My Understanding of Extremism and Domestic Terrorism

My understanding of extremism is that it’s a term used to describe the actions or ideologies of individuals or groups outside the perceived political center of a society; or otherwise claimed to violate common moral standards. In democratic societies, individuals or groups which advocate that democracy should be replaced with some kind of authoritarian regime are usually branded extremists.

There have been several terrorist acts committed in the United States of America, not by terrorists that live in other countries and despise the American ways and ideas, but by our own citizens who live and work in the United States of America. Domestic terrorism is done by a person or group of persons who reside here, who are not acting on behalf of a foreign power, and who may be conducting criminal activities in support of terrorist ideas and whose acts are aimed at elements of the U.S. Government or population. Those objectives range from distrust of the government, to hatred of a specific type of person or people or their beliefs. They organize around civil rights, war, feminism and other po...