You tell me. I am sure by now that many of you are familiar with the report released by the Department of Homeland Security. Allow me to quote part of that report.
" (U) 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." p.2
There are at least to things in that quote that would make me a right wing extremist. The first would be state authority. How do you call someone a right wing extremist when that is granted by the 10th Amendment of the US Constitution. "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." Are they calling everyone that abides by the constitution a right wing extremist? I am not opposed to the Federal Government. I am opposed to the size of it, and wasteful they are. I also do not like how they abuse power and try to run over the states.
Lets take the second one. Abortion. I AM IN OPPOSITION TO ABORTION!!!!! And to illegal immigration for that matter. But abortion is a religious aspect for most people. Whether they think it is right or wrong will depend largely on their religious beliefs. Are they attacking religion? Are they saying that every religion that opposes abortion is a right wing extremist religion?
Allow me to quote again.
"(U//FOUO) Proposed imposition of firearms restrictions and weapons bans likely would attract new members into the ranks of rightwing extremist groups, as well as potentially spur some of them to begin planning and training for violence against the government. The high volume of purchases and stockpiling of weapons and ammunition by rightwing extremists in anticipation of restrictions and bans in some parts of the country continue to be a primary concern to law enforcement. "
It is not just right wing people that are buying guns and ammo. It is republican, democrats, and independents! They are appearently calling anyone that buys guns an extremist. WELL, I OWN GUNS, AND I BUY AMMO!!!!! Does that make me an extremist? I lawfully use the firearms I own to lawfully hunt and provide food for myself. I also use these firearms for pleasure. Does that make me an extremist?
The statement on veterans is and offense to all Veterans! I am not even going to comment, because I am not sure I can do it in a civil matter. We should hold up our veterans, not tear them down!
I want to touch on one other aspect here. Profiling. After 9/11 security and law enforcement personnel were told they could not profile those of Arab decent just because those were the ones that had plan and executed the attack on 9/11. Well, here comes this report, and I would say we have profiling. They are telling security and law enforcement personnel to profile based on abortion, guns, political beliefs, and immigration. How is that not profiling? Is that not hypocrisy to say you can do it in one case, but not another?
You tell me, am I an extremist?
Switching Gears
12 years ago
2 comments:
Thanks for posting your thoughts on this and taking the time to read and discern through the report. The report does indeed raise some big red flags. It is difficult to know, however, if in the report, its description of "extremists" is one that refers to "extreme anti-abortionists" or just someone who is opposed to abortion. Do you know what I mean? It is a possibility (although perhaps a slim one) that when the report refers to extremists as anti-abortionists, or state-rights advocates they mean those individuals / groups that are extreme in their pursuit of those beliefs. Regardless, the report fails to make the distinction which is unfortunate. Thanks again for posting on the topic.
Thanks for the comment Brooke. My question would be, What do they consider extreme? I believe they say that anyone that is dedicated to an issue. There are many people that are anti-abortion, and are dedicated to that cause. They work in groups for it. Does that make them extremist. I guess to me an extremist is one that will undertake illegal action (such as bombing an abortion clinic) and try to justify that. Just because someone takes up a single cause does not make them extreme. That is the case whether you are taking right wing or left wing.
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