The New Terrorist Threat
The Left’s vilification of conservatives is nothing new, but the shrinking threshold of acceptable protest will soon brand any political dissent as a national security issue
We are living in an America so far removed from the promises of unity and healing that neighbors are encouraged to rat on each other over COVID violations, and Old Glory is twisted into a racist calling card. Benedict Arnold is gazing incredulously at the traitors to America as they dare act, speak, and think contrary to the edicts and groupthink of the progressive left. The vilification of conservatives by the left is not new. The left’s favorite pastime is tying anyone to their political right to nefarious extremist groups and imagining the real causes of their actions as rooted in bigotry and hate. But now the accusations have reached a new level as average Americans who dare exercise their First Amendment rights or question the authority of the bureaucracy are cast under a wider net as domestic terrorists and national security threats.
Media Snitches
On Monday, NBC national security correspondent Ken Delanian published a piece for NBC News about South Carolina gun shop Palmetto State Armory, marketing a “LETSGO-15 Stripped Lower Receiver.” The part is unique in that it is emblazoned with the slogan, “LETSGO-15 MULTI BRANDON” under an image of President Joe Biden and a checkered flag. The gun part is described as being meant for an “AR-15-style assault rifle”, then goes on to detail the mass shootings in which AR-15 rifles were employed, followed by a list of Republican public officials who have used the phrase “Let’s Go Brandon” as a euphemism for F--- Joe Biden. The offended journalist noted he called the United States Secret Service, insinuating this was a very real, legitimate threat to the life of the President.
Government is Targeting Parents Who Want Accountability
More parents are becoming aware of the woke indoctrination, early-onset sexualization, and transgender ideology permeating public schools and are making their voices heard at school board meetings. But the media and public officials have inflated the actions of a few unruly meetings to be representative of concerned parents across the country who are simply exercising their First Amendment rights. But asking questions and demanding accountability is a bridge too far for petty tyrants in local government who have spent the past 18 months locking kids out of schools and mandating anti-science mask wearing for elementary schoolers.
When Scott Smith was arrested and branded a domestic terrorist at a volatile Loudoun County school board meeting earlier this year, the National School Board Association drafted a letter requesting the Department of Justice provide federal law enforcement to respond to an increase in violence against school officials across the country. The letter read (emphasis added), "As these acts of malice, violence, and threats against public school officials have increased, the classification of these heinous actions could be the equivalent to a form of domestic terrorism and hate crimes". Attorney General Merrick Garland later pledged to have the Department of Justice and the FBI investigate harassment of school board members.
The intent was this: there will be consequences if public officials’ authority dared be questioned. These tactics are meant to intimidate and silence parents who want to stand up for their children’s education and well-being.
We Have Been Here Before
For the left, the goal has always been total capitulation and unquestioned compliance. For them, acquiescence is the highest form of patriotism. Back when the Obama Administration’s disastrous healthcare initiative in 2009 was met with strong resistance from Republicans and the public, the White House took immediate action employing tactics that would have made the Soviet politburo jealous. Macon Phillps, the White House director of new media published a blog post, stating that any opposition to the healthcare bill were rumors that, “often travel just below the surface via chain e-mails or through casual conversations. Since we can't keep track of all of them here at the White House, we're asking for your help. If you get an e-mail or see something on the Web about anti-war protests that seem fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov."
And who could forget the Tea Party movement and associated conservative groups deliberately targeted by the IRS under Lois Lerner, director of the Exempt Organizations Unit of the Internal Revenue Service?
Witnessing anything critical of the President should be reported immediately, Comrade!
A New Level of Crackdown
The Biden Administration and the current corporate media leftists have ushered in a new era of fear. After the January 6th riot, the National Guard was called up to secure a Capitol newly surrounded by cement barriers, steel fencing, and razor wire. Politicians and law enforcement repeated unspecified claims of imminent threat to perpetuate a looming danger to our democracy, though one never materialized. The riot gear was rolled out again in Washington, meant to intimidate the J-6 Rallygoers and signal a move closer to a police state than one of the seat of our Republic. Inflating internal threats as an excuse to showcase government power is a sign of weak leadership. Our overseers in Washington D.C., politicians rotting our military, and local bureaucrats who believe words are actual violence are not confident in their ability to lead, so they use strongarm tactics to silence dissent.
On February 3rd, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin issued a “stand down” for 60-days, ordering all military leaders to talk with their troops to weed out extremism within the ranks. Pentagon press secretary John F. Kirby admitted the problem in defining extremism, leaving a lingering thought in the minds of Americans that the military is a hotbed of white supremacists. This inevitably drives a wedge between the last trusted federal institution and the American people.
The COVID vaccine has added a new hysteria to the government’s war on domestic terrorism. In her op-ed in the Atlantic, Julie Kayyem urged a no-fly list for unvaccinated adults be implemented by the federal government. The former Assistant Secretary for Homeland Security for the Obama Administration wrote in an op-ed for The Atlantic this week arguing that existing TSA regulations already set the precedent that rules can be enforced to determine who flies.
When you go to the airport, you see two kinds of security rules. Some apply equally to everyone; no one can carry weapons through the TSA checkpoint…But other protocols divide passengers into categories according to how much of a threat the government thinks they pose. If you submit to heightened scrutiny in advance, TSA PreCheck lets you go through security without taking off your shoes; a no-fly list keeps certain people off the plane entirely. Not everyone poses an equal threat. Rifling through the bags of every business traveler and patting down every preschooler and octogenarian would waste the TSA’s time and needlessly burden many passengers.
The unvaccinated went from being considered the unwashed rubes to being in the same league as Shoe Bomber Richard Reid – an imminent threat to the security of our country. The Administration took up the cause when President Biden called for vaccine mandates for all U.S. employers with more than 100 employees. From his White House speech (emphasis added), “My message to unvaccinated Americans is this: what more is there to wait for? What more do you need to see? We have made vaccinations free, safe, & convenient. The vaccine is FDA approved. Over 200 million Americans have gotten at least one shot. We have been patient, but our patience is wearing thin, and the refusal has cost all of us…To the vaccinated, I understand your anger towards the unvaccinated.”
It is a stunning admission of contempt towards a significant number of Americans who, for various reasons, have not complied with the edicts of the administration and the scolding and shaming from media. “If you break the rules, be prepared to pay," Biden said. "Show some respect.”
We are well past the point of debates about civil liberties, free speech, and the boundaries of dissent. As more people awaken to the Administration’s floundering policies and push back on woke ideology and nonsensical COVID protocols and mandates, the tighter the screws will turn on anyone daring to voice opposition. How long until “NASCAR Fan”, “Hunting License”, and “Parent” show up in the FBI terrorist watchlist metric?
It is no longer feasible to disagree: the Left will accept nothing less than total capitulation to their demands. Swear your allegiance or be declared Enemy of the State. No debate, no discussion, no compromise. Understand, Comrade?