Efforts to Ban White Supremacists From Joining Law Enforcement Face Pushback in Several States. I Wonder Why

The Capitol riot has seemingly awakened white America to a fact we’ve known for quite a while: racists work everywhere. There was genuine shock that vets, enlisted service members, and members of law enforcement participated in a violent act of insurrection. That event has resulted in multiple state legislatures introducing bills that would prevent members of hate groups from joining law enforcement. What should be a straightforward process has instead faced pushback from lawmakers and law enforcement alike.

According to the New York Times, legislation to combat extremism in law enforcement has been introduced in California, Minnesota, Oregon, Tennessee, and Washington, D.C. While bills of this nature aren’t new, the events of Jan. 6 really put into focus (for white people) how much of a growing problem domestic extremism has become. “When Jan. 6 happened, it gave an even more visceral sense as to why this kind of legislation was necessary,” Ash Kalra, a Democratic member of the California Assembly, told the New York Times. “This has been a long-term problem that really has not been directly addressed by law enforcement agencies.”

Some of the legislation would give law enforcement officials more authority to investigate the social media presence of potential applicants, while other bills would make it easier for police departments to fire cops if it’s found they engage in extremism or are members of hate groups. This sounds like a straightforward prospect that no decent minded individual should have a problem with, right?…