Wednesday, April 15, 2009

I Am a Potential Terrorist

Department of Homeland Security warns about "Right-wing" threat!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/5155985/Right-wing-extremists-pose-new-threat-to-US.html
http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/04/14/department_of_homeland_security_warns_of_threat_from_right_wing_extremists

Full Text available here!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/14/homeland-security-report_n_186834.html

Check out this report from the Department of Homeland Security.
Right-wing extremists 'pose new threat to US'

"The information is provided to federal, state, local, and tribal counterterrorism and law enforcement officials so they may effectively deter, prevent, preempt, or respond to terrorist attacks against the United States." (page 1)

"Rightwing extremism in the United States can be broadly divided into those groups, movements, and adherents that are primarily hate-oriented (based on hatred of particular religious, racial or ethnic groups), and those that are mainly antigovernment, rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority, or rejecting government authority entirely. It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration." (page 2)

The list of potential terrorists may now include:
Anyone with a strong religous belief (page 2)
Miliary veterans (page 7)
Anyone who strongly opposes an issue (including homosexuality, abortion, and illegal immigration) (page 2, 4)
People who own guns (page 5-6)
Anyone adversely affected by the economic downturn (page 3, 4)
Anyone who does not like the new President (page 2,3)
The unemployed (page 4)
Those who don't like communism (page 6-7)


Basically, anyone who actually cares about anything -- who actually believes in anything -- is a potential terrorist.
Does anyone remember 1942?

Let's take a look at this.

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If you're just skimming, this is a good part to skip. :)

First, let's define our terms.
According to Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary
Terrorism: "the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion."
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terrorist
(See also, "http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/terrorism")

Official Government Definition:
Terrorism: "premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience."
http://www.history.navy.mil/library/guides/terrorism.htm#definition

A more common definition:
Terrorist: "A fancy word that stirs the emotions and makes people hate whoever is so labeled."

Please notice the difference between the Webster definition and the Government definition. One actually includes terror, the other does not. The government definition does not require terror to occur -- just violence.
For the sake of this discussion, I'll play on their turf and continue to use the popular, more general definition of the word.
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The United States is not a government. The United States is an Idea-- An Idea worth fighting and dying for. An Idea for which many have been "terrorists." An Idea that has rebelled against government when that government becomes oppressive. An Idea that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, and that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. We call it Freedom. We call it America. They call it terrorism!


This Idea has always produced terror in the hearts of oppressors.
It struck terror in the hearts of the English, as this new nation, of the people, by the people, and for the people declared its independence. It struck terror into the hearts of the Redcoats, as this indefatigable people struck bullets into their hearts, and the red blood gushed out upon their coats. It struck terror into Hitler, as the sleeping giant awoke. It struck terror in the USSR, who feared this Idea more than anything. It struck terror into terrorists around the world, as the Idea declared anew that we will not be governed by fear. It struck terror into pirates, as a captain was brought freedom. It struck terror into the United States Government.


The American rifleman has been feared for centuries. Nations around the world did not understand how a lone person with a gun could be so determined, so defensible, so defeating, and so deadly. The American rifleman causes waves of terror. From the rows of British Redcoats to the columns of Santa Anna, from the Yank of the North to his brother of the South, from the trenches of France in WWI to the beaches of Normandy in WWII, from the jungles of the East to the sands of the Middle East, the American rifleman has struck terror in the enemy.

Who is this great man who has caused terror for so many years? Is he a highly trained Rambo, invincible from birth with death running in his blood? Is he a religious fanatic, who has been told since 8 days old he must kill the infidel to go to heaven? NO!

He is John Doe. He is John Smith. We call him "Joe," and he is our friend. He is the ordinary man with the Idea of freedom. He is a civilian with a gun in his hand and America in his heart. He is my brother, who joined the Armed Forces freely to defend this Idea against all enemies, foreign and domestic, bearing true faith and allegiance to the same, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion.
He is The American Rifleman. He is a terrorist.

Oh wait, I didn't need to say that -- the government already did:
“Rightwing extremists will attempt to recruit and radicalize returning veterans in order to exploit their skills and knowledge derived from military training and combat.”
"Some returning military veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have joined extremist groups." (page 7)
The US Government now considers its own military a potential terrorist threat.


References:
http://www.ushistory.org/Declaration/document/index.htm
http://tooldtowork.blogspot.com/2009/03/alamo-and-american-rifleman.html
http://usmilitary.about.com/od/army/l/blofficeroath.htm


**Disclaimer: I do understand the purpose of this document, and I also understand it can be interpreted very kindly in their favor. But I believe awareness is important. A government that considers as terrorists the defenders and proponents of freedom is no longer American. I know they are just saying that there is a risk among this class of people. But where will it stop?

1 comment:

Briarhop said...

(Breathitt Advocate). The owner, Bobby Thorpe, would probably welcome it. You can email it to him at news@breathittadvocate.com

Your comments on this DHS terrorist document is the best I've read. It really hits home; I think especially with the veterans and anyone who claims to be a Christian.

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