Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act = Police State (Speak out!)

While most opposers of the Bush Administration have been tricked into focusing on the 2008 elections early, and to forget about the necessity of impeachment and re-opening of the 9/11 Investigation... the neo-cons sneak in the...Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act!  Goodbye bill of Rights, hello Police State!  Why did you think Bush, Inc. wouldnt do any more harm over the next ELEVEN months?!  Wake up and take action!

Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act Raises Fears of New Government Crackdown on Dissent

A little-noticed anti-terrorism bill quietly making its through Congress is raising fears of a new affront on activism and constitutional rights. The Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act was passed in an overwhelming 400 to six House vote last month. Critics say it could herald a new government crackdown on dissident activity and infiltration of universities under the guise of fighting terrorism. The bill would establish two government-appointed bodies to study, monitor and propose ways of curbing what it calls homegrown terrorism and extremism in the United States. The first body, a National Commission, would convene for eighteen months. A university-based “Center for Excellence” would follow, bringing together academic specialists to recommend laws and other measures.Critics say the bill’s definition of “extremism” and “terrorism” is too vague and its mandate even more broad. Under a false veil of expertise and independence, the government-appointed commissions could be used as ideological cover to push through harsher laws.

Following last month’s approval in the House, the Senate version is expected to go before the Judiciary Committee this week.

House Passes Bill on “Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism”

In news from Capitol Hill, The House of Representatives has passed the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act by a 404 to six vote. The bill creates a National Commission on the Prevention of Violent Radicalization and Ideologically Based Violence. Some critics have criticized the broad language used in the bill to describe homegrown terrorism. Under the bill any person that uses or plans to use force to advance political or social objectives would be considered a terrorist. One prominent critic of the bill has been the academic and author Ward Churchill.

• Ward Churchill: “HR 1955, as I understand it, provides a basis for subjective interpretation of dissident speech that allows those in power to criminally penalize anything they considered to be particularly effective in terms of galvanizing an opposition that might conceivably in some sense disrupt or destabilized the status quo, so it’s to keep everything in that nice sanitized arena that I was just talking about where you’re actually a collateral functionary of the state by participating.”

This is what 9/11, an act of U.S. sponsored terrorism, was for domestically: to completely dismantle our Constititutional Rights and usher in a police state....  Stand up for your Rights and oppose this bill!   

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