From CNA with my emphases and comments.
Homeland Security Report equates ‘abortion opponents’ with white supremacists [You knew it had to happen.]
Washington D.C., Apr 14, 2009 / 02:28 pm (CNA).- According to a Homeland Security Report distributed to law enforcement organizations, abortion opponents are as great a threat to national security in the immediate future as white supremacists. [One wonders what the justification for that might be.]
The nine-page document was sent to police and sheriff’s departments across the country on April 7 under the headline, "Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment." The report is unclassified, but is accompanied by a warning that says it “contains information that may be exempt from public release under the Freedom of Information Act.” [So… they won’t say precisely why opponents of abortion are extremists.]
The report was prepared by the Extremism and Radicalization Branch of the Department of Homeland Security and claims it was “coordinated with the FBI.”
“Rightwing extremists,” the document says, “have capitalized on the election of the first African American president, and are focusing their efforts to recruit new members, mobilize existing supporters, and broaden their scope and appeal through propaganda, but they have not yet turned to attack planning.” [Not yet turned to attack planning?!?! What sort of alarmist statement is that? Could we in fairness say that the people who wrote that report have not yet taken to wearing brown shirts and carrying truncheons?]
Nevertheless, according to the report, the combination of a prolonged economic downturn, the election of the first African American President and the return of many veterans with "combat skills" could create an environment similar to the early 90’s, which lead to the Oklahoma City bombing. [Wow… having all those guys with military skills might require… what… perhaps a new well-funded domestic security force? In the ancient world, I think the cheap solution was simply to kill the veterans, chop the right hands off their male children, rape their women and then sell them into slavery. Hmm… that might decrease the base of tax payers, though the sale of the slaves could fill some off]
The report describes "Rightwing extremism" broadly as “those groups, movements, and adherents that are primarily hate-oriented (based on hatred of particular religious, racial or ethnic groups), and those that are mainly antigovernment, rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority, [In other words…. if you think states should be able to make laws about abortion rights… ] or rejecting government authority entirely. It may [may] include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration.”
Under the title “Revisiting the 1990s,” the report claims that “paralleling the current national climate, rightwing extremists during the 1990s exploited a variety of social issues and political themes to increase group visibility and recruit new members.”
“Prominent among these themes were the militia movement’s opposition to gun control efforts, criticism of free trade agreements (particularly those with Mexico), and highlighting perceived government infringement on civil liberties as well as white supremacists’ longstanding exploitation of social issues such as abortion, inter-racial crimes, and same-sex marriage.”
The report “is provided to federal, state, local, and tribal counterterrorism and law enforcement officials so they may effectively deter, prevent, preempt, or respond to terrorist attacks against the United States.”
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Yes…Timothy McVeigh was a fine example of a Christian gentleman…right…blowing up women and children…right…the very program of the Catholic church. What did I say in my post on Kmeic (or however you spell it)? They will brand us terrorists and we’ll be right back in the English Reformation. Now is the time for all good Catholics to come to the aid of their doctrines. Speak up. The time of our religious liberty is drawing to a close. Use the right or lose it even faster. IMHO, or do I misread the signs?
[In other words…. if you think states should be able to make laws about abortion rights… ]
Or if the principle of subsidiarity means anything at all to you. Anyone who disapproves of the leviathan state is now a racist. Anyone who mentions the Tenth Amendment is an enemy of the people.
Today we have all been twice equated with White suppremists! Thank you Homeland Security for your politicized report and thank you Dr. Kmiec. That breaks my record for # of times I’ve been equated to a white supremist for my beliefs in one day.
The report itself is so rediculouly vague. It is propaganda and alarmism par excellance.
When I was in Rome this summer I want to Mass the the Venerable English College and it is really something to in the main hallway of the Seminary a marble plaque on the wall engraved with all of the graduates of that school who had been martyred in England. Thinking about the possibilties of our future in this countries if things keep going they way they seem to be going I think we may have many more plaques like that at seminaries one day. I pray not though. St. Edmund Campion, Ora Pro Nobis.
“abortion opponents are as great a threat to national security in the immediate future as white supremacists.” Actually I agree with this statement; there is a 0% probability either of these groups will threaten national security. Some group of bozos wasted a lot of our tax dollars to issue this report.
Pray then study then pray then fight then study then fight some more. It will be like a real crusade. Be prepared.
The 5th time in the last two days I’ve seen abortion opponents called racists, looks like someone put out a memo to use this tactic.
This is frightening to come from a government agency. Our marginalization has been ramped up. We need to pray harder than ever.
Sigh. “St Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle…”
Wasn’t Mcveigh reconciled to God before his death? on a more serious note Orwell’s 1984 has nothing on this
Meanwhile every 72 seconds another black baby is killed in the womb, the pro-aborts really have nerve.
Oh, and another prediction:
it won’t be too long before anyone who disagrees with EUTHENASIA is branded a hater, a right-wing extremist, a Bobby-Byrd Ku Klux Klanner, and a Terrorist. Resist the government, you are a hater. Object to the government’s agenda, you are a terrorist. We will be branded terrorists for resisting the Government’s efforts to kill our sick, our weak, our disabled, our retarded, our homeless, our gypsies, our dissenters…where will it stop? Will it stop? Would it have stopped in Nazi Germany if we hadn’t anihalated their army and their ability to make war? Who will come to relieve OUR suffering, if we ourselves are the perpetrators of it? And if we resist, do you think we would be left to fight the fight between ourselves? Who would come to keep the peace? The United Nations, that’s who. So much for sovreignty. Mere speculation, or rational forsight? All I can say is I’ve been right so far. We had better speak up, and act up. Passive prayerful resistance in the millions is the only way to avert a slaughter. Mark my words…mark my words…mark my words.
One word comes to mind…
SURREAL!
Wake up, America!
Seriously, this is getting past the point of incredulous.
Jack in KC
“and those that are mainly antigovernment, rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority”
Have we arrived at the day when Rerum Novarum and the Catholic teaching of subsidiarity are subversive?
And if you were ever accused of being a Catholic, would there be enough evidence to convict you?
And DHS will urge expansion of “hate crime” legislation to criminalize anyone (including priests) who have the gall to preach against abortion, same sex marriage, and the like) .. all in the name of “national defense”. Anyone think this resembles in any way Nazi Germany? It’s battle time and I pray St. Michael leads us. BO is not only destroying the Constitution he is attempting to destroy the very moral principles it was founded on…and churches, particularly the Roman Catholic Church, are one of the few obstacles in his path. Martyrdom is a distinct possibility.
I am wondering if I should email the Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Government Affairs and ask them about this report…
Don’t forget that two weeks ago, the Missouri State Police put out a warning to its officers. Officers were warned that people who had anti-abortion/and or political bumper stickers were possibly dangerous. Scary times. St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle!
All you Obama supporters should be very proud of the “change” you have wrought. Selling out the Church and our political freedoms in one fell swoop. Congratulations! Tom
This report is “unclassified”!
Makes one wonder what the classified ones say.
Yes, I agree, we are now in the process of being marinalized exactly like the Jews were in 1939. The smart ones left Germany for America and elsewhere. Most stayed thinking nothing would come of it. The thought of moving to a foreign country is not a welcome one. Now I see why most stayed. But where in the world would be any safer?
This is scary stuff.
“In the ancient world, I think the cheap solution was simply to kill the veterans, chop the right hands off their male children, rape their women and then sell them into slavery. Hmm… that might decrease the base of tax payers, though the sale of the slaves could fill some off”
Oh man, don’t give them any more ideas.
