PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Extremism is on the rise in the U.S.
One of the most egregious examples of extremist violence in recent memory came one year ago this month, during the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
"We've actually seen a normalization of extremism. We've seen an intensification of illiberalism. And we've seen some very worrying trends where more and more Americans believe that violence against the government is actually permissible," said Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, who wrote a new book titled "It Could Happen Here."
"These large-scale hate crimes committed in broad daylight...have me worried about the fate of our country. As an American Jew, as the grandson of a Holocaust survivor from Germany, as the husband of a political refugee [who is] Jewish from the Middle East," he added.
Related
"I know from my own experience that nothing will be preordained to last forever unless you fight for it. And we've got work to do to keep this democracy and to keep the society not just together, but as vibrant and as rich as it's always been."
What can normal people do to help fight extremism and to stop hate before it takes root?
He described a three-step process.
"We've got to call out hate when it happens," Greenblatt said.
"Whether it's in the water cooler or on your Facebook feed, all of us have the power to step up, to speak out, and to call out hate when it happens. We should interrupt intolerance."
Related
Greenblatt said the second step is to cancel "cancel culture."
"I don't believe that someone should be excommunicated for committing an error," he explained.
"In fact, I think like my Jewish faith teaches me that everyone has the power to be redeemed. And I think we need to recognize our fallibility and give people the opportunity to engage in some introspection and to learn."
The last step, Greenblatt said, involves being deeply engaged in politics and civil society.
Related
"That means you've got to vote," he explained.
"You've got to volunteer, you've got to strengthen the civic fabric with your own hands. It's not going to happen if you just sit in the cheap seats in the bleachers, and watch while eating your popcorn. No, no, no, no, you've got to be in it to win it. You've got to show up and play."
Listen below to Greenblatt's full interview during a recent episode of KYW Newsradio In Depth in your podcast player.