Domestic terror plan a welcome safeguard

The Yates County legislature recently approved the state-required Domestic Terrorism Prevention plan. The Finger Lakes Justice Partnership thanks everyone responsible for this accomplishment, including Governor Kathy Hochul, Sheriff Ron Spike and his department, and the members of the legislature who voted to approve it.

Nevertheless, we are dismayed that three legislators voted against the plan, and that there exists doubt about its necessity and confusion about its purpose.

According to the official announcement of state Executive Order 18, it “was issued by Governor Hochul in direct response to the white supremacist act of terror at a Buffalo supermarket in May. The executive order is specifically designed to fight the troubling surge in domestic terrorism and violent extremism frequently inspired by, planned on and posted about on social media platforms and internet forums.”

Legislator Carlie Chilson questioned whether there are definitions for “domestic terror” and “targeted violence.” These terms are, in fact, clearly defined and well-understood by law enforcement. According to www.fbi.gov, domestic terrorism involves “acts dangerous to human life… [appearing] intended to: intimidate or coerce a civilian population; [influence] the policy of government by intimidation or coercion; or [affect] the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping…” This definition has been successfully applied for years to acts that are sadly familiar to all Americans.

Yates County Republican Party Chairman Jack Prendergast, during public comments, alleged that this plan will allow residents to falsely accuse each other of terrorism. “If you don’t like your neighbor, you go to someone and say, ‘That guy, that woman, that child is a problem,’” Prendergast said. Chilson echoed his claims, worrying that it would be used to punish speech.

That’s simply untrue. We can trust law enforcement to distinguish between serious claims and bogus accusations. Regardless, the plan does nothing to disrupt Americans’ constitutional rights to associate as they wish or to express views that others might find deplorable, a concern specifically addressed in the FBI’s 2006 assessment of its efforts to address white supremacist terrorism. We are able to distinguish between such expressions and unlawful acts; law enforcement does it every day, and this plan will strengthen that ability.

Legislator Terry Button criticized the plan, saying, “I’m disappointed that [Gov. Hochul] thinks that the people of New York and this county are harboring domestic terrorists.” Of course, no one is pointing any such finger, but sadly, the potential for extremism exists everywhere, and its threat increases as social media drives disinformation, polarization, and isolation. Domestic terror watchdogs have documented Proud Boy chapters in Rochester and Syracuse, as well as other hate groups in those and other communities. Extremism is not a faraway issue, and our county must do its part to help neutralize it.

The efforts to characterize the county’s plan as nefarious are counter-productive and dangerous, especially after the Jan. 6 insurrection, when all Americans saw the danger of leaving these threats unchecked. In the wake of such attacks, or racially- driven mass shootings like the one in Buffalo, we often hear after the fact about the many signs exhibited by the perpetrators that something was coming: the stockpiling of weapons, the violent threats on social media, the publication of hatefilled manifestos. We often say that we wish someone had taken those signals seriously and prevented the bloodshed that followed. This plan will help law enforcement do that.

FLXJP’s monthly justice rally will be held on the Yates County courthouse lawn on Saturday, January 21 at 3:00 p.m.; all are welcome to join us. We also hope to hold our first community skillshare event directly afterward; check for details at facebook.com/flxjp.

Alex Andrasik Co-facilitator, Finger Lakes Justice Partnership EDITOR’S NOTE: Letter writers are responsible for making sure the information they submit is accurate and factual.

Domestic terror plan a welcome safeguard

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