In my blog we have had an encounter the past couple of days with a GLBT activist who promises that the violence seen after the CA Prop 8 vote is just a foretaste of what’s to come, should gays not receive their “rights.” But we who profess a belief in the sanctity of life and oppose violence against persons at all stages of their lives are now terrorists under federal policy.
The world has gone mad.
This is just awful.
I think it is about time people start researching the “Bubba Effect” because this news reeks of Obama’s administration trying to curb that influence in the event of an upcoming economic crash.
I’ll die a martyr before I cave into these godless heathens.
-KJS
I have to disagree with the conclusions you are drawing from this argument.
There is no denying that people have tried and succeeded in blowing up abortion “clinics” and killing doctors that preform the procedure. These are the ones I suspect are being targeted, and told to be on the watch for.
Really its a good and bad sign, bad that they expect to come to that, but good because it means the pro-life cause is getting enough attention through words that some are worried it may escalate, to use their analogy, the same way white supremacy escalated from words to violence.
There are a half a million SCOTUS cases out there protecting our rights to talk against abortion, hate speech cannot be stopped unless it is advocating immediate violent action. Keep it peaceful, keep it legal, get the point across.
I am irritated by the label ‘rightwing extremists’ used to describe those of us who oppose abortion. This is a very grave error. When I read it first it automatically conjured up images of the Nazis and the KKK, not those who support equal rights for the unborn. The pro-life position attracts people from all over the political spectrum and persons of very disparate religious persuasions. There are homosexual pro-lifers, communist pro-lifers, enivronmentalist pro-lifers, atheist pro-lifers, etc. This report is a frightening but (let’s face it) predictable development.
In fairness, I see more “racist extremists may attempt to exploit people’s opposition to abortion for their own purposes” than “opposition to abortion makes one a violent threat”.
After nearly thirty years of working in Washington as a career civiil servant, it has been my observation, that most people in the business of intelligence and national security issues, are not as ideologically driven as this report would indicate. This suggests that such a report is largely the work of those with a pre-determined outcome, and not on the basis of any hard data.
At some point, they would have to come up with a course of action, one that would ensure the cooperation of thousands of career employees. The oath they took was out of loyalty to the Constitution of the United States, not to the President. The overwhelming majority of people who carry out this mission, are people with specific skills, and no political affiliation. I should think this would matter at some point.
Pittsburgh just buried 3 police officers who had the misfortune of
encountering a well-armed, 23-year-old neo-Nazi who was obsessed with the
possibility that the election of Obama meant someone would try to take his
guns away from him. In retrospect, someone SHOULD have taken his guns away
from him. While the Eric Rudolphs and Timothy McVeighs of this world are,
fortunately, few and far in between, it isn’t too far-fetched to think that
the election of the first African-American president will give rise to more
of this kind of extremist. I don’t agree with lumping pro-life activists
in with white surpremacists but history has proven that there are anti-
abortion extremists who are not shy about taking the law into their own
hands, particularly when we have an administration in power that is not
pro-life.
David Alexander wrote:
“At some point, they would have to come up with a course of action, one that would ensure the cooperation of thousands of career employees. The oath they took was out of loyalty to the Constitution of the United States, not to the President. The overwhelming majority of people who carry out this mission, are people with specific skills, and no political affiliation. I should think this would matter at some point.”
Your faith in you fellow men is touching, but as both history and psychology show, oaths to constitutions are flimsy supports when one’s own livelihood or safety is at stake, or where authority has simply deemed the current policy “proper” and “necessary”. Just think of all the Catholics in the 1950’s who swore Professions of Faith, or took Permanent Vows, that turned to dust with the upheavals of the ’60s.
I would, in fact, much rather than being sworn to uphold the constitution, the civil servants were people ideologically driven to do so. But then, they would likely quit their jobs, ans many, if not most, are unconstitutional by a strict, pre-Linconian reading.
http://www.drudgereport.com/flashtx.htm
WAKE UP CALL: TEXAS GOV. BACK RESOLUTION AFFIRMING SOVEREIGNTY
Tue Apr 14 2009 08:44:54 ET
AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry joined state Rep. Brandon Creighton and sponsors of House Concurrent Resolution (HCR) 50 in support of states’ rights under the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
“I believe that our federal government has become oppressive in its size, its intrusion into the lives of our citizens, and its interference with the affairs of our state,” Gov. Perry said. “That is why I am here today to express my unwavering support for efforts all across our country to reaffirm the states’ rights affirmed by the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. I believe that returning to the letter and spirit of the U.S. Constitution and its essential 10th Amendment will free our state from undue regulations, and ultimately strengthen our Union.”
Perry continued: “Millions of Texans are tired of Washington, DC trying to come down here to tell us how to run Texas.”
I wouldn’t worry too much about the report. As a former plans officer (G3) I can confidently say that this analysis is a typical intelligence report that tries to incorporate every contingency that could occur for a given problem or mission. They aren’t saying anti-abortion groups are dangerous, but (analysists) don’t be blindsided.
The full report can be read here, at the bottom of the page:
http://www.uslaw.com/pop/rightwing-extremism-current-economic-and-political-climate-fueling-resurgence-in-radicalization-and-recruitment/?p=181
I would hazard to guess that the average Catholic pro-lifer or pro-life organization has as much a chance of being surveilled (or branded “hate-group” or “extremist”) by one of our intelligence collection agencies as would the average military veteran:
——————–
[Nota Bene: FOUO/LES = For Official Use Only/Law Enforcement Sensitive]
(U) Disgruntled Military Veterans
(U//FOUO) DHS/I&A assesses that rightwing extremists will attempt to recruit and radicalize returning veterans in order to exploit their skills and knowledge derived from military training and combat. These skills and knowledge have the potential to boost the capabilities of extremists—including lone wolves or small terrorist cells—to carry out violence. The willingness of a small percentage of military personnel to join extremist groups during the 1990s because they were disgruntled, disillusioned, or suffering from the psychological effects of war is being replicated today.
— (U) After Operation Desert Shield/Storm in 1990-1991, some returning military veterans—including Timothy McVeigh—joined or associated with rightwing extremist groups.
— (U) A prominent civil rights organization reported in 2006 that “large numbers of potentially violent neo-Nazis, skinheads, and other white supremacists are now learning the art of warfare in the [U.S.] armed forces.”
— (U//LES) The FBI noted in a 2008 report on the white supremacist movement that some returning military veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have joined extremist groups.
=============
Regards,
–Guy
Tyler and others
As a law enforcement executive I have read the entire unclassified report and have some information from the classified report through sources I cannot name. Over the past 42 years I have read many, and written some, “intelligence” reports. Good intelligence reports are based upon fact and are never politically driven. In short, good intelligence reports have no agenda other than to make readers aware of specific, verifiable facts that could prove to be a danger.
This report does not in any fashion meet the criteria of good intelligence. It meets all of the criteria for a politically motivated effort to label (aka demonize) those who happen to oppose this administration’s policies. It is full of emotionally charged insinuations…i.e “because we have our first African American President…” etc.
One of Hitler’s tactics and one used by many third world dictators is to redefine “good” and “bad”. This report utilizes that approach in terms of defining those who oppose abortion, same sex marriage, etc as “threats to national security”. If people buy into that redefinition the next step is to criminalize and incarcerate those who hold positions in opposition to the administration. Far fetched? Many who died in the ovens during WW II thought so too–until it was too late.
