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Hatewatch is managed by the staff of the Intelligence Report, an investigative magazine published by the Alabama-based civil rights group Southern Poverty Law Center.
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[USA]
Recent Violence Renews Concern About Radicalized Military Veterans
Christian Science Monitor
/June 12, 2009
Three of the alleged attackers in a recent wave of right-wing extremist violence had military experience, giving credence to a recent Department of Homeland Security report warning of radicalized veterans.
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on June 18th, 2009 at 11:56 am
This article and suggesting that Veterans are likely to join a right wing extremist group is nothing but fear and fright talk. Then we should suggest that they (some Veterans) would also join Left-Wing extremist groups as well.
I would submit, that plenty of groups recruit people that have NO military back-grounds and have wreaked more havoc and bloodshed in this country.
Singling out Veterans and suggesting that we are such a threat due to our service is an ambiguous and vague as well as irresponsible claim. There are no studies or solid evidence to suggest that there is a preponderance for Veterans to join any group Hatewatch or the DHS Secretary deems as potentially dangerous in our society.
I would suggest any Veterans joining any groups do not do so because of the jobs situation as much as they want to belong to something again that has structure and parallels their service to our country and to still battle all enemies foreign and domestic. Even if this includes government or other groups that show indifference to what Veterans have sacrificed in war and in their service to this country. There are plenty of people that present themselves as ingrates and make a mockery of what our troops have done in the field of battle as ordered by the Commander in Chief in any administration, and the hierarchy of the those on Capital Hill and the Pentagon.
Not all Veterans, and actually quite a minority are not taught to kill, shoot weapons, or evade. I myself was a jet mechanic in the Navy. There are plenty of fields, the majority; that does not lend itself to infantry, foot soldiers, or explosives and weapons specialties. Obviously, there is plenty of ignorance to make the claims by Napolitano and the Christian Science Monitor article invalid and highly irresponsibly unproven. Remarks and claims being made that are made on mere assumption and to degrade the service to this country by men and women that where the uniform of this country.
I see this as an obvious attempt to diminish and lessen the value of those that serve in the military. Just another way to dampen the traditional value of those symbols that are often celebrated and held in high esteem. It is no less a comparison to suggest a Veteran whom happens to somewhere in his life do something horrific, and then blame it on his service and the knowledge he gained while serving. This is like saying if a jet crashes, all jets have the chance to crash, so why don’t we do away with air travel?
Plenty of people whom have not served in the military have killed and maimed many for decades in this country with firearms and other weapons. Many can go to the internet and learn to make bombs and other weapons, and, gain way more knowledge than the majority of Veterans ever had while serving in the military.
This again suggests the level of ignorance by the CSM article, and, not even researching the fact that the mass majority of Vets and those serving today do not carry weapons and do not learn such abilities to wage war or inflict injuries, damage or death. Most Veterans, Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines are in technical, mechanical, clerical/administrative fields, that support those that are actual soldiers in the field.
You can put a black mark on Veterans but, at the same time, it would be proper and fair to also voice the facts and history of those that killed plenty in Waco, Ruby Ridge, and, acted with as much horror as Timothy McVeigh. These agents of the government were in uniform to represent and carry out and defend the constitution as well as protect and serve U.S. citizens while preserving their civil and human rights.
Let’s be responsible that “hate” and bad acts can happen in any group, or organization, or legitimate law enforcement agency. To make a broad statement and indict Veterans in one grouping is unfair, and, extremely irresponsible.
If this be the case, then we should also deem that all DEA, ATF, FBI, and, local and county, state officers of the law should be considered as potential “legitimate” extremists based on some of the history that surely eclipses in numbers that acts of McVeigh and others that were NOT wearing the uniform of this country when they did what they did,….unlike those acted with deadly outcomes at Waco and Ruby Ridge.
If you are going to mention 203 Veterans joining groups with extremist ties in the last decade, then be responsible enough to mention how many Veterans that have committed suicide in the last year, last 5 years, or the fact that almost or as many of the Vietnam Veterans that are on “The Wall” have committed suicide.
You are merely speaking of a extremely small number of Veterans, and obviously you do not look at the entire Veteran community as to what good they have done.
This country produces radicals of all colors/races, genders, classes, political persuasions, ideals, and views. Most all of them never have served this country.
If you are going to present and view, do so with broad vision and facts. Using tunnel-vision and micro-analyzing Veterans or any group in this country is totally irresponsible and only serves to create a false pretense and representation to further mislead the public and society as a whole.
on June 18th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
Oh no.
Please don’t tell that to John McCain and all those who rose against the allegations when the report came out.
