WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Just one month ago, the Missouri Information Analysis Center (MIAC) was criticized for a report that cited supporters of third-party presidential candidates like Texas Rep. Ron Paul, Chuck Baldwin and former Georgia Rep. Bob Barr as potential domestic terrorists. Now, the Department of Homeland Security is defending itself against criticism of a new report that names the South as a “Rightwing extremist group.”
According to the report, all of the states from Texas to the east and Virginia to the south (excluding Florida) fit the profile of an extremist organization.
Some of the hallmarks of extremism mentioned in the report are “antagonism toward an African American president and his perceived stance on a range of issues.” A pattern of southern racism can be clearly seen in the 2008 electoral map, which shows a band of southern states that voted against Barack Obama.
The report also contends that “Rightwing extremism includes groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion.” A recent Gallup poll showed that 52 % of people in the South hold anti-abortion views, compared to 44 % nationally.
The high concentration of military service members in the South is also cited as a major risk factor for extremism. As stated in the DHS report, “The willingness of military personnel to join extremist groups during the 1990s because they were disgruntled, disillusioned, or suffering from the psychological effects of war is being replicated today.”
Homeland Security spokeswoman Amy Kudwa said “We are especially troubled that the South has been growing in numbers,” citing census data that the region has added 1.4 million people in the last year alone. “It is definitely a sign that the south is recruiting.”
As a precaution, all southerners or people who appear to be southerners have been added to the TSA's No- Fly list. “Unfortunately this will cause some inconvenience and delays at airports in the southeast,” a TSA spokesperson at Hartsfield-Jackson airport said on Wednesday. Hartsfield-Jackson is the nation's busiest airport.
In a follow up press release, Janet Napolitano stated that Homeland Security is closely monitoring other red states throughout the U.S. “They have not reached the critical mass of the southeast, but they are still a concern.”
Here are links to some relevant documents:
http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/pr_1239817562001.shtm
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