Civil Terrorism Is a Threat to American Democracy

In his opening remarks at last week’s State Department ministerial on “the resurgence of political terrorism,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio contrasted “overt” forms of left-wing terrorism such as “bombings, assassinations, and organized violence in our streets” with “quieter” forms, like efforts to “suppress speech, intimidate political opposition, and sabotage our national institutions.” But he identified both as terrorism: breaking laws to achieve political goals through coercion.

I’m glad that the Secretary of State is on board with the recognition that we should treat these “quieter” forms, which I call civil terrorism, as a serious threat to our national security and the integrity of our political institutions.

Nothing is exaggerated or overblown about this characterization of the threat. On the very day of Secretary Rubio’s remarks, Washington Representative Adam Smith, the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services committee, put out a statement explaining why he had voted the day before to cut American aid to Israel. “My family and I have had our home vandalized, a fire has been set in my driveway, my neighbors’ lives have been disrupted by demonstrations in the middle of the night, town halls meant to be forums for dialogue have been shut down, and a staff member has been physically assaulted.”

This is a remarkable admission. A member of Congress has admitted that he cast an important vote—in a “very close” call—at least in part because he had been targeted by lawless anti-Israel fanatics. The vandals, arsonists, and demonstrators wanted Representative Smith to know that he could not feel secure until he gave up his long-running support for the Jewish state. They figured that he would eventually conclude that harboring views at odds with theirs—even if they remain views held by millions of Americans—was not worth the trouble, the threats, the danger. And they were right.

There are at least two scandals here. The first is that Smith capitulated to his tormentors. He claims to be “deeply concerned about the tactics used by those on the far left to advocate cutting off aid to Israel.” Yet he is not so concerned as to deter their future use. He should have dug in his heels and vowed that each act of civil terrorism would lead only to a swift action from law enforcement officers and more military credits for Israel. Civil terrorists are not trying to persuade you but to strongarm you. Once you show them that you can be coerced, you have only made yourself—and, in this case, other lawmakers—a likelier target for future intimidation.

The second scandal is that no institutions stepped up to eliminate this despicable threat to our democratic system before it began swaying congressional votes. Legislators can and must be persuaded by citizens—when those citizens make reasoned arguments and explain why their way is better than the alternative. Shameful as it is that Smith had to suffer threats and violence against his family, it is even worse that Americans are choosing to tolerate a systematic, lawless effort to circumvent the proper channels for political change. Civil terrorism is an assault on our democracy.

States, including Representative Smith’s Washington, must crack down on civil terrorism by increasing penalties for crimes committed with the intent to intimidate or coerce. Vandalizing anyone’s house is bad enough; vandalizing an elected official’s house to send a message about the costs of supporting a particular policy is much worse, yet authorities usually treat the latter as misdemeanors not worth prosecuting.

Utah recently passed a bill making acts of civil terrorism into felonies, ensuring that they will be deterred or met with severe punishment. Every state should follow suit, and the federal government should consider its own parallel actions.

Each act of civil terrorism that goes unpunished only emboldens the perpetrators further to disfigure our politics and sabotage our nation.