The relief I experienced watching the Biden/Harris inaugurations cannot be overstated. The normalcy of our new president and vice president — caring about the pandemic, offering condolences and compassion for the more than 400,000 Americans who have died from it, and having a plan to combat the virus were long overdue. The return to a leadership role in the fight against climate change is more than welcome. The commitment to working to overcome racism in America is necessary. However, amidst the relief over the transfer of power, it is essential that we, and the administration, understand that the January 6th attack on the Capitol was domestic terrorism, which must be opposed by the federal government.
President Biden was right to "call out" white supremacy and extremism in his inauguration speech. However, while those who attacked our Capitol included white supremacists, the combatants also included masses of people moved to terrorism became they believe they are losing their freedoms and fringe elements, like Q Anon adherents, convinced the government has been overtaken by Satanist pedophiles. This is no longer a loose confederation of seditionists. It's a "coalition," galvanized by Donald Trump, with an ongoing organized social media life. It's not going away. It has proven it can be deadly.
The anti-government insurrectionists we witnessed ransack the Capitol were domestic terrorists. They must be treated as such. It appears the Biden Department of Justice (DOJ) will find and prosecute as many of them as possible. Combating this threat must also include the FBI's Counter-Terrorism Division, the National Counter-Terrorism Center (NCTC), and the Department of Homeland Security. These agencies must create and employ strategies to fight this kind of domestic threat. In addition, the Congress should pass, and President Biden should sign, a domestic terrorism law.