Love Animals? Love Nature? Love Peace? Love Equality?
Well you just may qualify for the Alabama Terror Watch List... So all of you advocates and activists out there, beware!
And people wonder why I prefer driving to flying when I visit my home in Montgomery!
Disclaimer: I love my hometown and home state, so please read this post with the spirit in which this was written... it's all out of love!
The Alabama Homeland Security finally removed the watch list labels from their website, receiving a long overdue reality check from advocates (from the left AND right).
But when will the Federal DOHS get theirs? A few years back, Homeland Security listed the Animal Liberation Front and Earth Liberation Front as the biggest domestic threats. Somehow, the list conveniently left off radical right wing groups, who have been responsible for the most of the high profile domestic acts of terror, such as the Atlanta Olympic bombing, the Oklahoma City federal bombing, and the rarely mentioned or oft forgotten Anthrax attacks that followed 9/11.
In Alabama alone, several radical right wing groups such as the Neo-Nazi National Alliance have been mobilizing in Alabama since 2004. Even though their activities are closely monitored by the ATF, ABI, and watchdog groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center--they were conspicuously absent in the listing of terror groups under Alabama's Homeland Security.
With the exception of "anti-abortion" (rather, "anti-choice") groups like the so-called "Army of God" claimed responsibility for the bombing murders at a Birmingham abortion clinic. In fact, Eric Rudolph, same guy responsible for the Olympic bombing and recently taunted his victims of the abortion clinic bombing. However, the other groups listed have no record or history of murder, and in fact, most were non-violent in their advocacy and activism!
Unfortunately, Homeland Security has been utilized as the 21st Century version of Federal Sedition Acts. While I am strongly encouraged that a growing number of Americans are coming around to stronger sensibilities, we came dangerously close to acquiescing our freedoms not in the name of security, but rather in the name of fear.
For more, check out the article:
Alabama Ends Terror Watch List