I know there was some talk about the Department of Homeland Security's terrorism report released yesterday, and the report was not mentioned here. I was waiting for someone who I could understand to publish a logical anaysis of the report. Well, Fox News has an article by Judge Andrew Napolitano, their legal analyst, listing the six things he considers the most important in the report. According to Judge Napolitano:
1. The document lists no names, has few footnotes, and names few sources.
2. The document was not supposed to be released to the public. The document claims its purpose is to deter, prevent, or repond to terrorist attacks against the United States.
3. The report sees the current economic situation as fertile breeding ground for extremist groups to attract returning veterans, people who support gun rights, people who fear an African-American President, or people who fear "Jewish financial elites".
4. The document does not comply with many Supreme Court decisions regarding freedom of expression and free speech rights. The document makes it clear that the government is watching both public and private behavior.
5. The document is very concerned with certain opinions that support things such as state's rights. The document is only concerned with opinions that do not support strong central government.
6. This report represents a government that keeps tabs on everyone--not a government that allows freedom of expression and free debate.
Generally speaking, the document is aimed at the political right. No mention is made of the ELF terrorists who burned down auto dealerships in California last year, or burned construction sites. No mention is made of the anarchists who show up every time the G-12 or G-20 or G-whatever meets. No mention is made of the internet hate speech against George Bush or the movie made about his assasination (during his Presidency). The report itself is not a serious work of national defense--it is a political hack-job aimed at political opponents. We need to vote very carefully in the Congressional elections next year to make sure this type of thinking does not get institutionalized into the government. Our freedom of speech is in danger. We are entering a period in our country where it is legal to burn the American flag, but not legal to protest abortion. That is not a place I want to be.
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