I have avoided calling BO the “anti-Christ” though the thought has occured to me. But he is clearly an evil person with an evil agenda who is surrounding himself with more evil people. His track record makes it clear that he will do whatever is necessary (legal/moral or not) to accomplish his objectives and no one will be allowed to get in his way. To me his perspective is more a threat to national security than that of the pro-lifers his “report” cautions us about.
The administration will capitalize on the occasional whacko (whether an abortion clinic bomber or cop shooter) to “prove” the allegations in this bogus DHS report. Thus it is extremely important that our resistance to BO’s immorality be lawful at all times. At some point if willful disobedience to the law becomes appropriate and necessary so be it…but we aren’t there yet.
The worst mistake we can make is to not recognize that we are already in the first battles of what may prove to be the ultimate war. St. Michael lead us in that battle and let us all prepare for the martyrdom which may come.
After reading the document in question, I have to agree with Tyler. Given that that right-to-life movement has unfortunately fostered a few extremists [“hate-oriented (based on hatred of particular religious, racial or ethnic groups), and those that are mainly antigovernment, rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority, or rejecting government authority entirely” – i.e., people who blow up abortion clinics and the people in them] in the past the document I think gives a pretty fair assessment. Read it for yourself:
http://www.gordonunleashed.com/HSA%20-%20Rightwing%20Extremism%20-%2009%2004%2007.pdf
How about these guys: http://auferanobis.blogspot.com/2008/07/racist-free-speech.html
Are they on the list?
They are out on the corner of 7th and H in NW Washington, DC almost every Friday afternoon.
Nowhere in the document is there a precise definition of “rightwing extremist”. Lots of “mays”, “cans”, etc. Leaves a lot of room for interpretation.
It cites the current economic downturn as fueling the growth of rightwing extremism. Pardon me all over the place, didn’t economic downturns fuel the growth of the socialists (Nazis) in the Weimar Republic and the communists in czarist Russia? Can’t remember any rightwing groups taking powere anywhere under those circumstances. Even if they did, it only makes the outcome a tossup between extremists.
Theres also reference in the document to a study done by a German group. Since theres nothing to indicate otherwise, I’m left with the conclusion the study concerned Germany itself and the fueling of rightwing extremists there. After the reunification with East & West Germany, I’d think any attraction towards the left would be slim to none. So by default rightwing groups would own the playing field.
As my wife says, the entire report reads like a classic bit of propaganda.
Rancher, the speculative person described by this report could be YOU.
This is a good opportunity to look at your soul and ask yourself if you will be willing to keep your faith if faced with a FEMA camp or martyrdom? It’s coming soon, real soon. Recall how Israel in its faithless days was always handed over to evildoers as a chastisement. How much more Justice is due in our time, with the laws of the land being what they are, and the immorality everywhere, and the rampant apostasy as well documented on this blog and others. Read the approved apparitions of Akita and Our Lady of Good Success for an idea of what is here and coming. Pray the Rosary, Divine Mercy chaplet, live a holy life and be not afraid.
You know, I think the KKK (and/or related racist @#$@) is an unspeakable evil as much as the next guy (or more when I’m at the mall and the next guy could be a moron), but I have to take the opportunity to put in here that it isn’t so hard to understand the continued existence of groups like the Sons of the Confederacy if you look back into history and see that this tactic of smearing as dangerously racist anyone who disagrees with the current party in power at the federal level goes back to the Civil War (during reconstruction even if not during or before the war; I don’t mean to say I believe everything the Southerners tell me, just that I’ve seen enough believable stuff to think there is a grain of truth). This isn’t, in principle, anything new; on the contrary, it is inherently tied to putting the federal government above the State and local governments (which may sometimes trample their people’s rights, I won’t deny, but at which level it’s much easier for the people to pull their government back over to sanity when they do than the inexorable behemoth we face now).
Tertullian
I know that..and I know that many of those who post here might also be those speculative persons. And that has me concerned. When a government views law abiding people who try and follow God’s laws as potential threats that government moves a country from being free to being repressive. It moves from a representative government to a totalitarian dictatorship. IMO we have moved, in just 100 days, dangerously in the direction of squelching religion. Fact is the majority of U S citizens are self-described as Christians yet our highest elected official publicly says we are no longer a Christian nation. And it appears he is now using the clout of the Department of Homeland Security to set up his gameplan under the guise of keeping our nation secure. Frightening, especially for every American who has fought, been injured, or died to keep us a free nation. Guilty as charged I guess.
This must be a mistake. I thought profiling was illegal. Golly I better go tell the mrs because I think she’s one of them…plus she drives a mini-van so she might be a cap and trade subverter.
On the other hand, I don’t see any mention of other government (and church) funded subversives like ACORN and no mention of moveon.org. I must be hangin out with the wrong crowd and y’all don’t help. On a serious note, abortionist in founding principle and current practice are quite racist. Something Orwellian about this Newspeak ‘security report’, don’t you think.
I personally was afraid of this sort of thing developing with the Patriot Act. Eventually being a Catholic will be criminal in this country– maybe not in the next year, but the more we have to stand up against unethical forms of so-called “progress” the X on our backs will grow bigger and bigger yet.
What percent of Catholics voted for Obama?
“After reading the document in question, I have to agree with Tyler. Given that that right-to-life movement has unfortunately fostered a few extremists…”
I cannot agree with this statement. To “foster” would imply that these violent individuals were in some way supported, encouraged or even trained by people in the legitimate pro-life movement. I’ve been an activist (not in the pro-life movement per se) for most of my life and I’ve attended scores of political events, meetings, rallies, speakers etc. I can tell you that I’ve met some people over the years who were clearly a little “off.” Political activity seems to attract them. None of them were violent but I would still not agree with somebody who claimed that I participated in something that “fostered” crazy people.
I know a lot of people from all different persuasions who have strongly held views. Nobody I know would like to have those views imposed by force against someone’s will by fear or violence.
We need to be very careful about connecting thought with action. (Which is what this report appears to do.) If someone is openly advocating violence, OK, but I hear people all the time accuse others of “hate speech” when they are simply advocating a point of view opposed to theirs.
Fr. Marie Paul, they won’t need FEMA (reeducation)camps or conventional martyrdom to silence the faithful. Just let them send the IRS up your butt with a microscope and watch how many fall silent. For those of us married with kids, watch what happens when dissenters run afoul of Child Protective Services (CPS) and have to fight drawn-out, expensive court battles just to see our children again, the list goes on and on.
The split between religious believers who follow B.O. and those who don’t will afford the secularists an opportunity to maintain the illusion of religious tolerance. Anyone worshipping at the feet of the cultural gods will be unmolested, those with contrary views will be subject to the persecution I’ve mentioned. With a fair number of their pet “faithful” from Catholic and other denominations in their pockets, the rest of us will be dismissed as a minority of wackos. Wackos are always fair game.
This won’t end with the termination of B.O.’s presidency either. He and his followers are only a symptom of what ails our culture. Even with a supposedly conservative Chief Executive we’ll find ourselves increasingly discounted and marginalized.
We’ve the curse of living in interesting times.
For Tyler and others,
There is no denying that people have tried and succeeded in blowing up abortion “clinics” and killing doctors that preform the procedure. These are the ones I suspect are being targeted, and told to be on the watch for.
