[MD] House Passes Thought Crime Prevention Bill

[MarshaV]

FYI - continued

The definitions for the phrases “violent 
radicalization,” “homegrown terrorism,” as well 
as “ideologically based violence” are almost as 
interesting as the terminology “
for other purposes.”

To radicalize means to go through sweeping 
change, while radicalization means to go from an 
active or passive stance to one of a more 
militaristic or intense stance. Are they talking 
about the United States citizens or the US 
government? Our government has taken on a vastly 
more violently radicalized stance in this War on 
Terror, but, so far, the citizens are taking a 
more peaceful approach, that of public protests. 
Do they mean to say that these protests are 
somehow violently radicalizing? I attended the 
rather large End the War rally in Washington DC 
on September 15, 2007, and it wasn’t violent at all. In fact, it was inspiring!

What about the oh-so-cleverly coined phrase 
“ideologically based violence?” According to the 
framers of this piece of legislation, this string 
of words is to mean the “use, planned use or 
threatened use of force or violence by a group or 
individual to promote the group or individual’s 
political, religious or social belief.” First of 
all, planned use? Are they now referring to 
thought crimes? Secondly, what about the threats 
of government to try and force the Real ID card 
on us, or vaccines, or the loss of our civil 
liberties? Would that not fall under this same 
category? If so, it appears to me the first 
casualty of this new legislation should be
The USA PATRIOT Act!

In light of these definitions, one must wonder if 
the current Congress would see our founding 
father’s actions as homegrown terrorism using 
violent radicalization and ideologically based 
violence to set our country free from the 
tyrannical government of England. Better yet, can 
the citizens of the United States consider the 
current administration as using violent 
radicalization and ideologically based violence 
to promote their agenda around the world or promote an idea, here at home?

This is sounding more and more like the War on 
Terror is coming home, and not in a good way! The 
internet has been sited as an aid in 
“facilitating violent radicalization
.” (Our 
government hasn’t figured out a way to take a 
controlling interest in the internet yet, now 
have they?) Also, according to HR 1955, 
preventing such behavior cannot be readily 
brought about by the “traditional Federal 
intelligence or law enforcement efforts.” They 
plan to include state and local efforts, as well 
as including the US Postal Service and 
university-based Centers of Excellence, these 
latter being established by the Secretary of 
Homeland Security. This Commission sounds like it 
is being governed by
The USA PATRIOT Act!