times throughout and focused on far-right groups including the Oath Keepers, Proud Boys, and Three Percenters, though Chairman Mark Takano, D-Calif., said it was not the committee’s intention to label any views or parties as politically extreme.
“We are using the propensity for violence as the key determination of what constitutes extremism,” Takano said, adding that all groups outlined in the hearing were ones that had “discussed or demonstrated a willingness to use violence as a means to achieve their ends.”
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