Not only did they ridiculed the report, but hiding under the flag, they put in question the patriotism of those who brought the report.
I’m sure they are probably going to say, these are isolated incidents and the report is still not to be believed.
The ostriches again would rather keep their heads under the sand, and pretend everything is going well.
on June 18th, 2009 at 8:15 pm
If the shoe fits……This report IS to be believed. I know LOTS of Veterans; my husband belongs to a veteran’s group. You should HEAR the hate-talk that emanates from this group. It is sickening. Hopefully, it is just talk. However, one never knows when a real NUT among them will emerge and actually commit a violent act. Maybe more mental health care is needed for some of these guys. Obviously, many of them are not getting it.
on June 19th, 2009 at 3:31 am
“Horsehockey”-Col.Potter,M.A.S.H.
on June 19th, 2009 at 10:10 am
If a non veteran commits a violent act, it is blamed on other factors besides not being in the military. Never is it suggested the violent act wouldn’t have happened if the person had gone into the military. If a veteran commits a violent act it is almost always blamed on his/her service in the military. I am so sick of this way of feeling and the people and groups that promote it.
on June 20th, 2009 at 1:49 am
I was in the military, and I can understand full well that certain veterans are attracted to hate groups and made ready to kill. Fortunately, as a natural nonconformist, I was somewhat immuned to the brainwashing that they give you in the military.
The first thing they do to you in the military is to try to turn you into an anger-motivated individual. They scream in your face and drive out all other human feelings other than hate and anger. Then they teach you how to de-humanize the “enemy,” using what in the civilian world would be deemed as racial slurs. Once that is finished, they figure that you’ll be able to kill the de-humanized enemy without any hesitation; then they have their robot, a killing machine who will kill “commies, gooks, towel-heads,” etc. with nary a thought.
Then comes the end of term of service. Now that they’ve programmed these hate-filled killers, they have no way worked out to de-program them. They’re not able to fit into the real world, but the military doesn’t care, just boot their a**es out the door. Then they’re surprised when this or that Sergeant who was trained to de-humanize and kill to protect our civilian population turns around and instead begins to de-humanize and kill those very same civilians.
Believe you me, I’ve witnessed the process myself, and actually knew a few of these guys that got out and joined hate groups and even killed people. When they make the news, some of the names and faces are familiar to me.
on June 20th, 2009 at 2:19 am
Take a careful read of what John Q. Veteran wrote. Does it seem to you that there is some over-rationalization there? Me, too.
I’d like for these right-wing clowns who are always trying to misdirect our attention toward these imaginary left-wing groups (or “godless liberals” as they like to call them) to show us one incident where, for example, a left-wing extremist went into a church with guns hunting “conservatives”.
Truth be told, left-wingers have always been more about destroying property than about destroying lives. Remember Bill Ayers? How FAUX news was screaming about him? Thing is, he was always careful never to harm anyone, just to destroy property. Which makes him NOT a terrorist because the definition of a terrorist requires the taking of at least one life.
on June 21st, 2009 at 9:29 am
Allen,
“Horsehockey”"-Col.Potter,MASH
Ayers IS a terrorist. Obama is a traitor.
on June 21st, 2009 at 9:53 am
I’m not one to be down on Vets; but Salon interviewed some Neo-NAZI Soldiers in Iraq/Afghanistan and, just like the Gang Members the DOD let in, they SAID that they’d joined the Military specifically to get the ‘training the need, to overthrow the Government’!
Al Qaeda is also looking for ‘White Supremacists’ allies in America.
on June 21st, 2009 at 12:40 pm
I find it very sad that some of our brave soldiers are going into these hate groups. I do however agree that they should have an outlet that allows them to talk about what they are feeling, and have it mediated by a person who is not just subjective, or allowing the conversation to go on a hate rant. It should be structured with the ending goal of having our veterans back on their feet. I think our veterans need to know how much we love and care for them, and how we appreciate all they do
on June 21st, 2009 at 6:09 pm
Robert Laity has made a very good argument, very rational and sane. LOL!
Yeah, I agree with Child of God, there should be a program of rehabilitaion for vets, partly for their own good, but also mostly for the safety of our citizens.
on June 23rd, 2009 at 2:38 am
Child of God,
The services have Psychiatrists and other professionals geared towards helping Soldiers cope. The problem is “stigma”. The APA Monitor of recent publication has a very informative article about Psychological problems suffered by some servicemembers and how stigma stops soldiers from seeking help. The military is working on this issue as is the Department of Veterans Affairs. These are “outlets” that are available now.