BELLEVUE, WA – A volatile “assessment†of so-called “Rightwing Extremism†by the Obama administration’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is an insult to political conservatives, military veterans and American gun owners, and demands an immediate apology, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said today.
“We recognize that many conservative gun owners will feel threatened by this Obama administration report,†said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. “It appears that DHS under Janet Napolitano is trying to demonize political dissent.â€
The chilling nine-page document likens citizens opposed to new firearms restrictions, returning veterans and conservatives to “rightwing extremists†and associates them with white supremacists and violent antigovernment groups.
“Every action has an equal and opposite reaction,†he continued. “We feel the appropriate reaction is through the ballot box and jury box. Conservative American citizens shouldn’t be pushed into any acts that could be exploited by the administration to further its agenda. If there are any acts of violence that occur because of the Obama Administration policy of chilling dissent, they bear the blame as much as the perpetrators.
“Anyone in the administration trying to use this technique should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law,†Gottlieb stated. “This administration needs to be reminded that its words and actions have consequences, and irresponsible statements, reports and actions fuel fires that are counterproductive to democracy in America.
“The authors of this assessment are pushing an ‘Us-against-Them’ philosophy,†he said. “They, along with Secretary Napolitano, owe every conservative American, every veteran and every gun owner who supports limited government an apology.
“It’s ironic,†Gottlieb concluded, “that President Obama’s friend, William Ayers, is a leftwing terrorist bomber, but nothing in this report suggests monitoring his activities.â€