Right now, the term “white nationalism” is the buzz around media and politics. Following El Paso, it seems to be a favorite charge among the Left, that the Right is somehow empowering white nationalism because Republicans and conservatives want more border security and aren’t using Leftist approved language to sell it to the American people.

Now, the El Paso shooter was some odd blend of white nationalist and eco-warrior, which is hardly a coherent ideology as we tend to think of them, and may just as easily have been motivated by his fringe environmentalism as well as his racism, but that’s a hard sell to the public.

Instead, the GOP is going to fight back by pointing out Leftist violence in recent years.

House Republicans recently circulated a memo with talking points on gun violence that seeks to pivot toward highlighting “violence from the left” when faced with questions about the influence of white nationalism.

A memo by Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) dated Aug. 6 and circulated by the House Republican Conference to rank-and-file members offers Republicans suggestions for how to respond to questions about their resistance to more gun restrictions.

“In most cases, the media coverage has portrayed Democrats as caring and trying to do something and Republicans as uncaring and unwilling to do anything,” Hudson wrote in the memo obtained by The Hill. “The truth is all Americans are affected by these shootings, and we all want to do something.”

…

Hudson’s suggestion for Republicans facing the question “Do you believe white nationalism is driving more mass shootings recently” was to make a point of also condemning “violence from the left” to highlight history of violence on both sides. While the memo makes a point of rebuking white nationalism, it also makes the argument that there’s extremism on the left as well.

“White nationalism and racism are pure evil and cannot be tolerated in any form,” the memo states, citing resolutions the House has passed this year to condemn white nationalism — coming in the aftermath of controversial comments from Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) — and anti-Semitism.

But the memo goes on to state: “We also can’t excuse violence from the left such as the Dayton shooter, the recent Colorado shooters, the Congressional baseball shooter, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords’s shooter, and Antifa.”

And honestly, that’s fair.

You see, while the Right has been universal in its condemnation of what happened in El Paso, the Left has been remarkably silent on left-leaning violence. Hell, they outright praise Antifa despite the group’s history of violence. It’s only right to call out Leftist hypocrisy.

“Oh, but Antifa hasn’t killed anyone,” I’m likely to hear. To be fair, they haven’t. It hasn’t been for lack of trying, though. And their lack of success isn’t something worthy of praise.

The El Paso shooter deserves to rot for an eternity. He should be forced to undergo longevity treatments so that he can suffer in prison for longer. Yes, I think execution is too good for him.

However, let’s also not pretend he’s the only game in town. Extremists exist, and all extremists are a problem. Anyone who thinks violence is the way to combat ideology is a problem. Anyone who thinks violence is justified to advance their agenda is a problem.

Is there a time when violence is justified? Sure. That’s why we have a Second Amendment, after all. But what took place in El Paso and what Antifa does with every opportunity isn’t a righteous rebellion against a tyrannical state. It’s terrorism.

I’m glad to see some in the GOP aren’t willing to cede ground to the Left.