So these guys are rightwing extremists...

Evidently Janet Napolitano thinks so.

Are you one, too?

You can't tell by simply looking in the mirror. Even by asking your wife, whom we both know usually has all the answers. So how do you find out? What do your read? Who do you ask? Why the federal government, of course! They've made it easy. According to a report released April 7, 2009 by the Department of Homeland Security...

• If you oppose restrictions on firearms ... YOU MIGHT BE A RIGHTWING EXTREMIST!
• If you oppose lax immigration ... YOU MIGHT BE A RIGHTWING EXTREMIST!
• If you oppose the policies of President Obama regarding immigration, citizenship and the expansion of social programs ... YOU MIGHT BE A RIGHTWING EXTREMIST!
• If you oppose continuation of free trade agreements ... YOU MIGHT BE A RIGHTWING EXTREMIST!
• If you oppose same-sex marriage ... YOU MIGHT BE A RIGHTWING EXTREMIST!
• If you are upset with the loss of U.S. manufacturing jobs to China and India ... YOU MIGHT BE A RIGHTWING EXTREMIST!
• If you have paranoia of foreign regimes, fear Communisism, oppose one world government and bemoan the decline of U.S. stature in the world ... YOU MIGHT BE A RIGHTWING EXTREMIST!

The preface of the government's report called "Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment" reads like this:

"This product is one of a series of intelligence assessments published by the Extremism and Radicalization Branch to facilitate a greater understanding of the phenomenon of violent radicalization in the United States. 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. Federal efforts to influence domestic public opinion must be conducted in an overt and transparent manner, clearly identifying United States Government sponsorship."

The document targets U.S. military veterans, opponents of abortion and supporters of other conservative causes. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano initially defended the report saying it is part of an ongoing series of assessments to provide information to state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies on "violent radicalization" in the United States. But once the covert document was unclassified and made public, it ignited a firestorm among patriots inside the beltway, in the military, in veterans groups such as the American Legion and the VFW as well as in Christian Churches across the land.

In a letter to Secretary Napolitano, Representative Pete Hoekstra, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee said this: "I am concerned at what appears to be a shoddy, unsubstantiated, and potentially politicized work product has been disseminated to the Intelligence Community and law enforcement as a finished intelligence product. The report appears at best sloppy and unprofessional and at worst a representation of political bias being passed off as intelligence analysis by the Department of Homeland Security."

Representative Bennie Thompson of Mississippi also wrote Napolitano and said he was "dumbfounded." He added, "This report appears to raise significant issues involving the privacy and civil liberties of many Americans - including war veterans. As I am certain you agree, freedom of association and freedom of speech are guaranteed to all Americans - whether a person's beliefs, whatever their political orientation, are 'extremist' or not."

The Thomas More Law Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan has filed a lawsuit demanding to know why the Department of Homeland Security calls Americans who oppose abortion, support 2nd Amendment gun rights and dislike lax immigration law enforcement "extremists." Richard Thompson, president and chief counsel for the organization said, "This is not an intelligence report but a diatribe against those who oppose the policies of the Obama administration. It is a declaration of war against the American people and our constitution. It is a prelude to extreme gun control legislation and hate speech laws targeting Christian churches and others who oppose abortion and same sex marriage."

Perhaps most disgusting of all, the report seems to place veterans under increased scrutiny from law enforcement. To quote the document, "Returning veterans possess combat skills and experience that are attractive to rightwing extremists. DHS/I&A is concerned that rightwing extremists will attempt to recruit and radicalize returning veterans in order to boost their violent capabilities."

Even though membership in rightwing extremist groups is declining and no increase of such violence has been detected, the report says, "... it might happen." So "intense scrutiny" is advised as the "DHS/I&A will be working with its state and local partners over the next few months to ascertain with greater regional specificity the rise of rightwing extremist activity in the United States ..."

Not surprisingly with so much negative press, Napolitano and others in the administration are now distancing themselves from the report. The Homeland Security Secretary apologized (I think) to veterans, a day after veterans' groups and members of Congress blasted her for the report, which they said libeled members of the armed forces. Speaking on Fox News, Napolitano said, "To the extent veterans read it as an accusation ... an apology is owed." 

The Department of Homeland Security is refusing to identify the report's authors (evidently, there's some concern about possible civil rights violations in some of the language in the report). A spokes person for the agency also would not comment on any procedures or actions it may take in response to the controversy over the report.

In her April 14 column, Michelle Malkin said the government's hit on conservatives is real. Malkin wrote, "The report issued on April 7 is a sweeping indictment of conservatives and the intent is clear. As the two spokespeople I talked with on the phone today made clear: They both pinpointed the recent ‘economic downturn' and the ‘general state of the economy' for stoking ‘rightwing extremism.' One of the spokespeople said he was told that the report has been in the works for a year. My b.s. detector went off the chart, and yours will, too, if you read through the entire report - which asserts with no evidence that an unquantified ‘resurgence in rightwing extremist recruitment and radicalizations activity' is due to home foreclosures, job losses, and ... the historical presidential election (of a black man)."

Malkin continues, "In Obama land, there are no coincidences. It is no coincidence that this report echoes Tea Party-bashing left-wing blogs ... and demonizes the very Americans who will be protesting in the thousands on Wednesday for the nationwide Tax Day Tea Party."

Here's the bottom line: this report from the administration's Department of Homeland Security profiles and harasses American citizens based on their political views - specifically their opposition to the Obama administration and its anti-family, anti-Christian, anti-military, march toward socialism. If you disagree with the administration's views - or for God's sake support the Second Amendment - you have been branded a "rightwing extremist" by the Department of Homeland Security. Some 850,000 local and state law enforcement personnel - plus no telling how many folks in the federal government - may soon be watching you.

Is this what's left of America after 100-days of Obama?

Folks, we used to be a republic and our free speech was protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution. But under this administration, a department of the government - the Department of Homeland Security - is being used as an instrument of oppression.

Our forefathers saw it coming. They knew that one day men that thought they were above the law might occupy Congress and the White House. Perhaps that's why Thomas Jefferson wrote, "Let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution."

Jefferson had the right idea; however, it appears that in Obama land, the United States Constitution, the bedrock of our country, is dead.

^{You can read the full DHS report here: http://wnd.com/images/dhs-rightwing-extremism.pdf}

tags: rightwing extremist  politics  veterans  anti abortion  christian  second amendment  constitution  

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