Holy Cow!
Are we in trouble now and I didn't even know it.
A recent posting on Anita's blog directed me to some others to research a new bill --H.R 1955----recently passed in the House and on it's way to the Senate. See it and it's information at the government site that tracks bills and their progress through the House and Senate here. No---you probably haven't heard about it (and according to the last link it will only cost you a dollar per year) but you dam well better speak up and say something right now. This kind of bill isn't the type you sit on the sidelines and say "well, I'm awfully busy---the others I know will write to the congresspersons and senators." This is very very serious. The bill is also known as The Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism and Prevention Act of 2007. Here is an excerpt from a newspaper describing the bill put forth by Democratic Congresswoman Jane Harman of California:
Harman's bill contends that the United States will soon have to deal with home grown terrorists and that something must be done to anticipate and neutralize the problem. The act deals with the issue through the creation of a congressional commission that will be empowered to hold hearings, conduct investigations, and designate various groups as "homegrown terrorists." The commission will be tasked to propose new legislation that will enable the government to take punitive action against both the groups and the individuals who are affiliated with them..............
Another excerpt:
Harman's bill does not spell out terrorist behavior and leaves it up to the Commission itself to identify what is terrorism and what isn't. Language inserted in the act does partially define "homegrown terrorism" as "planning" or "threatening" to use force to promote a political objective, meaning that just thinking about doing something could be enough to merit the terrorist label. The act also describes "violent radicalization" as the promotion of an "extremist belief system" without attempting to define "extremist.".............
The article does point out that it will primarily be directed at Muslims and Muslim organizations but, really, are you completely comfortable that this "commission" can monitor itself and follow the rules. When has ANY government, in ANY country, EVER been able to do that? Don't fool yourself---this is an extremely dangerous road we are dancing in the middle of.
See many many more links about the bill at Time Goes By blog site.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Jailed for a post?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Does this also pertain to those who speak out against industrial animal agriculture? I know that there was a law passed--the animal terrorism bill or something like that--that makes it unlawful for peoplet to speak out against the animal agriculture industry, so that if someone speaks out and causes financial harm to a corporation, that person can be sued.
wow...
i thought McCarthy was dead.
Anonymous--yes the FBI does list some groups and people as eco terrorists.
It's a fine line between being and activist and speaking out or flat out being labeled a terrorist. When do we cross the line between arresting people who actually do damage to those speaking out against something but making NO OVERT THREATS. Hence my lack of joy over the bill.
Woody: I know what this bill is suppose to do (and I don't particularly agree with it anyway)---but yes: It smacks of the McCarthy era and boy did they ABUSE that! So no matter if we think the bill doesn't sound to bad---we have to remember how far things went in the hunt for communists in this country. Boggles the mind doesn't it?
Monica
"Absolute power corrupts absolutely"
Post a Comment