The US Homeland Security Department, under fire for saying US forces returning from the Iraq and Afghan wars were potential right-wing extremist recruits, said Wednesday it honors US veterans.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano sought to douse anger among conservatives and veterans groups like the American Legion over a report from her department warning of a rising threat of right-wing extremism. “We are on the lookout for criminal and terrorist activity but we do not — nor will we ever — monitor ideology or political beliefs,” Napolitano said in a statement amid charges that the department had done just that.
American Legion chief David Rehbein on Tuesday blasted the report as “incomplete, and, I fear, politically-biased” and took special aim at its warning that returning veterans having difficulties reintegrating society could be recruited by right-wing groups for possible terrorist attacks. In a letter to Napolitano, Rehbein underlined the document’s mention of Oklahoma City bombing author Timothy McVeigh’s US Army background and called it “as unfair as using Osama bin Laden as the sole example of Islam.”
The report said that fears of possible new restrictions on firearms, as well as troubled veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, “could lead to the potential emergence of terrorist groups or lone wolf extremists capable of carrying out violent attacks.” Rehbein said the accusation, leveled in an April 7 document designed for local law enforcement officials, was “without any statistical evidence.”
It’s humorous when a government is afraid of the same people they train to kill. Who was it that said people shouldn’t fear their government, but the government should fear the people?
#30 ROFL! You mean people who don’t pay taxes think the system is fair? What a shocker!
#30 ince an estimated 43% aren’t paying any income tax, I would say your opinion poll isn’t telling us anything we shouldn’t already expect.
Do you have a point to make? Yes, we have a progressive tax system. Those who make more money pay a higher tax rate. And there will always be some cheap people who would love to get what the Federal Govt gives them for free.
So yes, nothing new here. Most people are happy with our tax system. Which puts the teabaggers (can’t write that without snickering) out of the mainstream. Which is where the whole Republican party is nowadays. 🙂
Yes, we have a progressive tax system and the point was that if 43% aren’t paying any taxes at all what the hell would you expect them to say on the pole.
Why no sir, I don’t pay anything at all and I think that isn’t right.
Sure, some people will take something for free and run with it but 43%???? Give me a break, tax break that is.
#30, ha ha, that is very good point. In fact I am surprised that 43% don’t still think the income tax is too high.
I love ideological wars… it is all so simulating.
#30 From your article, Sea Lawyer…
The Tax Policy Center estimates that for 2009, 43% of tax units (most of which are lower income households that may or may not file a return) will have no income tax liability or will have a negative income tax liability, meaning the government will actually pay them.
When measuring the tax burdens from income tax and payroll tax combined, the Tax Policy Center estimates nearly 12% of tax units will have zero or negative liability.
12% pay no taxes, not 43%.
But anyway, this thread is supposed to be about DHS and vets… you want to talk taxes, I’ll do it, but probably should be on another thread.
# 36 Phydeau said
When measuring the tax burdens from income tax and payroll tax combined, the Tax Policy Center estimates nearly 12% of tax units will have zero or negative liability.
12% pay no taxes, not 43%.
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I read that as well but I figured saying they had a negative tax rate was just too unbelievable to post.
#36, Since the poll link you posted is specifically referring to people’s perceived fairness of the income tax, you know, that think we send Form 1040s off to the federal government for, and not the taxes collected through the sale of goods, or those collected to fund the SSI and Medicare programs, it’s only proper to list statistics about who is paying the income tax, and 43% aren’t as reported in that CNN piece. I’m sorry if small details like that are too hard for you.
Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols were both veterans.