Home > Opinion > Peter Roff > The New McCarthyism: DHS Reports on Right-Wing Extremism

The New McCarthyism: DHS Reports on Right-Wing Extremism

Reader Comments
Back to blog

As a woman in my 50's, who was brougth up in a conservative Christian home, and has always viewed the world from that perspective I was shocked to be attacked by Right Wing neighbors in a fashion almost identical to what is described in David Lawson's "Gang Stalking". I had worked for the National Security Agency for more than 25 years when 3 separate witnesses came to me painting a picture of how my project, which had a major impact on the minimization of casualties in the Iraq invasion in 2002, had been purposely miscredited the undereducated branch whore sleeping her way through NSA/S2J management. When I aske the NSA IG (Inspector General) to look into the matter, he instead coached the guilty people on how to accuse me of a security breach and had NSA Security personnel illegally stalk and harass me on campus and off. These scum even went into my social network and slandered me as a traitor so that the local neighborhood watch was "mobilized" to harass and stalk me 24/7. When I went to the Howard County police for help with employer and neighbor harassment - they refused to help saying NSA had forbidden them to help. I will soon be fired for trumped up garbage, 2.5 years before I COULD have retired from the Federal government with my full CSRS retirement and lifelong health care. I have now lost everything because someone covetted my work, which saved hundreds of US military lives, to use to promote a whore in a promotion-for-sex-candal at the NSA which they did not have the guts or honesty to correctly address because NSA managers are involved and they are untouchable gods who don't have to follow law or regulations. Anyone reporting mangerial wrong doing is an "enemy of the state" and must be destroyed. And Maryland state politicians know and do nothing. I was set up, slandered, and civilian idiot vigilantes set upon me for having something someone wanted. The New McCarthyism is indeed here. Its not only if you are not right wing with your politics, it is to cover for private kingdom building and corruption in government. The denyers are aiding the destruction of freedom and America.

K. Stewart of MD 7:54AM February 16, 2010

I have read the report and find it offensive for several reasons. First how can a report with this many generalities help law enforcement (if other reports have been release with as little detail as this it just means such DHS reports are useless). Second their is a strong indication that individuals who believe in the law and constitutional rights are extremist even though our new President says we are a nation of law. Third even though the report indicates new gun legislation and restrictions will increase right wing extremist it does not suggest the simplest way to prevent the creation of new right wing extremist is for the administration to clearly demonstrate that they will not intact new laws restricting the 2nd amendment.
For all those who think no one should have a gun we have a constitutional remedy it is called the amendment process. Get yourselves together and start the process be open about the fact you want to change the constitution. You have that right and even though I will not support you in your effort I support your right to try it constitutionally.
The same goes for those who believe in the Federal Governments total supremacy. Stop slowly mutating the constitution it was written to allow change in a clear process. Let every one know you want total federal control. Once again you have the right to do it but within the proper constitutional process and so sorry but it is not the presidential election it is the amendment process outlined in the constitution.
I do cling to my constitutional rights freedom of expression 1st amendment, freedom to bear arms 2nd amendment, and limited federal Government 10th amendment. For believing in those things I am now labeled by my government as a threat. What worries me it that McViegh did kill hundreds but police are not given the names of militia groups actively advocating violent action. Warns against pro life individuals but no specific groups advocating violence are given. Warns new gun control laws will increase violent extremist but does not suggest that new laws should not be enacted. Warns against individuals who want immigration law enforce but not the drug gangs taking over immigrant area's in our city's and killing legal and illegal immigrants. (Many drug gang members are Catholic "pro life" and therefor are right wing extremist using the reports definition)

wj of MI 5:21PM April 26, 2009

In Germany they first came for the Communists and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me--and by that time no one was left to speak up."
Pastor Martin Niemoller.
hmmmm I wonder if this is the way were going now look.
The corrupt homeland security is blaming a dif party group as terrorists wats next all christians and jews are nowevil Right is wron wrong is right
Wakeup everyon

