>> Listen where you get your
podcast.
>> Four members of the
antigovernment group the oath
keepers were convicted of
conspiracy this week for their
role in the January 6
insurrection.
Shining the light on the
dangerous rise of domestic
extremism in America.
Lauren Burrell Lopez looks at
what the state is doing to
combat the forces and how it
could be a model for the nation.
>> And Washington state,
legislators held public hearings
to form a domestic violent
extremist condition -- division
to make Washington the first in
the nation to target extremism
number with public health and
civic engagement approach.
The attorney general's office
authored the study that
recommends the commission and
other steps to prevent domestic
terrorism and hate crimes.
Here to discuss is Bob Ferguson.
Thank you for joining us.
This report was in response to
the rise in white supremacy and
domestic extremism.
Washington ranks fifth in the
country for white supremacists.
What actions are you
recommending your state take?
>> Thank you for having me on
this important subject.
After a very detailed report my
team has put together and
talking to experts, the
recommendations are first and
foremost to create the
commission you mentioned at the
outset, a commission focused on
this issue.
Not something we have seen
around the country.
It is one take away from the
report, it is appropriate for
states to take a more active
role addressing domestic violent
extremism, and they can put
forth recommendations to address
the challenge.
>> You to find domestic violent
extremism as political violence,
online disinformation,
recruitment.
Antigovernment ideologies.
In a public hearing you held in
response to this commission
being built, there was criticism
about the broad definition of
domestic violent extremism.
>> This bill would cause
washingtonians, including
parents, nurses, doctors, and
vulnerable and marginalized
communities to be afraid of
expressing opinions or speaking
misinformation.
For fear of being labeled or
penalized as a domestic violence
extremist.
>> What is your response?
>> Public hearings, all voices,
the legislature is no different.
All sorts of voices at the
table.
The response is pretty
straightforward.
We think the definition of
domestic terrorism at the
federal level is a useful
starting point.
It focuses strictly on the
threats of bodily harm.
Killing some buddy, for example,
which is too narrow for the
threat we see with the increase
of radicalization.
We are trying to broaden the
term to address angst not
specifically a threat, but where
the state can take action and
prevention, take a holistic
approach, a public health
approach for all we see
happening across the country.
We appreciate the feedback, but
we think it is better than
exaggeration.
>> You also recommend a more
public health approach that is
led by the community and
different community
institutions.
What does it look like in
practice?
>> The way to think of this, it
is detailed, up to this point,
as a nation, we addressed this
type of extremism from a law
enforcement standpoint.
To criminalize folks who engage
in that behavior, which is
entirely appropriate.
They need to be held
accountable.
We are trying to get something
different.
To look at it from a public
health standpoint.
That is what it is.
Let's engage in prevention,
getting folks avoiding being
radicalized in the first place.
If it is and they want to move
away, how can we help with
counseling to get them away from
it?
From a more holistic standpoint,
we think it addresses
prevention.
Addresses helping folks who have
been radicalized, and takes a
more holistic view to address a
huge challenge not just in
Washington state, but the
country.
>> On radicalization, you
mentioned looking at social
media, the role of social media
and online disinformation and
rack -- radicalizing people, and
many of these recent cases of
violent extremism, including the
found guilty of seditious
conspiracy, these are not young
men, they are in their 40's,
50's, 60's.
Usually when we talk about
harmful content, we talk about
how it impact younger people,
impressionable young people.
How do you prevent older
citizens from being drawn into
these altered right conspiracy
theory seat groups?
>> You raise a good point about
the folks in our community, not
just young people impacted.
We will be the first to create
the commission you mentioned at
the outset.
It would bring experts to engage
on making specific
recommendations on this type of
issue.
What we can do to prevent the
radicalization of folks in their
40's, 50's, 60's, and help them
get out of that.
They're all sorts of things
experts recommend.
The goal is to create the
commission.
Now let's move to creating the
commission and experts who can
put together a plan for the
state of Washington, work with
community members to make
recommendations to address that
type of challenge across the
country every time it seems it
would pick up the newspaper.
>> I wanted to ask about the
mass shooting in California in
Monterey park.
It has caused a lot of fear
among the asian-american
community.
You cited there has been a fear
among the asian-american
community in Washington state
due to hate crimes.
How specifically would the
domestic violent extremism plan
address hate crimes?
>> It will address hate crimes,
it is one piece of what we see
across the country, especially
in Washington state.
We have engaged in this report
with communities like the
asian-american community to see
what they are experiencing and
what recommendations we can put
together to address it in more
holistic fashion.
One example around the country.
With the commission put in place
by the legislature we would
grapple with and make specific
recommendations working with the
community to do so.
>> Bob Ferguson, thank you for