Déjà Vu: The return of HUAC

A little over a half century ago, the Feds held hearings around the country in an effort to uncover, expose and punish "disloyal" Americans. The most irresponsible of these vigilantes were the members and staff of the House Un-American Activities Committee. If the current, Democratically controlled House has its way, a similar operation will be at work in 2008.

by Peter Erlinder

...Under media radar, the Democrat-sponsored "Prevention of Violent Radicalism and Homegrown Terrorism" bill (H.R. 1955) passed the House at the end of October by a vote of 404 to 6. The bill was tagged as noncontroversial by the House leadership and is pending before the Senate. For those senators and citizens who remember history, the bill should be controversial, indeed.

Promoted as a relatively innocuous public safety measure, the bill directs money to the Department of Homeland Security for research on homegrown terrorist-Americans in our midst. While this may seem to make sense, the way the bill describes the "hidden enemy," and the powers inherent in the 10-member investigative commission it establishes, should raise concerns among Americans who remember history, no matter what their political leanings.

According to the bill, "homegrown terrorists" can be anyone who " intimidate(s) or coerce(s) the United States government, the civilian population or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social belief," a definition broad enough to include Americans who organize mass marches on Washington to "coerce" changes in government policy."

The rest of the story: CommonDreams.Org