Why is the Rise in Right-wing Extremism Being Ignored?

 Recently, a 12 page report outlining terror threats in Europe was drafted by the EU Presidency under Croatia and it highlighted both “foreign terrorist fighters and right-wing terrorists” as the highest threats to security while attacks from left wing forces were considered much less of a threat. However, these risks are being largely ignored and when they are considered, the argument that both sides are at equal fault is used to dismiss any impactful steps to curb the spike in right-wing attacks and violence from the alt-right. EU leaders have been accused of being complacent and "failing to act" in efforts regarding the fight against structural and institutional racism. These failures are not exclusive to Europe, however, the United States has the same problems; the ignorance and justification of racism.

Just two nights in the first "Presidential" debate, President Trump not only refused to condemn white supremacy multiple times but when pressed on the issue he shifted focus to "antifa and the left". The President was given a perfect opportunity to send a message that right-wing violence and white supremacist groups, like the proud boys, were unacceptable and their actions deplorable but instead deflected and came off as if he truly did not want these groups to stand down. The Anti Defamation League kept a record of violent political extremism in the United States from 2009-2018 and found 298 instances of right-wing white supremacist or right-wing anti-government attacks and only 26 instances of left wing violence.

This graphic shows how left-wing, ethnonationalist, and religious attacks are all decreasing percentage wise while right-wing extremism is increasing.

The ADL also reports that there were 42 extremist-related murders in 2019 with all but 8 of them by white supremacists which shows how flawed and dangerous this false equivalence between violence on both sides really is. The average American isn't a political scientist, they don't do their own critical research, which is fine, instead we rely on politicians and leaders to be honest with us about the threats to our country. But it comes to a certain point where these leaders, both foreign and domestic, would rather sweep problems under the rug and act like they don't exist to save face than to identify these problems and work to fix them. So when these people in power are purposefully perverting data to fit their agenda, this must be addressed. They would rather run from a hard truth than face it because it doesn't benefit them politically when people's lives are at put on the line everyday we stay silent and ignorant.

It's not just these attacks that are on the rise, hate groups, militias, and white supremacist organizations are as well as show by this graphic. These groups have been on the rise since 2008 yet nothing has been done.

Leaders have let these groups and attacks go unaccounted for too long and now with demonstrations all across the country and all across the world, the consequences of their actions are manifesting themselves in the fight against racism. However, both the left and the right wing seem fail to make this cause and effect connection and condemn the violence of these demonstrations but still remain silent on issues of white supremacy. I wonder why Joe Biden and Donald Trump wouldn't want to see revolutionary change 

and the protection and empowerment of African-Americans?

Sources:

https://www.csis.org/analysis/escalating-terrorism-problem-united-states

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/06/right-wing-extremism-explainer-charleston-mass-shooting-terrorism/

https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2020/07/21/right-wing-terrorism-warning-signs

https://www.adl.org/education/resources/reports/dark-constant-rage-25-years-of-right-wing-terrorism-in-united-states

https://www.adl.org/murder-and-extremism-2019