I did a quick check to see when was the last time an abortion clinic worker or doctor was killed. The last time that happened was in 1998 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-abortion_violence). There is a continuing occurrence of property crimes (vandalism, arson) but I don’t think it rises to the level of needing big brother looking over our shoulder.
Heck, if you are going to look at groups, start looking at gangs. There is more gang violence in a day than anti-abortion violence in a year.
I’m just askin’ if their priorities are straight.
This seems like bait to me.
If I were on the “other team” I might want to occasionally release a document designed to stir up a hornets nest on the Interzweb and track which sites picked up on it and record the IP addresses of any posters we thought threatening. Seems like someone is putting bait on the hook and the game is rushing out to eat it. Nice way to compile an enemies list – we do their work for them (thanks Google).
I know I may get banned by Fr. Z, but are any of you actually looking at what you are saying. The response sound like a group of paranoids. No one reading this blog is going to blow buildings or overthrow the government. This report is talking about actual security threats from wackos. I encourage you to stand up for the faith and what you believe in, but keep it real. Get rid of the persecution complex and paranoia. I’m just sayin…
I hope your right Nathaniel…
Nathaniel
I am not given to paranoid reactions nor do I have a persecution complex. I’ve been in law enforcement for 42 years and a Chief of Police for 15 years. I have read hundreds of these DHS Intelligence Bulletins since they became common following Sept 11. This one is a HUGE departure from the norm. Not only is it’s style different but so is its tone. It paints with way too broad a brush. There is no way for me to interpret it but as a document which opens the door to further more repressive action. If you have studied BO at all you must know that he is very intelligent but also very cunning and ruthless. Nothing stands in his way and he uses people and government entities (like DHS) to squelch opposition. If those who disagree with him on abortion, same sex marriage etc etc are painted in a report (and that is precisely what this report does) as potential terrorists what is the next logical step? It is to criminalize statements which may be in opposition to his policies. If anti-abortion is potentially terrorist then speaking against abortion (priest, rabbi or minister to congregation) might that not be viewed as criminal under expanded hate crime legislation? I think it might. Keep in mind that BO has NEVER allowed anyone to get in his way and has used a variety of tactics to eliminate opposition. And, yes, I hope I’m wrong. But I learned a long time ago to never ever underestimate the enemy. Better to be vigilant and prepared than to say (like the German people did at the outset of Hitler’s rise) “it could never happen here”. Finally, as a street cop I learned years ago to always trust that “6th sense” we develop which allows us to survive. That sixth sense (aka gut feeling) makes me ever more vigilant when it comes to Obama. I’ve said more than enough on this subject but I have written to my elected federal representatives expressing my concerns about this report.
Subvet—great points and agree fully. The IRS has been and will continue to be politicized, as well as other federal policing agencies (try dealing with bureacrats in any number of alphabet agencies) but in addition you can anticipate certain policy initiatives designed to suppress speech. It’s remarkable what is on the table for ‘discussion and debate.’ Take for example the elimination of the charitable contribution deduction–I’m sure we all say we will give as much as before, but you will find it becoming a true sacrifice when coupled with onerous tax rates for the ‘rich’ snarly people who actually give. Eliminating or greatly reducing revenues to the Church is a surefire way of marginalizing any moral ‘opposition’ and monopolizing the charity business (perhaps ND will receive generous federal grants but not Christendom College). And Nathaniel, this isn’t paranoia but if it were it don’t mean they ain’t out to get me (anyone with kids in public schools knows full well that this isn’t an academic discussion). Despotism, mob rule, socialism whatever categorical label is fitful, all of it abhors competition with and from moral authority…it’s simply a condition recognized throughout Church history– the Jacobins, the Spanish socialist, the Italian Fascits, the Chi-coms and frankly just plain communists, the relativist and post modernists. And finally subvet, in further agreement, this type of stuff, this silly report, tends to stifle debate and even association; afterall nobody would dare want to hang out with subversives like me and the mrs saying the rosary on a street corner praying for life. :)
I am greatly impressed by what Rancher, here, has to say, Somthing tells me( i think it is the Holy Spirit) that he is very right. I also heartily that our answer is to learn to be people of prayer! In every way!
“If someone were to accuse you of being “Catholic” is there enough evidence to convict you?”
I fear that the days of trials and tribulations will be upon us sooner than later. What a gift to have the Mass fully restored and a source of so many spiritual gifts to the faithful.
MargaretMN – perhaps “fostered” implied a level of support that didn’t exist. I’ll accept that. (OTOH, how would we really know? We weren’t there at the time.) I should choose my words a little more carefully.
Brian Day – that’s why that section of the document was entitled, “Revisiting the 1990s”. As for “rising to the level of Big Brother looking over our shoulder”, look to the Patriot Act. Big Brother already looks over our shoulders.
Nick – Obama got 54% of the Catholic vote. Or CINO vote.
I have to say that this thread has been a real eye-opener for me. Well me and Nathaniel, apparently.
Okay, it is late and I’ve read all the posts here so far.
This is what comes to mind.
If those who oppose abortion are deemed dangers to national security as individuals,
what is then the view taken of the Holy Father and the official teaching of the Church?
Just thinking that the current administration has not provided a suitable ambassador to the Vatican.
Also, St. Maximilan was arrested and killed on some trumped up false charge.
Even if the charges or thus far labels are unlikely to be used
what happens when they are used just to silence people someone who is a problem?
Speaking of paranoia — what is the problem with the current administration that
they are arranging for future containment of those who will not comply?
I don’t have answers just questions. But we had better learn to pray and pray the Mass, and the rosart. St. Michael! come our aid.
If we are going to be comparing Obama to other leaders, I wonder whether Hugo Chavez might not be a better comparison than Hitler.
Martyrdom or not, we must be prepared for the difficult
times that lie ahead for Holy Mother Church. This
article clearly shows that we are in for a difficult
time both as Catholics loyal to the teachings of the
Church and as fellow citizens of the United States
who are standing up for what is right in this world
including the rights of God.
By eliminating a conscience clause in our health care
system, the government is trying to begin a
discrimination campaing. In Germany, Hitler started
with the academics and institutions of education As
all of you know, the discrimination kept getting
worse and worse until no Jew could find a job and
was forced to spend his life cleaning streets
with a tooth brush.
By equating against abortion with terrorists,
the government is attempting to create a state
in which protests against the culture of death
are seen as an ultimatum against the government
itself. If they redefine treason, then there is
absolutely no way that we will be able to live.
My parents came from Communist countries. I’ve
heard of stories being arrested merely for
getting together to play cards because
playing cards was viewed as anti-government
activity. People were thrown in jail
for running their mouths and tortured.
All of this and more can happen here.
St. Joseph, pray for us and for our country!
Nero set fire to Rome and blamed it on the Christians as an excuse to persecute them.
I’m going to be VERY suspicious of any future “anti-abortion” violence.
I don’t think BO’s necessarily going to HAVE to take us out; as fanatical and cult-like as his supporters were during the election season, I suspect he’ll just let them “take us out” for him.
If believing in the sanctity of life and marriage is a white supremacist thing, then I am guilty. However, anm not in agreement with some stands on weapons, and side with the bishops on immigration.
If the Constitution and Bill of Rights is being abolished, that will add one more to the emigrant population, because my honorable miltary service will have been in vain.
St. Michael, pray for us.
Paul the other–“How would we know…” If we don’t know, then we don’t know. Guilt by mere association, especially association that goes in one direction is not guilt in a court of law, nor is anyone morally responsible for what someone else does who happens to share some of their views. End of story.