seth of SC 12:59PM April 19, 2009

"The report needs to be recalled, the person who oversaw its production reassigned or fired and the total amount of money spent on the project—from staff time to production costs to the postage used to mail it—needs to be returned to the U.S. Treasury out of the budget of the Office of the Secretary of Homeland Security. As we have been told time and again, it is no small matter when the U.S. government, as an official matter, questions someone's loyalty. The consequences for this catastrophic misuse of taxpayer dollars needs to be severe for all those involved."
I am an American Citizen -- and a natural born one, at that. As a citizen, a taxpayer, a voter, and her boss, I FIRE HER & the co-conspirators of that piece of trash, 10-page socialist rant!
------------
CHANGE -- you better start fearing!

KLawson of TX 3:07AM April 18, 2009

What tone? The tone of not supporting their troops? The tone of targeting them. The less than 0.47 percent of the US population that fights for your freedom to sit here and type away on your key board. Does it make you feel safer knowing that cops are going to be looking warily at those soldiers as potential suspects. Those same guys that watch their buddies get shot and blown up so those cops can have there freedom and there jobs.

CHANGE? What change? Same partisan crap of TX 4:30AM April 17, 2009

You folks who keep chanting "McVeigh" should go peak at the FBI's list of wanted domestic terrorists and compare the count of "right wing" to "left wing" people on there. .... Ah, why do I bother. Liberals HATE the military so much, they are so totally blinded by it they can't see wrong from right - can't tell personal responsibility from corporate responsibility. If you can tear yourself away from the television long enough to actually read something on your own, try googling "On sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs" to find out why you so hate the people that volunteer to die in your place.
Why do you say anything if you haven't actually read the document? If you have actually read what is says, why do you keep repeating what you heard on TV?
The bleating of those who can't think is hurting my head.

quark of AL 9:00PM April 16, 2009

why don't we just let DOJ and law enforcement monitor what they're talking about? If it turns out to have been overdrawn and an "empty" threat, then that's good news, right?
Obama and Napolitano are different in tone from Bush and Ridge. That's what the election of 2008 was about.

Muser of NM 4:56PM April 16, 2009

This is no doubt a phrase that best describes the hack job that is this particular DHS "report."
"Secretary Napolitano... should not have used the partisan phrase "ending the politics of fear"...
On order for this to be corrected, Secretary Napolitano would have to cease being a political partisan. Good luck with that!

belloscm of CA 1:42PM April 16, 2009

As a veteran, and a conservative, I read the report and was not offended. It said right-wing extremists (white supremacist groups, et al.) were targeting US veterans. Shocking. I remember this going on at Bragg, other military bases a bunch of times.
To be fair, gangs recruit from the US military too, and some even send their members to the military for training. Not to mention Ali Muhammad (al-Qa’ida’s Special Ops guy), the guy who grenaded his officers prior to OIF, and the sailor who sold us out to the Taliban. I think DHS erred when they said ‘a percentage’ when its more like a fraction of a percentage are drawn towards these groups; but anybody who thinks this was politically motivated by Napolitano needs to have their tin foil hat adjusted.

Johnny of VA 10:54AM April 16, 2009

I don't like reports like this one. It is somewhat vague, and does not cite specific incidents or situations. However, it also does not pretend to be specific. After reading the report, I see no cause for alarm or concern. This report says nothing most people don't already know.
Sure there are lots of right-wing nut cases out there clinging to their guns and religion. Everyone knows that. They'd shoot you or me in an instant if provoked even slightly. They feel the Constitution gives them the right to pack any weapon they please without limitation. They believe that God should be taught in every classroom. Snakes heal. Obama is a Muslim. We know all these things are happening right here in the good ole USA.
So I find the report to be in poor taste, and poorly timed. But it does not offend me, nor should it offend anyone in the Republican or the Democrat parties who does not fit into any of the pigeon holes which are so vaguely defined in the report by implication.
Now excuse me while I return to bed--I had a tough day yesterday out at the rally.

Marcel of FL 8:41AM April 16, 2009