OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA

The President

The White House
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President,

This is to urge you to retract the Department of Homeland Security report, “Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment,” and to issue an apology to the millions of loyal Americans it has offended and frightened. We find it unthinkable that our political views could subject us to accusations of being terrorists.

The report itself is an insult to political conservatives, military veterans, American gun owners, and many others by suggesting that acts of violence could come from unnamed "rightwing extremists" concerned about:

abortion,
increasing federal power
restrictions on firearms
and it singles out returning war veterans as susceptible to recruitment.

Mr. President, I call your attention to the Department of Homeland Security’s January 2009 report on leftwing threats, which identifies actual terrorist organizations, like the Earth Liberation Front and Animal Liberation Front, which are accused and convicted of recent crimes including firebombing construction sites, logging companies, car dealerships and food science labs.

Conversely, the rightwing report uses broad generalizations about unnamed veterans, pro-life groups, any who lost their jobs, federalists and supporters of gun rights. It even states in one place that there is no specific information that domestic rightwing terrorists are planning acts of violence, but does ominously suggest that acts of violence could come from "rightwing extremists." The report creates a public cloud of fear and doubt about any who hold rightwing opinions whereas the leftwing report did not.



Mr. President, I found “Rightwing Extremists” to be not only a chilling 9-page collection of vague accusations that innocent citizens might be associated with white supremacists and violent antigovernment groups, but also a horrifying declaration that your administration may be trying to demonize political dissent. I implore you to dispel that perception in the strongest terms.


I am urging those who respect my years of leadership at the Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise not to be pushed into any acts that could be exploited by overzealous government officials. But I sincerely hope that you can understand that the DHS “Rightwing Extremists” report is not just an intelligence briefing, but is also an alarming suggestion that your administration expects violence from conservatives.

Can you see how much that sounds like a self-fulfilling prophecy? If any acts of violence were to be provoked by such expectations, would the responsibility not be yours as much as the perpetrators?

You are the President of all the people. Please, Mr. President, do not allow that report to go without rebuke.

Sincerely,

 

Ron Arnold
Executive Vice President
Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise
Bellevue, Washington

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