Yet another anti-terrorism bill has been placed on the congressional table. The Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act was passed in an overwhelming 400 to six House vote last month which will call for the creation of an academic panel which will review and examine the social and personal points at which a peaceful person will turn into a violent one. "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 18 months. The university-based “Center for Excellence” would follow, bringing together academic specialists to recommend laws and other measures. Critics say the definition of extremism and terrorism is too vague and its mandate even more broad. Under a false veil of expertise and independence, they say, the government-appointed commissions could be used as ideological cover to push through harsher laws." With recommendations from the board and demanded access to school records and information of students, the government will then be able to make the appropriate interventions on behalf of the public to keep peace activists peaceful.
Why is this so dangerous? This bill allows further expansion of congressional powers for one thing, but also this bill may allow the scanning and blocking of media from countries that are considered part of the "Evil doers." Al-Jazeera could be considered too radical for the American people and therefore their site would be shut off to American servers. This would be a congressional criminal act that would only continue the consolidation of the media broadcastings powers. Not only that but the study of these extreme people could easily be broad enough to include such groups and environmentalists, peace activists, Iraq War Veterans, anarchists, and any other profiled group of people that the government could consider to a be a threat (and a threat to whom).
This law was passes by the house in a move by congress which allows for bills with an overwhelming majority to be rushed though congresses in order for the implantations to begin as soon as possible. What this shows is that there is bipartisan support for one thing, more power for the government. Yes Democrats and Republicans alike can agree on one thing in particular, more control over what the American public is thinking. I find it interesting that politicians would begin to care so much at the possibility of people turning violent in America. What would cause more people to become violent? Watch out America. They might want to find out exactly how far they can push you.
homegrown_terrorism_prevention_act_raises_fears
No comments:
Post a Comment