Nathaniel, I don’t consider myself a paranoid person but I also know that people are ignorant of history and do things without even thinking about the consequences, even with good intentions. I’ll give you two personal, first hand examples. One was several years ago (so we can leave Obama out of it) and the other is more recent. About 5 years ago, I worked for a grass roots conservative group that advocated for lower taxes and less government spending. We had registered lobbyists and published a scorecard that ranked state legislators according to these issues. One day, my boss got a call from a county sheriff’s office asking questions about our activities. Apparently a leftwing organization which will remain nameless put our organization on a list of “hate groups” as if we were like a militia or those guys in ND who had a standoff with the FBI. Apparently, that’s all it took to open a file on our organization with this Sheriff. Everybody in the office (a bunch of pencil necked geeks) was creeped out.
The second example is in the area of health care. The last time I went for my “female” physical, the nurse came in with the list of standard questions like any changes to your medications, in health etc. in the past year. Then she asked me if I had “any religious beliefs that would interfere with any prescribed treatment.” I was so surprised at this question I blurted out “Like what?” Given that this was the OB/GYN department, I could readily imagine. The nurse told me she was just reading off the form and that she wasn’t supposed to discuss the question with me. So she repeated the question. I ended up saying “no” just because I didn’t want them to put me down as a Jehovah’s witness refusing blood transfusions. If there are any “treatments” that I wish to refuse, I’ll do it when they are proposed. But why do they need to collect this information about my religious beliefs from me? And how will they use it, down the road? I’m sure they have the best of intentions but that’s not the same as doing the right thing.
I have heard second hand stories about women who have been pressured (even right in the delivery room) by doctors after the birth of a second or third child to have their tubes tied then and there. We don’t need to wait for government healthcare or FOCA to pass, our ability to make choices according to our own values and not what modern medicine and big government decree is eroding before our very eyes.
I have 43yrs in law enforcement and I agree with Rancher.
This has Janet Napolitano’s finger prints all over it. Is seem to me that the former Gov. of Az. is doing her thing to get back at those Catholics who critized her poor performance in the area of abortion.
One has a strong wish to run to the hills after reading this…
“Comment by Timbot — 14 April 2009 @ 6:56 pm”
I won’t say this would never happen. Those who founded this country wouldn’t have said it either. But based on what I maintain, it is highly unlikely. The only thing that would ensure it, is that if WE let it happen. We elect the people who pass these kinds of laws. No one makes us do it. Maybe we need to be scared into reality just a little bit. Still, it takes hard data, and genuine competence, to make something like this happen. History has shown this as well. An administration that cannot appoint leaders to top positions over the scrutiny of a friendly legislature, will be hard pressed to effect any such plan.
The national commander of the American Legion has already responded to this report. His response can be found here.
I think you missed the most important part Father:
“The report “is provided to federal, state, local, and tribal counterterrorism and law enforcement officials so they may effectively deter, prevent, preempt, or respond to terrorist attacks against the United States.”
This is saying people who want to stop the murder of unborn babies are potential terrorists who need to be deterred by law enforcement.
This is not far off from defining the Catholic Church as an Extreme Right Wing Terrorist Organisation.
I’m just waiting for the Reichstag fire. This is all being leaked out into the country’s mental atmosphere to create an environment where some “incident” can plausibly be blamed on Obama’s opponents, and the mob can then be unleashed on them. I still haven’t decided exactly what group he is going to really focus on – since the Enemy of the People has to have defineable features and be easily identifiable – but I imagine we’ll find out soon enough.
I think many people are feeling a certain dread right now. I happened to be talking with a visitor to our town about the history of the Church here and she suddenly burst into tears and said that she was afraid for the Church and afraid of what our own country was going to to do us, and she didn’t understand how this could all have happened so fast. She wasn’t somebody who reads blogs or forums, but seemed to get her news from the press, and even based on that scant information she had a sense of foreboding and fear. I never discuss politics with the visitors, but I had to sympathize with her and I said that all we can do is pray and be vigilant. I believe, in addition, that it is still possible that there are enough sane people left in this country, even in government, to prevent the horrible possibilities from materializing.
Is it possible that there exist extreme rightist groups in America who feel that the best possible means for making their voices heard is violence? History is full of zealots who used violence and harmful tactics in an attempt to achieve something noble and true.
I don’t see anything in this article which indicates that the Church and its members should be considered “terrorists” or menaces to the public security. Terrorism is terrorism, no matter what the ideology or motivating ideas behind it are. Who is to say that, with the economy lagging as it is, and conservative hate groups bristling at the election of a black, liberal president, there AREN’T hate groups that are willing to use violent means to achieve their goals?
It sounds like the common sense of disillusionment which many readers of this blog feel(and which I share) regarding the president and his policies, especially those concerning life, have clouded them from the possibility of terrorism and violence perpetrated by ultra-conservative elements.
It is my hope that if Catholics begin to be wrongly and unjustly implicated in any such crimes which might be perpetrated in the future, then the Church will be courageous enough to speak with a unified, firm, and un-ignorable voice decrying such injustice. For now, it seems like it would be prudent to take the department at its word while remaining vigilant in the watch for abuses of the system.
It is odd to hear the “rightwing white extremists” being equated to terrorists opposing the abortion when everybody knows that there are more abortions of black women than of white ones.
That’s absurd, wouldn’t such “terrorists” rejoice?
How absolutely pathetic is this bunch. They cannot even take aim at the enemies who actually ARE the threat to our security as Americans! Remember the Jihadists?!?
Rather, they are actively engaged in an ideological war with Americans who love their country. Now the power of the State will be brought down upon those who defend the innocent. I suppose it should follow…they are engaged in a war against the innocent. Why not attack those who defend them?
Lord have mercy on our President, his administration and those who are unwitting pawns of the enemy. May God soften their hearts and strengthen their minds.
“This is not far off from defining the Catholic Church as an Extreme Right Wing Terrorist Organisation.”
Volpius, I agree with you, to an extent. Many liberal political minds in America are beginning to perceive the American Church as an extreme, right wing group of religious zealots. This is unfortunate, and truly damaging to the Church’s ability to evangelize, not to mention contribute a legitimate and effective voice to the public forum on behalf of the unborn.
The question I have is: is there any possible way this could have been avoided? Has there been too much of a political fixation on the abortion issue by American Catholics and the hierarchy? Is there any way to remain faithful to our obligation to exhaust every possible resource – spiritual, social, financial, political – in defense of the unborn which is different than the strategy the Church has employed in America? In our attempt to emphasize that abortion should be at the top of the list of the gravest issues to be addressed by the Catholic electorate, have we in fact severed that issue from all the rest, causing ourselves to be perceived (even though this perception is clearly different from reality) as an “extreme right wing political faction” that concentrates on one issue at the exclusion of all the others?
These are questions. I don’t have many answers.
Fr. Deacon Daniel:
Although DHS labels anti-abortionists as potential “single issue terrorists,” Homeland Security prefers that you do not use the term “jihadists” to describe people dedicated to destroying the West. See this CNN piece. The term apparently upsets the terrorists.
There’s something definitely wrong at DHS!
The underlying assumption of this report is that “extremism”- deviation from the “official” norm (itself continuously redefined by the power elites)- is itself pathological. Think about this. Anyone who does not go along with what “most” people” think/believe/do are a threat to the well-being of all. This is an obvious lie, a reduction of humanity to the level of animals, but society has now reached the level of indoctrination that most ACCEPT this lie.
