Interesting piece by Ron Paul.

This was emailed to me.

December 7, 2007

'Homegrown Terror' Act an Attack on Internet Freedom?

by Rep. Ron Paul From: Juidth Sharpe
Before the US House of Representatives, December 5, 2007

I regret that I was unavoidably out of town on October 23, 2007,
when a vote was taken on HR 1955, the Violent Radicalization &
Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act. Had I been able to vote, I would
have voted against this misguided and dangerous piece of
legislation. This legislation focuses the weight of the US
government inward toward its own citizens under the guise of
protecting us against "violent radicalization."

I would like to note that this legislation was brought to the floor
for a vote under suspension of regular order. These so-called
"suspension" bills are meant to be non-controversial, thereby
negating the need for the more complete and open debate allowed
under regular order. It is difficult for me to believe that none of
my colleagues in Congress view HR 1955, with its troubling civil
liberties implications, as "non-controversial."

There are many causes for concern in HR 1955. The legislation
specifically singles out the Internet for "facilitating violent
radicalization, ideologically based violence, and the homegrown
terrorism process" in the United States. Such language may well be
the first step toward US government regulation of what we are
allowed to access on the Internet. Are we, for our own good, to be
subjected to the kind of governmental control of the Internet that
we see in unfree societies? This bill certainly sets us on that
course.

This seems to be an unwise and dangerous solution in search of a
real problem. Previous acts of ideologically-motivated violence,
though rare, have been resolved successfully using law enforcement
techniques, existing laws against violence, and our court system.
Even if there were a surge of "violent radicalization" – a claim for
which there is no evidence – there is no reason to believe that our
criminal justice system is so flawed and weak as to be incapable of
trying and punishing those who perpetrate violent acts.

This legislation will set up a new government bureaucracy to monitor
and further study the as-yet undemonstrated pressing problem of
homegrown terrorism and radicalization. It will no doubt prove to be
another bureaucracy that artificially inflates problems so as to
guarantee its future existence and funding. But it may do so at
great further expense to our civil liberties. What disturbs me most
about this legislation is that it leaves the door wide open for the
broadest definition of what constitutes "radicalization." Could
otherwise nonviolent anti-tax, antiwar, or anti-abortion groups fall
under the watchful eye of this new government commission? Assurances
otherwise in this legislation are unconvincing.

In addition, this legislation will create a Department of Homeland
Security-established university-based body to further study
radicalization and to "contribute to the establishment of training,
written materials, information, analytical assistance and
professional resources to aid in combating violent radicalization
and homegrown terrorism." I wonder whether this is really a
legitimate role for institutes of higher learning in a free society.

Legislation such as this demands heavy-handed governmental action
against American citizens where no crime has been committed. It is
yet another attack on our Constitutionally- protected civil
liberties. It is my sincere hope that we will reject such approaches
to security, which will fail at their stated goal at a great cost to
our way of life.