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At least spell my name right By Michael C. Guilmette Jr. Originally published on April 16, 2009, in the Connersville News-Examiner. Each year around April 15, the media is replete with stories about taxes — people paying taxes, tax preparers preparing tax returns, tax officials reviewing returns, how much time the average citizen devotes to meeting their filing obligation and even what government services tax revenue allegedly funds.
One story that is new this year is that of the Tea parties, a grassroots movement that sprang up in the wake of the federal bailouts and the abortive stimulus plan, culminating in rallies across the nation on tax day aimed at protesting against higher taxes and wasteful spending. I attended one of these rallies in Connersville, taking photos for my newspaper and speaking with those who came out. The whole affair was, as expected, peaceful and to the point, without a single ACORN infiltrator — at least, none who would admit to it. I spoke to one attendee who said she came to the rally after paying her taxes, adding that she doesn’t mind paying taxes as long as the money is used wisely. I have found this to be a common attitude, and although I would rather see the bulk of tax revenues be collected and spent locally without being laundered through the state capitol or Washington, I would have to say I agree with the sentiment. However, I wonder if anyone would think the following is wise spending: Last week, on April 7, the Department of Homeland Security under Secretary Janet Napolitano released a report titled “Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment.” The report, as the title suggests, is an assessment without attribution of the alleged increase in recruitment among white supremacist and anti-government groups. The purpose, as the report states, is “to facilitate a greater understanding of the phenomenon of violent radicalization in the United States” and is provided to law enforcement “so they may effectively deter, prevent, preempt, or respond to terrorist attacks …” What troubles me most is the definition of “rightwing extremism” in the report: “Rightwing extremism in the United States can be broadly divided into those groups, movements, and adherents that are primarily hate-oriented (based on hatred of particular religions, 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.” Talk about a broad brush. I will freely admit I fall into the category that favors state and local authority because, 1. I have a better chance of contacting as well as knowing a local government representative, and 2. the 10th amendment to the U.S. Constitution dictates that the federal government has no powers other than those specifically provided in the constitution — an addendum that has long been overlooked, to the detriment of the states. Nonetheless, I do not harbor violent intent against the government, having given an oath to support and defend the constitution, but the report suggests law enforcement should now look at me and my actions warily. The report says DHS has “no specific information” of pending domestic terrorist attacks — or “man-caused disasters,” as Napolitano now calls them — but claims recruitment is on the rise because President Obama happens to be black and because the economy is currently sluggish, also claiming military veterans are ripe for recruitment. The report accomplishes this without citing any sources and making only brief mention of Timothy McVeigh’s April 19, 1995, bombing in Oklahoma City and other unnamed instances. In contrast, the state of Missouri released a report on Feb. 20 titled “The Modern Militia Movement” that provides more specifics, namely claiming “Rambo” movies and Tom Clancy novels have fed into the movement and Ron Paul bumper stickers are calling cards for would-be federal building bombers. Apparently, profiling is racist when applied to inner-city gangsters but OK when applied to rural counterparts. The Missouri report lists about a dozen militia-related incidents nationwide in the last 15 years and details some of the fringe conspiracy theories attributed to these groups. However, the cases cited do not point to a cohesive movement, rather a loose collection of hate-filled lunatics. Absent from either report — not to mention the DHS Web site — are any references to left-wing extremist groups, which is funny because historically, left-wing organizations have been responsible for toppling more governments and murdering more people in the 20th century than any right-wing group could have ever hoped to equal. Attacks by left-wing groups are numerous. The Southern Poverty Law Center in 2002 detailed 95 incidents of threats, arson, sabotage, vandalism and firebombings carried out from 1984 to 2002 by the Animal Liberation Front, the Earth Liberation Front and related groups, such as the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Add in the left-wing anti-globalization and anti-corporate movements that were on display during the World Trade Organization’s November 1999 meeting in Seattle and we see that left-wing groups are just as angry and just as fringe as right-wing groups are accused of being in the reports. It would appear, though, that left-wing groups are under the Obama administration’s radar, and a person with Ron Paul bumper sticker constitutes a clear and present danger to the government, deserving to be watched. So, Miss Janet, if you’re going to put my name on some watchlist, be sure to spell it right. It has two ‘T’s and two ‘E’s. • Guilmette is managing editor of the News-Examiner. He may be contacted at mguilmette@newsexaminer.com. |
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Copyright © 2009, Michael C. Guilmette Jr. |
The stories inevitably include frustrated taxpayers who waited until the last minute to file their returns and have to wait in line at a post office that stayed open after business hours to accommodate those who are cutting it close. Other stories focus on people who have resigned themselves to the thought that the government is always going to get its tribute.
