White supremacists, extreme nationalists, and general hate groups have become a domestic issue in the United States and can become a transnational issue soon. The United States must take immediate steps to bring perpetrators to justice. The siege on the U.S. capitol on January 6 demonstrates the severity of the white nationalist/alt-right terrorist threat. Before the siege, the Department of Homeland Security has declared that domestic extremist is the most lethal to national security in the October 2020 assessment. These groups are likely to be emboldened by a perceived success exploiting otherwise peaceful protest movements and concealing aggressive tactics by taking advantage of large protest crowds to conduct violence against peaceful participants, government officials, and counter-protestors. White supremacist extremists are considered the most violent terrorist category with rapidly evolving tactics and ideologies being constantly reinforced by a variety of online content including conspiracy theories and political commentary (Department of Homeland Security, 2020). Their communications and social media connectivity is moving underground while attracting more followers, now communicating through encrypted messaging (Daly, 2021). Allowing groups to continue these activities doesn't only present a security threat, but could accelerate polarization as they have the potential to radicalize dissatisfied right-leaning voters. The U.S. government needs to counter these far-right groups and take this threat seriously. Working with organizations like GIFCT (a knowledge-sharing forum between all major data collectors like Facebook and Twitter), the Biden administration can take immediate action on far-right extremism by providing clear definitions to identify far-right groups online and those associated with them (Ganesh, 2021). This would function as a sanction and a deterrent against hate groups. Businesses would be notified of far-right activity from employees or the public on far-right activity associated with a business. Other initiatives should be applied; rooting out violent white supremacists from the military and law enforcement, increasing the criminal penalty for lynching, and improving data collection and analysis on white supremacist hate groups (Clark, 2020). Clark, S. (2020). 4 First Steps for Congress To Address White Supremacist Terrorism. Retrieved January 28, 2021, from https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/security/reports/2020/10/30/492095/4-first-steps-congress-address-white-supremacist-terrorism/ Daly, S. (2021, January 12). The online far right is moving underground. Retrieved January 28, 2021, from https://www.axios.com/the-online-far-right-is-moving-underground-e429d45d-1b30-46e0-82a3-6e240bf44fef.html Department of Homeland Security. (2020) Homeland Threat Assessment October 2020. https://www.dhs.gov/publication/2020-homeland-threat-assessment Ganesh, B. (2021, January 28). How to Counter White Supremacist Extremists Online. Retrieved January 28, 2021, from https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/01/28/how-to-counter-white-supremacist-extremists-online/

**TL;DR- All violent crime should be met with harsh punishment, a standard that the far-right continually seem to escape, yet they shouldn't.** When a group of people or individuals lash out violently, there are consequences. Yet, how do we measure justice and decide on a suitable punishment? A difficult feat, but not impossible, however, in today's society it usually doesn't pan out fairly. Repercussions for committed crimes, particularly violent ones, should never be overlooked because of whom the offender is, or who they know/ are related to. The justice system doesn't have the right to cater to the far-right, far-left, or the dead middle, yet sometimes they do. Currently, organizations like the ALF (Animal Liberation Front) fight for animal rights, yet they are perceived as being a major threat and in some instances classified as 'domestic terrorists. The [standard penalty](https://brooklynrail.org/2006/06/local/local-man-as-eco-terrorist) when caught partaking in a victimless act of sabotage, like releasing animals from a fur farm, garners a mandatory life sentence, without the possibility of parole. On the far-right hand, acts of [domestic terrorism](https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/interactive/2021/domestic-terrorism-data/) carried out by white supremacists or similar organizations, such as the January 6th capital riot where five people were killed, defendants are making plea deals, being granted probation, and receiving misdemeanor charges. The heavy-handedness demonstrated in doling out punishments to far-left criminals is due, in part, to [allied industries](https://theintercept.com/2019/03/23/ecoterrorism-fbi-animal-rights/). When a crime is committed by a far-right organization, there are no big corporations waiting in line, demanding remittance. However, the companies impacted by far-left vigilante activism actively demand their pound of flesh. Overall, when comparing the consequences faced by the far-left for their committed offenses to that of the far-right, there is an imbalance that should be corrected.