A Study in Irony: The DHS

Domestic Terrorists?

It's probably a good thing that time travel is not possible because if our Founding Fathers could be here today, they would most likely wind up being hauled off to Guantanamo Bay. 

In January of this year, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a $12 million study outlining their stance on domestic terrorism and potential threats. The study -- that you and I paid for -- was conducted by the following:

LaFree, Gary, and Bianca Bersani. “Hot Spots of Terrorism and 
Other Crimes in the United States, 1970 to 2008,” Final Report to 
Human Factors/Behavioral Sciences Division, Science and 
Technology Directorate, U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
College Park, MD: START, 2012.


On page nine of the pdf report, the first group identified as a possible terror threat is "the extreme right wing", and the reasoning is astounding. (The irony of it all will be self evident very soon, I promise). Here is the paragraph detailing why we -- the right wing -- are a threat to our beloved nation:

Extreme Right-Wing: groups that believe that one’s personal and/or national “way of life” is under attack and is either already lost or that the threat is imminent (for some the threat is from a specific ethnic, racial, or religious group), and believe in the need to be prepared for an attack either by participating in paramilitary preparations and training or survivalism. Groups may also be fiercely nationalistic (as opposed to universal and international in orientation), anti-global, suspicious of centralized federal authority, reverent of individual liberty, and believe in conspiracy theories that involve grave threat to national sovereignty and/or personal liberty.

There is something really wrong here -- a fact that must make me a threat in and of itself -- that needs to be examined, so I thought we'd take each "charge" one by one.

- People who believe their "way of life" is under attack. For as long as I can remember, the American way of life has been pretty free with a minimum of government involvement. The Pledge of Allegiance was seen as a patriotic act, and loving our blessed country was a proud emotion. Considering that our own president seems to think America so bad it needed "fundamental alterations", yeah, I'd say my way of life is under attack. Call me kooky.

- People who are "fiercely nationalistic" (as opposed to universal and international in orientation). For me, personally, there are some nice places in the rest of the world I suppose, and they're free to operate as they see fit, but as Dorothy would say, there's no place like home. And if believing that America is the greatest place to be -- as millions of immigrants have declared over the years -- is somehow wrong these days, see the first item and slap the cuffs on me now.

- People who are anti-global. See the second item, which is somewhat similar, but ostensibly this one deals with the threat of eroded American sovereignty. Well, when I have alleged leaders and judicial folks who continue to allow the encroachment of foreign ideals into our own, or court decisions that rely on foreign law, I get a little creeped out over American sovereignty being watered down. In my world, America doesn't join the parade, it leads. Sue me.

- People who are "suspicious of centralized federal authority". Wait a minute...so was Ronald Reagan a domestic terrorist? Are all 50 states being governed by potential threats to Homeland Security? Should the SS go and arrest Ron Paul this instant? We've already witnessed quite enough of centralized federal authority, thank you, and it has not been at all good. I guess I need a hide-out now.

And, last but not least, my personal favorite...

- People who are reverent of individual liberty, and believe in conspiracy theories that 
involve grave threat to national sovereignty and/or personal liberty. Uh, hello?? Millions of illegal aliens (that one will alert the authorities!) streaming across our border while the federal government sues border states to stop trying to stop them? Is that my imagination running wild? How about Fast and Furious? Is that one a crazy conspiracy, too? And somehow I'm weird if I revere individual liberty, really? In America?!? All I can say is Janet Napolitano better get a SWAT team over here double-time, because right after my wife, kids and grandkids, individual liberty is right up there on my right-wing whack-job list of loves.

So, as I walk off into the sunset with my knuckles dragging behind, I'd like to wish my readers a very Happy Independence Day. If we don't use the power of the ballot box this November, it could be the last one. Try not to celebrate too enthusiastically, it may get you in hot water.

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