The Obammunists are simply furthering the process of conversion of the population to state-worship that every US president has engaged in since Lincoln reinstituted Total War and imposed central rule. Henry the 8th did it centuries ago in the UK.
Another underlying assumption is the actual existence of “hate” speech/thought. This is, of course, anything the ruling elites do not agree with. Anyone who believes in freedom of association, actual worship of God (as opposed to paganism/state worship) is a “hater” while actual criminals like ELF and violent “rights” groups are given a free pass to harass and terrorize. People have a God given right to hold unpopular opinions, even bigoted and racist opinions. Attempting to legislate “correct” thinking has been an evil and immoral impossibility from the start. It is another Marxist lie, that a godless group of people know and can define “right” and “wrong” for the rest..and impose it at gunpoint.
Under these assumptions Jefferson, Patrick Henry, and the revolutionaries who fought the British would have been dangerous, hating extremists. Of course, in hindsight, we see that King George taxed us far less than our current “democratic” “representatives”.
As far as McVeigh and other terrorist acts we would do well to be skeptical of such incidences. All we know is what we are fed in the media. The state investigates itself and not surprisingly never finds itself at fault. Questions raised are dismissed as the “ravings” of “conspiracy nuts”.
The US economy is being deliberately destroyed to fuel unrest and usher in global rule; we have an Israeli in the White House as Chief of Staff. How sad that 40% of supposed Catholics voted for a Marxist executive and find nothing wrong with a direct pipeline from the White House to Israel, especially in view of the USS Liberty attack and past Israeli spying. Of course pointing this out is considered “anti-semitic” “hate”.
Anyone know whether Malta has a generous immigration policy?
“Comment by Rancher — 14 April 2009 @ 7:17 pm”
I’m highlighting this comment, as one of the few in this discussion that is grounded in substance.
I walk by the White House at least once a week. There are White House policemen (Secret Service Uniformed Division) out on Pennsylvania Avenue, if for no other reason than to watch the aging hippies from the “Catholic” Worker house protesting something or other, or the homeless people camped at the edge of Lafayette Park with their posters betraying more paranoia than I could ever read here. When they tell me on a certain day to cross the street, and not to walk on the White House side, I don’t ask why. Chances are they don’t know either; they’re doing what they’re told, and it’s probably just a precaution for something happening that day.
None of this implies a police state. The truth is, we live in times when people will commit violence. Such acts against our nation’s leaders often have the effect of hurting the innocent bystander. The guys in uniform who patrol Federal facilities in DC may appear excessive in their vigilance. The alternative has been to not be vigilant enough.
As to the report itself, I’ll defer to “Rancher.” He says what I wanted to say better than I could.
Notice how this report appears conveniently the day before the widespread “Tea Party” protests going on across the country. The Homeland Security report also names those who “oppose federal tax laws” and who favor “state’s rights” in the group of potential threats. This on the day before people gather to protest tax laws and rally in favor of state’s rights. If there is any violence at these gatherings today (whether instigated by leftist groups or not) it will be portrayed as evidence of “right-wing violence” and this report will be cited in support of this claim.
Interesting… when the previous administration was in power you heard a lot of the
same concerns and the use of the same rhetoric from the left. As I recall, those
concerns were denounced as paranoid and unpatriotic. Interesting how the pendelum
shifts with a change in power and a leader who, like our previous president, provokes
a visceral reaction from the opposition.
perhaps in the future some suvivor of the socialist death camps wil begin his poem with “first they came for the Christians and I did not speak up becasue I was not a Christian” …………..
They can profile us all they want. Abortion is wrong and evil. It is wrong what the government is doing and I will keep saying it.
Why is that? The Nazis were on the extreme left (NAZI just means National Socialist worker party). On the right were the nationalists. This is a common misperception that the left has painted, and most have accepted it without question.
I said this a year ago in several places. Don’t put your trust in the 1st amendment, the American and Soviet Constitutions were very similar. The effect was very different. A constitution is only as good as the will of the elites to follow them. Only a Catholic social order can preserve society, not a classical liberalism as found in Locke, Jefferson and Mises which has been condemned by the Church for this reason it devolves into the city of man no matter how lofty it sets its goals, because it is not built on Christian principles.
and local news outlet WRAL-TV reports this morning – \”Hundreds of protesters denouncing (Tom) Tancredo\’s tough stances against illegal immigration gathered at Bingham Hall on Tuesday evening, shouting profanities at the former Colorado congressman, who tried to speak about his opposition to in-state tuition for unauthorized immigrants.
\”Tancredo left after a protester broke a window and police shut down the event. He had been invited by a student group that opposes mass immigration and multiculturalism.\”
Those crazy pacifists! Kids!
EDG said “I’m just waiting for the Reichstag fire. This is all being leaked out into the country’s mental atmosphere to create an environment where some “incident” can plausibly be blamed on Obama’s opponents, and the mob can then be unleashed on them. I still haven’t decided exactly what group he is going to really focus on – since the Enemy of the People has to have defineable features and be easily identifiable – but I imagine we’ll find out soon enough.”
This reminds me of another recent thought on the current rash of violent shootings, on of them being mentioned as pertaining to this “report”.
I know not everyone will agree but some say that various methods of manipulation and nonverbal programming (mass hypnosis) were used during the election. (Neurolinguistic programming is real.) The degree of control it might excerise over persons can be debated. In fact, likely these techniques are still being used in the town hall meetings and generalized European “campaigning”. I think it has been apparent that the support by some appears to be a fanatical devotion that appears eerie and abnormal.
The question is then, could not some individuals either by being unstable prior to the manipulation of the programming or by intentionally being programmed/hypnotized to perform acts random (or SPECIFIC ACTS) of violence on certain cues to be used as examples to further control the peoples to support whatever agenda is being put into action.
I’m also thinking of the frightening mobs in the French Revolution. Modern programming wasn’t used and they were still a group used for a end. But then again, isn’t propaganda a form of mass manipulation?
Read the “Lord of the World” by Msgr Benson.
I also found it interesting that the report speaks of how it is hard to stop these extremists because of the use of internet and other communications technologies…
Call your senators, representatives, etc. on the federal, state, and local levels and tell them that you resent being lumped in with neo-nazis, klansmen, etc. This is report, as valid as some of the concerns may be is just a way to paint normal, loving, law-abiding people (like traditional Catholics or your pro-life evangelical or Orthodox Jewish neighbor) as insane.
Funny you should bring that up avecrux, recent legislation has been proposed to give the Executive branch full power over the internet in the case of an “emergency”, with the ability to shut the internet down entirely for the purpose of “national security.”
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2009/04/should-obama-control-internet
What could possibly go wrong by giving the government massive amounts of power? We can always trust the government to use the power in a benevolent way, so there is nothing to fear, right?
Just a short quote from the article I linked:
“[This bill] gives the president the ability to “declare a cybersecurity emergency” and shut down or limit Internet traffic in any “critical” information network “in the interest of national security.” The bill does not define a critical information network or a cybersecurity emergency. That definition would be left to the president.
The bill does not only add to the power of the president. It also grants the Secretary of Commerce “access to all relevant data concerning [critical] networks without regard to any provision of law, regulation, rule, or policy restricting such access.” This means he or she can monitor or access any data on private or public networks without regard to privacy laws.”
