What is the definition of terrorism?

A few days ago I picked up this article with a link to the LA Times, and I now wish I would have archived the article as it seems to have conveniently been removed from the LA Times website.

Luckily the page that quoted the interview from the LA Times still exists.

It seems now that if you are a conservative talker, you are now labeled as a terrorist according to Karen Bass (D-LA) who believes that free speech is extremely unfair.

As amazing as it may seem, this was Karen Bass’s (D-LA) response to the question, “How do you think conservative talk radio has affected the Legislature’s work?” (h/t NBer Gary Hall):

The Republicans were essentially threatened and terrorized against voting for revenue. Now [some] are facing recalls. They operate under a terrorist threat: “You vote for revenue and your career is over.” I don’t know why we allow that kind of terrorism to exist. I guess it’s about free speech, but it’s extremely unfair. ^[1]

After reading this, I decided it was time to dig a little deeper to see what else people in government are considering terrorism, because the last time I checked, free speech was not classified as a terrorist activity.

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. ^[2]

Just to make sure that I am not wrong about free speech being a terrorists activity in the United States, we can read above that the first amendment of our constitution states that free speech is a right, not a threat and that congress shall make NO LAW to prohibit it. If of course we lived in a country ruled by a dictatorship then different story.

The Research Begins

As we dig deeper into this topic, you will be alarmed at the findings.

Let’s start with the department of defense’s classification of what they now considered terrorism to be.

Among the multiple-choice questions included in its Level 1 Antiterrorism Awareness training course — an annual training requirement for all DOD personnel that is fulfilled through Web-based instruction — the department asks the following: “Which of the following is an example of low-level terrorist activity?” To answer correctly, the examinee must select “protests.” ^[3]

It seems now that personnel are being trained to consider anyone who protests is a low-level terrorist, yet according to our constitution this is in direct violation with the law of this land ^[2]. The violation is so severe that even the ACLU recognizes the breach of our rights, and what scares me the most is that I for the first time agree with them.

The ACLU wants that changed immediately, and it wants corrective information sent to all Department of Defense employees who received the training.

The ACLU letter notes that this is particularly disturbing in light of the long-term pattern of government treating lawful dissent as terrorism. ^[3]

Now the next question is, protesting what classifies you as a terrorist?

The Pentagon is teaching soldiers and bureaucrats that people who attend public protests are guilty of “low-level terrorism.” ^[4]

It appears that anyone who attends a public protest is guilty of low-level terrorism. Yet, according to our constitution this is impossible, unless of course the constitution is now null and void, which as far as I am aware of – it isn’t.

I ask a simple question, how can this even be allowed in this country? What is even more alarming as these stories unfold is that not a single voice from the media is screaming to make these issues mainstream and known to every American citizen. Not a single person from the media is even trying to answer the question. What we need to realize is that this affects all of us which I will try to address the best I can later in this post.

With that said, I am completely perplexed with the disregard these officials have towards the freedoms our nation is based on – the Constitution of the United States.

As I sit here vexed, I decided to dig a little deeper to try and learn what exactly they mean by protesting, and protesting against what, and what kind of citizens are being targeted as low-level terrorists.

Law Center President Richard Thompson said the promise by DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano to “reword” it truly is “scary because we know they are still going to maintain some kind of targeting for various people that she’s never apologized to or never retracted [her accusations].”

The report linked returning veterans with the possibility of terrorism and when it was released and created such a furor for Napolitano she has given several explanations for it, including that she would have reworded the report and that it was issued by a rogue employee.

She later apologized to veterans for having linked them to terror.^[5]

If this alone does not alarm you, then maybe this next section might. As we continue to try and grasp who they are classifying as low-level terrorist, the findings are just appalling.

But Thompson noted that the report also targeted as “potential terrorists” Americans who:

• Oppose abortion
• Oppose same-sex marriage
• Oppose restrictions on firearms
• Oppose lax immigration laws
• Oppose the policies of President Obama regarding immigration, citizenship, and the expansion of social programs
• Oppose continuation of free trade agreements
• Are suspect of foreign regimes
• Fear Communist regimes
• Oppose a “one world” government
• Bemoan the decline of U.S. stature in the world
• Are upset with loss of U.S. manufacturing jobs to China and India, and more

The List ^[5]

Final Thoughts

According to the classifications as outlined above, anyone can be considered a terrorist if they choose to exercise their first amendment right by speaking out in peaceful protest against anything the government decides to do.

In the time I have lived in this country, I have never seen such blatant disregard for the Constitution by people who swore to protect it. If this does not alarm you, then I ask you to please wake up from the deep sleep you are in.

If you want to save the little freedoms you might have left, I implore you to put down your TV controller, turn off the sports channel and start getting involved in order to secure the little freedoms you have left.

Remember, the pen is mightier than the sword, and now is the time to pick up the pen and let your voice be heard. We need to raise awareness and share with everyone what is happening in our country today.

If we don’t then tomorrow may be too late.

Related Reading:

• Are we really this blind as a nation?
• Dont forget to sign up for your Interrogation
• California to Protect Americans
• 9/12; The Day After
• Jesse Jackson, Jr. on Rights in America
• Attorney-General Eric Holder In Step With Muslims…
• Liberals Gone Wild part 576

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