H16009
Headlines : Civil LibertiesHR 1955: Bringing the "War on Terrorism" Home
One pressing concern is definitions contained in the bill. For example, “violent radicalization” is defined as “the process of adopting or promoting an extremist belief system for the purpose of facilitating ideologically based violence to advance political, religious, or social change.“
What constitutes an “extremist belief,” and who gets to define this extremism? Who, on that note, gets to define “violence”?
[Posted By ShiftShapers]Republished from The Indypendent (New York City)
Under the guise of a bill that calls for the study of “homegrown terrorism,” Congress is apparently trying to broaden the definition of terrorism to encompass both First Amendment political activity and traditional forms of protest such as nonviolent civil disobedience, according to civil liberties advocates, scholars and historians.
The proposed law, The Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007 (H.R. 1955), was passed by the House of Representative in a 404-6 vote Oct. 23. (The Senate is currently considering a companion bill, S. 1959.) The act would establish a “National Commission on the prevention of violent radicalization and ideologically based violence” and a university-based “Center for Excellence” to “examine and report upon the facts and causes of violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism and ideologically based violence in the United States” in order to develop policy for “prevention, disruption and mitigation.”
Many observers fear that the proposed law will be used against U.S.-based groups engaged in legal but unpopular political activism, ranging from political Islamists to animal-rights and environmental campaigners to radical right-wing organizations. There is concern, too, that the bill will undermine academic integrity and is the latest salvo in a decade-long government grab for power at the expense of…
Posted by ShiftShapers
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Posted by bodo on Friday, November 2nd 2007
this was only a matter of time.. diminishing liberties for those of us with morals and dignity.
Related.
Isn’t that, like . . . verbal abuse?
Then, . . . if implying H.R. 1955 is fascist law . . .
would mean . . . what, . . . posting this article?
dikweed,
Don’t be absurd.
You merely have to think about posting the article.
I feel like every couple of weeks I read about another bill or executive order like this one.
Naomi Wolf’s new book, The End of America, is a must-read. A timely call for awareness as we approach the high-anxiety of an election year… be vigilant and keep spreading the word.
-st
Are these things election issues in the U.S? Or is GNN the only place anyone’s talking about it? These are some serious changes to your civil liberties it it gets passed. I think a ‘peaceful right to assembly’ could be the next thing outlawed if someone dosen’t jump on the bastards.
Dangerous minds: Confession of an American thought criminal, By Jason Miller
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
~ Martin Luther King
C’mon guys, where’s your fighting spirit. Premptive legislation is always less popular than legislation that answer “real” concerns. Abuse of power and domestic spying ranks among the five most important issues in polls.
Let Nero show his real face … and get what comes along with it.
When “Nero” sets the Middle East fully ablaze and the economic ramifications come home to roost in the U.S. as they will, the number one concern of almost all Americans will be akin to these:
i do want to have a place for myself and my family that is “hands off” to everyone else, because i am concerned that desperation is so prevalent in our time, that inevitably, some would will seek to appropriate and reposition resources i have designated for use by myself and family, for their own use, without permission.
In the face of commodity shortages and legitimate security concerns, few will so much as whistle Dixie about Constitutional rights and abuse of power by the executive branch as they are doing little more than that today when the economy is relatively healthy.
Sometimes no Piece