Never did like that 4th abomination to the Constitution anyways, preventing the government from unreasonable searches and seizures. Why would a person object, unless they have something to hide? Why, how convenient… they must be an extremist…
Although I think there’s some over-the-top polemic on here, the report is a disturbing and cheap piece of political propaganda. There is a definite agenda behind it. I also noticed a comment on the Patriot Act here, and it seem to be implied that it wasn’t such a big deal after all. The Patriot Act and legislation like it set the basis for what is happening now. In fact, the Democrats renewed it recently before Bush left office. It wasn’t because they wanted to support the War on Terror. It was because they saw they could use it to their own ends when Obama was elected.
I do find myself worrying a great deal about the path this country is on. That being said, I’m returning to Europe in September and I don’t plan on coming back for awhile. :)
Obama has only just BEGUN.
Elections have consequences and we are now seeing the reality of the Obama regime separated from the its oratory. Morality and traditional values are under attack!
Yikes…what has this country come to?
I’m going to a ‘Tax Day Tea Party’ this afternoon…I’m just a nobody…I’m not an extremist!
May God and Our Lady Immaculate help us!
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle….
“The world has hated me,” says Our Lord, “and so too will it hate you.” We’re strangers in this world where we follow Our Lord to the cross, the crosses He has designed for us. While we have to work for the conversion of the world, are we really surprised when the world hates us, attacks us and wants to put us to death? We follow our crucified Lord.
We should be more surprised, it seems to me, when we’re accepted and spoken well of … if not surprised, then worried. Our life is the Cross.
Pax Christi tecum.
I think I will stop reading Michael O’Brien novels, Now I will just read the newspapre – and get the same feeling.
I have never considered myself a paranoiac, but I find myself deeply disturbed by this campaign to stir up suspicion regarding those who disagree with the administration. Someone else mentioned it above, but the MO Highway Patrol issued a similar communique last month. There was a big public outcry and some token backpeddling (thoough our new governor is determined to destroy the pro-life movement).
After reading this piece and the comments above, I am also reminded of a candid interview given early in the week by Archbishop Dolan in which H.E. spoke in no uncertain terms about the evil of abortion and the impossible prospects for same sex “marriage”. Would H.E.’s words be labeled hatespeech? Though Dolan was never known to be as outspoken as, say, the last ordinary he served under, I think today’s installation at St. Patrick’s may be setting up for public confrontation b/w the Church and the Obama-nation (pun intended), a confrontation the President seems hell-bent on having, to what purpose? Reference the communique in question! Scary stuff! St. Michael Defend us with haste.
Here’s the DHS leftwing extremist assessment:
http://www.foxnews.com/project/pdf/Leftwing_Extremist_Threat.pdf
In it they target animal lovers and computer users. I’m just waiting for that knock on the door now.
I find this article alarming, but I have not seen the actual report. News articles about documents, even from a source one trusts, often oversimplify them. Does the actual DOCUMENT (not the summary) say that people who hold many opinions I hold are “right-wing extremists”? Or does it simply talk about right-wing extremists (let’s admit there are right-wing extremists just as there are left-wing extremists) and that they are likely to hold some identifiable conservative views and belong to some identifiable conservative and political groups? Has anyone actually read he report to see what it says?
Nevertheless, I’m heading down to a “Tea Party” in an hour or so, because I do believe in less federal government, and I think that current societal efforts to silence dissent are frightening. We all need to stand up for what we believe in, to have our voice heard in the public square, and to not sit silent while others do the work — just hoping it gets done.
Upon further thought, we’ve done this to ourselves.
God’s Divine Justice has to be served and if it has to happen because the majority of God’s own family (Catholicism) in the United States has voted people into office and thereby allowed these things to happen.
“Good people will be martyred and the Holy Father will have much to suffer.” –Our Lady of Fatima.
When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, know that these things must happen before the end. These are Jesus’ own words.
I’m not a fatalist. I’m a realist. Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand! That should be the message we preach now. Catholics need to get on their hands and knees and beg God’s forgiveness for their sin. It’s that simple. Those priests in California and South Carolina were correct and let the government arrest me for saying it.
For those repeating the meme that because anti-abortion violence has occurred in the past, this DHS document is right to warn against near-future recurrences of it, I will point out the following. When was the last major incident of anti-abortion violence – 12-13 years ago? How many millions are involved in the anti-abortion/pro-life movement, and yet there hasn’t been a serious violent act in over a decade? How many people have been killed, ever, in anti-abortion violence? In this country, the number can be counted on ones hands. In comparison, how frequent, and how deadly, have Islamist terrorist attacks, been? They happen regularly, even in the US, and there have been many since 9/11. Concommitantly, how frequent are left-wing violent attacks? I can tell you that animal-rights violence, enviro-terrorism, and anti-globalisation violence occurs in this country on an almost weekly basis. Given that, DHS, through this report, appears to be dramatically exagerrating, if not making up out of whole cloth, a perceived threat from the right, and ignoring proven threats from other areas.
From my estimation, with its frequent references to the coronat-, er, I mean, election, of the current president, and to its broad-brush painting of virtually all on the right as being possible extremists, this “report” is nothing more than a smear from a ridiculously politicized agency and is little more than a leftist paranoid fantasy. The timing of its release, just prior to the tax day tea parties, seems to be attempting to “prime the pump” in local LEOs to be overly sensitive to, if not outright biased against, expressions of conservative political thought. In short, it appears to fit into a much-broader based effort to paint all critics of the current administration as dangerous, deluded extremists. As others have pointed out, such tactics have no place in a representative democracy, and form another link in a chillling chain of actions that seem focused on suppressing political dissent and destroying any opposition.
This way lies tyranny.
For whatever reason while reading this thread and the one on Kimiec and ND the topic of
Tiananmen Square keeps coming to mind. I have little understanding of it, but recall it.
Just started looking into catholic insights into what occured. There may be no connection at all. I might be about something else but for what it is worth…
I just found:
China braces for Tiananmen Square massacre anniversary – Apr 12, 2009
The protests began with about 700 students gathering in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square on April 17. The next day, down the street from the square and in front …
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25326971-12335,00.html
http://www.christusrex.org/www1/sdc/tiananmen.html
So, which of these looks better now: Australia, Argentina, Chile? Where can a good Catholic go and raise his family?
This is a truly frightening article. Obama has appointed like minded people all across our system, including Homeland Security. I opposed the department when George W. Bush was President, and I oppose it now. Our civil liberties are eroding before our eyes. However, we get what we deserve. Bush did this, and many if not most of us acquiesced to his desire to begin the process of doing away with American freedom in the name of our security. It never occurred to them that a president who was ideologically conservative would not always be president. The wisdom of our founders is clear. The idiocy of today is clear as well.
That said, I think we need to not be alarmist. Let us assume in charity that the director of homeland security is talking about those nut-jobs who believe violence is a solution to our problems. These nutsos exist, and we who are truly pro-life have a duty to correct them if we ever run across them and condemn any act of violence.
I am a law abiding citizen and always will be.
That said, and with a caution against alarmism, I ask a question: does the fact that I attend the March for Life and speak out about the dangers of abortion put me on some government watch list? If so, this is repugnant. The solution of course is never extremism or violence, rather prayer and peaceful protest. Martin Luther King provides a good example for Catholics in the coming years.
We need to pray for the President, pray for our elected officials. We should seek to undo Bush era (and now Obama era) attacks on our Civil Liberties. We should have voted for Ron Paul.
