Chris Blankenship's Ramblings

Last week the Department of Homeland Security created a document titled “Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment” that has been sent to law enforcement agencies.  This document has the following introductory section:

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.

Nothing too special about that, except when you start looking into the details of what the Department of Homeland Security considers a right-wing terrorist.  Some of the topics of concern stated in the document include:

• Exploiting Economic Downturn
• Historical Presidential Election
• Economic Hardship and Extremism
• Illegal Immigration
• Legislative and Judicial Drivers
• Perceived Thread from Rise of Other Countries
• Disgruntled Military Veterans

So according DHS, our law enforcement agencies should be on the look out for individuals and/or groups of individuals who express “extremist” positions of the previously listed items…  Not all of those items, or even a couple of those items, but even just one of those items:

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.

Now that’s a little scary.  If the DHS decides that you hold an “extreme” view about even one of the above listed concerns then law enforcement agencies should be watching you for terrorist activities…

Lastly, the timing of the document is suspiciously close to the scheduled Tax Day Tea Party.  I can only imagine what new laws or directions DHS will institute if even a single person causes a commotion tomorrow.

If you haven’t had a chance to read the DHS document I would encourage you to do so.