This bothers me at so many levels…
"…The report warned law enforcement agencies to watch for suspicious individuals who may have bumper stickers for third-party political candidates such as Ron Paul, Bob Barr and Chuck Baldwin.
It further warned law enforcement to watch out for individuals with “radical” ideologies based on Christian views, such as opposing illegal immigration, abortion and federal taxes…"
Ah, the new left…now normal folks are “right Wing Activists”.
Yes, because the DHS is made up of only the left.
if you glance thru the supporting report you’ll see groups from both the right and left listed . . . antiwar, green parties, etc.
profiling sucks when the shoe is on the other foot.
You don’t understand, man… Those stickers are just the first step, much in the same was that marijuana is a gateway to the undeniable crack or heroin addiction that ALWAYS follows. First they start by voicing their opinion. Next thing you know they’re flying planes into buildings and mailing anthrax. This must be stopped!
You better lose your Bob Barr sticker quick, or be prepared to be designated for reeducation!
It bothers me too, but I wouldn’t make too much of it. The good news is that this particular piece of stupidity seems to have occurred only among overzealous elements in one state (Missouri) and was quickly retracted.
I won’t be wearing anything remotely political when I have to go through airport security later this week, though. It’s not as if we were living in a free society.
Damn, guess I’ll leave the McKinney/Clemente shirt at home when I go to St. Louis this weekend.
I'll let you know if they notice me in my "Che" T-shirt.
I guess i wont make the list until i retire from the navy…but, i bet tex is on that list…
I’ve got a Ron Paul sticker and a gun rack…but then again, the Sheriff around here does also.
Do you have a link to the report? Helps us have a discussion if your provide your sources.
Here you go.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/apr/14/federal-agency-warns-of-radicals-on-right/
Amazing. Simply amazing.
Which part is amazing - the part that Right Wing extremist activity is on the rise, following Obama’s election and economic hardship, or the fact that it’s being acknowledged by the feds?
A few weeks back, SPLC reported something like a quadrupling of the membership in several web-based Christian Identity white supremacists groups. It’s not amazing at all, really. It’s entirely predictable.
Sorry, couldn’t find it first time around:
his CNN report by Stephanie Chen about the increase includes an interview with Don Black, the founder of one of the largest online “white nationalist†sites in America, Stormfront:
On the day after Obama’s historic election, more than 2,000 people joined his Web site, a remarkable increase from the approximately 80 new members a day he was getting, Black said. His Web site, which was started in 1995, is one of the oldest and largest hate group sites. The site received so many hits that it crashed after election results were announced. The site boasts 110,000 registered members today, Black said.
Chen goes on to quote Don Black’s compatriot in the movement, David Duke, former Klan leader and Louisiana legislator:
Obama serves as a “visual aid†that is helping respark a sense of purpose in current supporters and lure new members, said neo-Nazi David Duke, the former Klan leader who was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives in the 1980s. Duke said he fears “the white European-American†heritage will soon be destroyed. He added that his Web site sees around 40,000 unique visitors a day, up from 15,000 a day before Obama won the election.
The complete SPLC Intelligence Report can be found here. SPLC also provides an interactive map with state-by-state numbers of groups.
Sounds like the DHS doing its job, and not trying to politically correct and nice in their reports. They identify any threat independent of any sort of affiliation. It’s well-documented that some people are super angry about Obama getting elected.
And just to jog some memories about how dangerous the extreme right can be, how about this guy.
From the article referenced above:
**"A footnote attached to the report by the Homeland Security Office of Intelligence and Analysis defines “rightwing extremism in the United States” as including not just racist or hate groups, but also groups that reject federal authority in favor of state or local authority. **
“It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single-issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration,” the warning says. "
TEXAS GOV. BACKS RESOLUTION AFFIRMING STATE SOVEREIGNTY…
looks like the Texas gov is a dangerous extremist!
Christian groups, anti-abortion groups, former military - watchlist
Iranians with nuclear bombs, North Koreans with missles, Russians reforming the empire - yawn
.
I wonder if folks who have trouble with this were also troubled when Arabs and Muslims were being profiled - I bet not.
and don’t forget Eric Rudolph:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Rudolph
Eric Robert Rudolph (born September 19, 1966), also known as the Olympic Park Bomber, is an American far-right radical described by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a terrorist who committed a series of bombings across the southern United States which killed two people and injured at least 150 others. Rudolph declared that his bombings were part of a guerrilla campaign against abortion and what he describes as “the homosexual agenda.”
From the article referenced above:
**"A footnote attached to the report by the Homeland Security Office of Intelligence and Analysis defines “rightwing extremism in the United States” as including not just racist or hate groups, but also groups that reject federal authority in favor of state or local authority. **
“It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single-issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration,” the warning says. "
TEXAS GOV. BACKS RESOLUTION AFFIRMING STATE SOVEREIGNTY…
looks like the Texas gov is a dangerous extremist!
The entire state rights vs. federal mandate question will be interesting to watch unfold over the next few years as Big O continues on his quest to socialize the union. In Texas, I would bet half the state would vote to leave the union if given the choice today and that number will only grow over time.