4 years from now we have to show up at the polls and vote. We need our Bishops to WAKE UP and NEVER AGAIN publish a weird mishmash document like that awful voters document this past year. Catholics who support Obama’s agenda on moral issues need to be excommunicated. Saying so simply means that we acknowledge how serious the problem is. It doesn’t make us weird or extreme.
And (this point cannot be overstated) our priests and Bishops need to stop whining like babies and grow up already. This point is not tangential, it is directly related. It is because of the actions of priests and Bishops that we are in this mess. We have lost almost all moral authority in this country.
Consider Bishop Caput’s childish rant that he gets mean e-mails from conservative Catholics. Consider the fact that these people seem to believe (by their published words) that they are above criticism. That clericalist culture which seems to scream: “WE ARE CLERGY… YOU SHUT UP!!!!” has lead to some of the greatest abuses in the history of the Church, and has contributed to the Church losing a generation of followers. People flee the Church because they don’t like what they see, and a wide spread clericalist culture tainted with an unhealthy dose of narcissism is a big part of the problem.
If I took the attitude at work that far too many Bishops and priests take with laity I would be fired. That is a fact. It screams in the face of every layman who is hard working and then goes to Church to hear an effete lecture on why a man should be ashamed of himself for being a man.
Bishop D’Arcy has likewise spoken out and asked Catholics not to demonstrate at Notre Dame. What?! I will not be at Notre Dame, I live to far away. But a huge turnout of Catholics peaceably marching and singing songs and reciting the Rosary so loud that Obama’s speech could not be heard would only be a good thing. Not a bad thing. Do these people even know the first thing about how to organize for Civil Rights? We have an example! The black Church of the 1960s!!! It was remarkably successful! Use that model for goodness sake! Get out there and MARCH. Be MEN and LEAD.
The Bishop is apparently afraid that he will be embarrassed by the conduct of pro-life Catholics. This is what the leadership thinks of its most faithful followers!? I have been on the March for Life in D.C. 4 times, and never once have seen cause for embarrassment. The VAST MAJORITY of pro-lifers are peaceable, mainstream, and reasonable.
I really don’t understand what is going on. As a man I fear that our Church Clergy is peopled with those who have a problem with manhood. Our own clergy seems to hate us. It really seems that way to me. We reap what we sow. Pray and demonstrate (peacefully. NONVIOLENCE IS THE KEY… be Catholic and Christian!) and vote. Our shepherds seem not up to the task. We need to be.
What the heck is an “extremist” if not someone who is logically consistent?
LCB – thanks for the link.
Very interesting, indeed…
If I have to be a martyr, then so be it. I fear most for my little ones, however. I would hate to be separated from them.
We recently applied for and received our passports–7 of them (not cheap). I am not uninclined to leave the country.
Does anyone have any info. on Nicaragua? I thought that it might be a good country because they keep voting and they keep defending life by defeating the abortion bill that keeps coming through their legislature. Also, Noriega and his ilk are long gone, I think. Any info.?
Suzanne, there’s a website called transitionsabroad that might have info. for you.
Janet said: “Nero set fire to Rome and blamed it on the Christians as an excuse to persecute them. I’m going to be VERY suspicious of any future “anti-abortion” violence.”
That’s a good point, and I am in agreement. As others have commented, anti-abortion violence has not happened in years. If the government does want to stir up hatred against Catholics (we being the most consistent, visible pro-life advocates), they won’t have a terribly difficult time of it. Have somebody terrorize some pro-aborts, tell the media the Catholics did it, and that will be that.
I keep hoping that the Notre Shame Debacle will finally open people’s eyes and forge greater faithfulness and solidarity among Catholic Americans. But at the same time, wouldn’t that make us a bigger, badder threat?
Sometimes the only thing that saves me from abject fear is knowing that the Church always thrives on the blood of martyrs.
I’m of the notion that we should have a mass gathering at Notre Shame, in **sackcloth and ashes** with a cantor (amped) chanting from Lamentations and Jeremiah, and a Schola to chant the Reproaches **in pennance for the sins of our nation.**
Jack, that’s exactly the poem that for days has been going through my head; I just mentioned it to my husband this morning! It ends with “…and then they came for me.” Prayer is the only answer.
I’m just now reading “Come Rack! Come Rope!” by Robert Benson which I picked up on clearance sale from TAN Books, also available (at full price for the same edition) from Baronius Press. It’s a historical novel based on true events and actual people – Catholics living in Elizabethan England under active persecution during the Reformation. Wow – eye opening.
There is an internal argument among Catholics in the plot – whether to consider the persecutions as war and fight back, including plots to assassinate the Queen, or whether to passively resist (going underground with the faith), but not to fight, as such. It’s a fascinating read, and rare to read a novel which portrays the faith so well, or tells this side of the story.
Dear Justin B to answer your question yes it could have been avoided but not my the methods you suggest.
It could have been avoided if useful idiots did not vote for Obama and deceive Catholics with the error that somehow been poor is just as bad as having your head ripped off and your brains sucked out while your in your mothers womb.
Abortion has zero to do with politics, in fact its not even a catholic issue it is a basic human rights issue, in fact the most basic of human rights issues, the right to life.
And anyone who thinks that this is just about abortion is extremely naive, its not just about abortion, it is about the big picture, it is about intimidating the Church into silence and forcing her out of the public sphere.
“The only thing that would ensure it, is that if WE let it happen.”
What I have been saying all along. We will inherit the ecclesial situation that we create. We can have a huge effect if we take action, be seen, be heard, pray publicly. It’s the only rational tactic.
“…the Enemy of the People has to have defineable features and be easily identifiable…”
The reality is that the Enemy of the People is the one who persecutes them, and it is usually a large part of themselves, the Government, which is made up of and backed by the People. So if the enemy of the People is really the People, how do we deal with this ironic truism? By making sure that that portion of the People who have lost their concience must look us in the eyes as they either work us woe or allow others to do so. The man who saw his reflection in the mirror then walked away and presently forgot what manner of man he was (letter of James) must have the mirror held back up to him, so that he can see himself again.
“Pray and demonstrate (peacefully. NONVIOLENCE IS THE KEY… be Catholic and Christian!)…”
These are precisely the tools with which to hold up that mirror. Non-Violent resistance to persecution. Loud, certainly, and prayerful, but Non-Violent.
“I’m just waiting for the Reichstag fire. This is all being leaked out into the country’s mental atmosphere to create an environment where some “incident” can plausibly be blamed on Obama’s opponents, and the mob can then be unleashed on them.”
And Non-Violence will be what gives the lie to this tactic. Take to the streets in procession with the Blessed Sacrament in the lead. It’s the only weapon that will work.
Thanks to all of you for helping me to think.
This is scary stuff. Being so weak, the words “Be like Jesus”…and His martyred Saints…come to mind. Besides praying, receiving the Sacraments for strength, and to store up grace, if that can be done, practicing rigorously the virtues of poverty, chastity, and obedience, according to state in life, as well as trying to continue the mortification of Lent, may make me less chicken. The discipline, hopefully, could mean more of the virtue of courage necessary for my soul to die for the faith.
Lacking courage, at this point, means needing to deepen (quickly) my relationship to God and His Church before ever being a martyr!
Suzanne,
Noreiga was in Panama, not Nicaragua. In Nicaragua, the hard core leftists are close to taking the country into the socialist paradise, last I looked.
I don’t know their laws on abortion; however, the rest of their politics rules out that country for many of us.
Fancy that: abortion opponents are supposed to be the enemy. There is no doubt about a battle between God and the devil.