Source: seattletimes.com

Like most Americans, I am concerned about Islamic State terrorist threats. But a greater threat is posed by extremist groups we have given less notice: Most are white Christian groups, such as Christian Identity, Aryan Nations, the Phineas Priesthood, the Ku Klux Klan. These groups all profess Christianity and cite the Bible to justify heinous acts.

Where’s the discussion of radical white Christian extremism from our political candidates? Why are we not surveilling white Christian neighborhoods and monitoring the preaching in their churches? And how can we accept more white Christian immigrants given the threat? Voters need to know where candidates stand on these questions.

Or are my concerns based on nothing but bigotry and ignorance? Maybe it is unfair to stereotype all white Christians based on the actions of these fringe terrorist groups that every mainstream Christian denomination has strongly repudiated. Perhaps we should give them the benefit of the doubt.

And since virtually every mainstream U.S. Muslim group has also repudiated acts of terrorism, shouldn’t we extend the same courtesy to our Muslim neighbors?

Peter D. Bullard, Snoqualmie

Letters editor: letters@seattletimes.com.