In the wake of the Buffalo tragedy, experts say now is the time to stop the war brewing at home, the growing threat of white supremacists.


NEW YORK — For the past few years, the Department of Homeland Security has warned the country about the growing problem of white supremacists, calling it the most serious terrorist threat to the United States.

CBS2’s Astrid Martinez spoke to experts Monday about how to spot and stop the war brewing at home.

tragedies like the buffalo it can be a defining moment for a city and a nation.

“We know from the evidence that the shooter has left behind that one of the things he was thinking about was this ‘great replacement’ myth. That’s the idea that we’ve entered a time in America, even globally, where now white power and leadership will be replaced by black and brown power and leadership,” he said. Dr. L’Heureux Lewis-McCoy, Associate Professor of Sociology and Black Studies at NYU.

READ MORE: Suspect in Buffalo shooting had plans to continue rampage, police say

Lewis-McCoy teaches about the growing threat of white supremacist movements in the United States.

“So people like the shooter in Buffalo are interested in doing these acts, not as a one-time thing, but as an escalation attempt to get other people involved that will accelerate something like a race war or race riots. The idea is that if the Whites take back what’s theirs by using violence in any way, whether it’s by banning books, whether it’s assault weapons, they will once again be put in their rightful place,” Lewis-McCoy said.

This year, the DHS listed domestic terrorism, specifically white supremacy, as the greatest terrorist threat to the country. The agency attributes the resurgence to multiple factors.

“Not only are we seeing this kind of ideology in the rabbit holes of the dark web, we’re also seeing elected officials and the mainstream media amplifying these kinds of hateful beliefs. And we have to understand Saturday’s attack as a consequence of what happens when you don’t resist this kind of hate throughout society,” said Jackie Bray, Commissioner of the New York State Division of Emergency Services and DHS.

READ MORE: Suspect in Buffalo shooting pleads not guilty after 10 dead, 3 injured; Officials condemn “absolute racist hate crime”

DHS says it is responding to the growing threat by training on multiple platforms to identify radicalization and disrupt it.

So what radicalizes a person?

According to DHS, violent extremists are inspired by a variety of grievances and ideologies. The key contributing factor is the proliferation of false or misleading narratives that can sow discord or undermine public trust in the US government.

READ MORE: Victims of Buffalo mass shooting include beloved guard, church deacon and mother of former fire commissioner: ‘This is just surreal’

Dr. Lewis-McCoy says that identifying the cause is only the first step.

“It’s not going to be a simple solution where we nip it in the bud at home or do something on campus. It has to be a comprehensive answer,” Lewis-McCoy said.



Reference-www.cbsnews.com

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