U.S. citizens live with 'emotional terrorism'

Officers at DHS

Carol Forsloff---For years Homeland Security, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have said right-wing extremist groups and militias are a serious threat, as some of their members attempt recruitment online, even on blogger and newspaper sites, creating a form of “emotional terrorism.”

After an article on this site, a reader wrote in the comment section:
There is one issue that he has initiated (although inadvertently) that will make a percentage of the population of the U.S. safer sumdum, and I suggest you find your state branch.
 The 'Patriot' Movement Explodes. There were only 149 Militia groups/patriot groups in 2008. The American trust in obama has sent that number into a chain reaction of epic proportions and is growing momentum by the day. There are now as of 2011 1,274 and counting. Many have networked and are merging.

obama really is bringing True Americans closer together!

Experts on violence see verbal abuse part of the intimidation used by groups to cause people to withdraw from opposing anyone he or she believes might pose a threat to themselves. This is why officials ask Muslims to report verbal abuses that come from people in these groups as this form of abuse is considered significant for Islamophobia  with the potential for violence. It also is considered a threat to the community at large, as prejudice and verbal abuses can become widespread, as has happened in many places around the world where Muslims live and work, heightening tensions.

In a family verbal abuse is seen as a form of domestic violence. Victims may respond with apathy or despair. Few want to counter an angry, name-calling individual, as verbal abuse is known to be a warning sign of the potential for physical violence and experts remind us abusers do not play fair.

On a national level, and at times internationally as well, groups like ISIS are able to create fear by public beheadings, videos of butchery and threats that fill the airwaves. The right-wing domestic terrorists, however, may recognize the way to victory over a perceived “enemy” is to demoralize its leadership and to confront anyone who opposes them verbally or in print with veiled threats and name-calling abuses. They also know that a lie can be told, and when the truth is discovered most people will continue to believe the lie. So it is not uncommon for extremists to lie, then respond, “I misspoke” or to be even more insistent on their version of the truth, if they find there is enough support for it. It is also difficult to counter individuals who are glib enough to be convincing, even when their facts are wrong and whose name-calling tempers bring about verbal abuses or veiled threats in response to being challenged.

They also have their own militia groups, as observed on the Tea Party Patriots site. 

This has led to a apathy and despair among many citizens, the type that occurs in families. Many people believe the new Republican Congress will not get much done and are therefore apathetic about change. When they see injustice in their communities, they consequently blame the government for not doing something about it, yet are apathetic at the same time because of the inertia they have seen in Washington.

It is a form of emotional terrorism, an abuse that is just as bad as any form of violence, as it attacks the mind, leading it to acquiesce and therefore be free of the challenge. Yet it is also, as counselors say to domestic victims, a prelude to more trouble ahead.

Combatting any form of terror requires vigilance, truth-seeking, courage and focused effort. For democracy it means incorporating every vote to count and every citizen as worthy of participation.