Oh, the insincerity and disingenuousness of Senator Susan Collins of Maine. A republican, but who cares? At least 404 Representatives believe the same thing as Susan Collins.
The Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorist Act of 2007 is now in the Senate after being passed by the House in October. For brevity purposes, let’s call it the AQ bill. AQ stands for “Anti-Quaker”; you may recall that Quakers were recently spied upon by the Pentagon for planning a protest at a military facility.
Senator Collins and Senator Joe Lieberman have been working on the development of a National Commission on the Prevention of Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism. Please note that there is no current homegrown terrorist organization in the US killing Americans and the only terrorist acts attributed to US terrorists have been the result of deviant individuals. ( Timothy McVeigh, Eric Robert Rudolph and a few others).
Back to Ms Collins: “”If we have a better understanding of the origins of violent extremist behavior, we can disrupt terrorist plans.”
The Commission would gather information ( codeword for spy) on American organizations and identify how the leaders use their ideology to further their political , social or religious beliefs. The dossiers, wiretaps, and private business affairs of these leaders would be maintained by secret authorities. A regular review process would be established and a determination of the threat level would be developed. Once established, the threat level can never move downward, only upward as more information is gathered. Ultimately, the group and its members will either be surveilled continuously, or arrested and charged with thought crimes.
It is conceivable that lists of books and videos will be maintained that will be identified as subversive literature. Books like: Fahrenheit 451, Green Rage, Civil Disobedience, Uncle Remus, American Theocracy, Democracy in America, The End of America, Torture and Truth, and dozens more.
The process that will be deployed will be to spy on Americans, count the number of subversive books they purchase, make note of their charity contributions, keep an eye on the web sites they frequent, list the organizations they belong to, investigate the backgrounds of the people in those organizations, and as soon as they have record of a “secret plan” to do something, they will arrest that person as a terrorist. After all, any American who does something more than go to work 9-5 M-F, drinks beer, watches football, goes to soccer games, (and never reads books) is a threat to America, isn’t he/she? Like Quakers.
Curiosity killed the cat. It may kill you, too, if everything you do is not government-approved. For your own good, of course. For your own safety, of course. For your government to “better understand..the origins… of behavior” Thanks, Ms Collins. You see the problem , don’t you? It’s not what you do, it’s how you behave. It’s all about control.
Perhaps Miss Collins should know that government oppression is the first leading cause of homegrown terrorism? I am sure she knows this, yes? But,what if she does not? If she starts to look at web sites, buy books, join organizations, and make plans to protest at a nearby government building, she may just find herself being arrested for thought crime.
What is the message? Better that a thousand citizens have their lives disrupted, detained, or destroyed than to have one Quaker plan to protest the US government.
Save America. Vote Responsibly in 2008.
6 responses so far ↓
Rev. Spitz // January 22, 2008 at 10:27 am
It is pretty clear who they think the terrorists are, those who want to stop the babykilling abortionists from murdering any more children. If they were truly interested in terrorists, why don’t they stop the babykilling abortionists instead of protecting these killers.
HD // January 23, 2008 at 3:06 pm
It is religion who is the terrorist and Quakers are but the beginning.
Cari // January 25, 2008 at 9:08 pm
Have you read the text of the bill? The purpose of the commission is to figure out what is going on in America.
“Examine and report upon the facts and causes of violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence in the United States, including United States connections to non-United States persons and networks, violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence in prison, individual or `lone wolf’ violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence, and other faces of the phenomena of violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence that the Commission considers important.”
They’re not going to do any new spying. They’re only going to figure out what the other agencies already know, put it together, and make recommendations for US policy.
And all the definitions are about using violence, not civil disobediance. What’s the problem here?
ReasonableCitizen // January 26, 2008 at 8:48 pm
Of what value is a Commission on this topic if not to collate and centralize the knowledge regarding groups of people (or individuals) that the government considers HGT (Home Grown Terrorists)?
How does one think they will obtain this information?
What is the output of such a commission if not to establish prevention or intervention methods for alleged/suspected HGTs?
There was a time in America when you were innocent until proven guilty. Now you are guilty if you merely join an organization. Is the ACLU a terrorist organization?
See this link: http://www.americantraditionalist.com/?p=526
Bill O ‘Reilly thinks so,too: http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/09/21/bill-oreilly-aclu-in-league-with-terrorists/
How can Americans defend themselves from an intrusive and oppressive government when Congress creates commissions like this whose stated purpose is to collect information on designated HGT’s to prevent violent uprisings? Do you think that maybe the membership lists of these groups becomes a list of suspected terrorists?
Please note that a counterterrorism organization already exists in the US and prior to 9/11 was part of the FBI. Now it’s an amalgam of many policing groups brought together under Homeland Security.
Is PETA a terrorist organization?
How about Green Peace? What about tree huggers that drive spikes into trees?
ALL have used violence to achieve political and social objectives according to the definitions.
Today the definition of terrorism is radically different than it once was. Previously it was committing acts of violence against a populace to spread fear and to show that the government was helpless to prevent terrorists from striking. Today, freeing animals from cages and spray painting furs is described as terrorism. Terrorism has become synonymous with violent and willful acts of destruction regardless of the scope, intent, and harm to innocents.
Would the Civl Rights marches in the 1960s be described today as terrorism? You betcha. Would Carrie Nation’s acts against the serving of alcohol be a terrorist act? You betcha.
The very reason the Constitution of the United States guarantees everyone the right to bear arms is to ensure that violent acts can occur against agents of an oppressive and illegal government if they come against the people.
There are many committees in Congress that could produce a report on terrorism and HGT’s. Yet Congress chooses to establish a Commission that will envelop both the Senate and the House Committees on Homeland Security plus the Executive Branch.
Lastly, please note this from the bill:
” `(1) FINAL REPORT- Not later than 18 months after the date on which the Commission first meets, the Commission shall submit to the President and Congress a final report of its findings and conclusions, legislative recommendations for immediate and long-term countermeasures to violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence, and measures that can be taken to prevent violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence from developing and spreading within the United States, and any final recommendations for any additional grant programs to support these purposes. The report may also be accompanied by a classified annex.”
We already have laws on the books for planning to harm (and to actually harm) others, for hate speech, for inciting others to riot, and hundreds of other laws that apply at the local level.
The whole thing is to create more laws about controlling behavior. By “federal” government. Intrusive and oppressive.
I once was member of the ACLU. Your mother once contributed to GreenPeace. We now have a linkage to HGT’s as a result and likely have federal dossiers as well.
“First they came for the Communists…”
This Commission is abominable.
HD // January 27, 2008 at 9:12 pm
It goes against the second amendment allowing malitias the right to bear and use arms against an oppressive government.
This is not what 4 generations in my family served in the military to preserve and ensure.
Me // January 31, 2008 at 2:47 am
HD // January 23, 2008 at 3:06 pm
It is religion who is the terrorist and Quakers are but the beginning……
You do know that Quakers are pacifists right?