Wow. So one white power a**hole supports the Tea Parties and suddenly there's a valid link between the two? I'm kind of offended that this story was written.

Hey Michelann. I agree that just because some neo Nazi's support Tea Parties, that in no way means that Tea Party participants support neo Nazis.

I don't see anything offensive about it - especially in a country where not long ago people were arrested for wearing opposition t-shirts at political rallies/speeches. The article doesn't say there's a 'valid' link between the two, but suggests extremists might see the Tea Parties as an opportunity - that's different.

Every news organization I know of has reported that since the election, gun and ammunition sales have doubled. One woman in her 60s bought a 'lifetime supply' of ammunition for her AK47 because she said, of the government. Should Homeland Security ignore things like that, or maybe just round up more Middle Easterners or infiltrate another peace group?

Yeah I don't think there is a connection between Neo-nazi/white supremacy movement and the Tea Parties, but I do think it is wise to address the issues of Home Grown Terrorist. I think since we have been so focused on the Muslim world that we have forgotten about the "Timothy McVeigh's" of the world which could lead to another Oklahoma City style tragedy.

Oh and let me be clear I don't' think all "home grown terrorist" are necessarily going to be a part of a White Supremacy movement nor be of a specific ethnic background. I just think these mass shootings, fear, among other things is on the rise and something terrible can happen if things aren't addressed with the passion that Iraq and Afghanistan is addressed.

Thanks for clarifying, Citizen.

Steph, I'm not going to respond to the first part of your post because it's fairly clear we're usually offended by different things. But the second part of your post seems to be a serious misinterpretation. It seems far more likely to me that weapon and ammunition sales have increased because people fear their rights will be further infringed upon, and not because they plan to take part in extremist, terrorist activities.

I just bought a gun and extra ammunition. ANd I am going to a T.E.A. Party tommorow. I am such a radical

What do they plan to do with the guns if they decide their rights are being infringed on? Will it be legal?

The government often assumes that people who join peace groups actually plan to take part in extremist activities, despite years of evidence to the contrary - why would it now assume that people who fear the government are arming themselves for purely peaceful reasons?

CG, so I'm not alone in thinking this was a strange way to group a few unrelated stories? I'm glad Citizen re-stated her opinion, but I just think putting these things together is strongly suggestive.

Yeah, I'm with you, Michelann. Why are white supremacist groups right wing?

the return of disgruntled war vets? umm if these people should join a movement it should be the george bush sucks movement sice the war started under his presidency....

Steph - Their guns and ammo would have to be grandfathered into new laws, hence buying it all now.

And its not people who fear the govt, unless you're making the large and compeltely misinformed assumption that everyone who owns a firearm fears their govt.

Personally, I think the best thing Janet Napolitano has done is change the term from "terrorist" act to "man made disaster". Our tax dollars hard at work!

Besides, with the economy in the slumps we should be happy that one part of manufacturing has seen enormous growth, ie. ammo and firearm producers.

Stephley, simply owning a gun and ammunition is perfectly peaceful. I'm of the opinion that when most people are armed, it helps preserve the peace. As of today, most of us still have the right to do those things. But the course of events has caused many people to fear that that right will be diminished, so they're exercising it while they still can.

It is a citizen's right to belong to a peace group, and the government should not suspect them of extremist activities because of that. It is also a citizen's right to own weapons and ammunition, so that alone should not cause the government to be suspicious of terrorism.

The only thing strange about it is the Michelle Obama mention, otherwise, the connections don't seem strange - unless you know of a left-wing, white supremacist group. It's kind of hard to be all 'up with the workers' and 'equal rights for everyone' if you just mean white people.

Since November, more than seven million people applied for criminal background checks in order to buy guns, according to the FBI.

Must be those radicals! Cuz you know criminals, the first thing they do when getting their act together to commit a crime is get their permits in order!

Citizen - The Washington Times link is buggy I think, can you look at it again?

the whole gun culture in north america just astounds me.

But white supremacists are advocating for smaller government and growth of small business? I don't think racism has a wing.

they dont seem strange to you, but to the rest of us it is.

While looking for another link to the Washington Times article my search popped up this blog: http://foxforum.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/04/14/romano_tea_parties/

No one said that everyone buying guns feared the government Haus - but some did, and that makes it a point of concern for Homeland Security.

If people can be arrested for t-shirts, eyebrows certainly can be raised at guns.

I can't speak for white supremacists MV, only liberals.

What proof do you have that people were arrested for wearing tshirts?

so because you fear something like, say the government taking your right to bear arms away, your a radical? You need a looky-loo from Homeland Security?

The lawsuit filed against the government in which the government paid a couple $80,000 for their false arrest - Haus, you've joined in discussions about these stories here. Remember, you think wearing opposition t-shirts to a rally is really rude.

"so because you fear something like, say the government taking your right to bear arms away, your a radical? You need a looky-loo from Homeland Security?"
If joining a peace group can get you a looky-loo...

I just did a quick search for protestors being arrested for wearing a tshirt and I only came across one article from some Bush rally in 2004 where two people wore antiBush shirts and were told to go to a designated protestor area and didn't do so, so they were charged with trespassing.

I thinnk its rude when you don't follow the rules and I think of you don't follow the rules you should be booted.

I can't believe the govt paid them 80k.... whatever, I'm sure these people don't pay taxes so why should they care? Another "victory" for the ACLU.

There are dress codes at rallies?

Its nice they got the charges dropped on a technicality.

Steph - The article specifically said the police asked them to go to the protestor area and they didn't. Why is that ok? Are you suggesting they weren't there to protest and draw attention to themselves?

I have no intention in getting bogged down arguing one old case with you because you can't find any of the others. I do love that you're getting riled up about t-shirts in THIS thread though. I admire your priorities.

First of all, I agree with Michelann's posts. She explains it very well.

This stuff is scary; really scary. Everyone should be upset.
Secretary Janet Napolitano needs to resign immediately, and the White House should apologize for this attack on normal political dissent. Michelle has it all covered...http://michellemalkin.com/2009/04/14/confirme-the-obama-dhs-hit-job-on-conservatives-is-real/

You can stuff the attitude Steph. You've mention this case so many times with no proof whatsoever, as usual, so finally I decided to actually look it up and of course, there's a ton of holes and it amounts to nothing.

Whats to talk about here? People have the right to own guns and the fact that they are buying more of them means nothing except that they are smart to not trust Obama's words on his support of gun rights.

huh?
Steph, you brought up the t-shirts and now that it comes out that the people were just trying to stir up trouble, Haus has the problem?

I hate when stuff gets twisted into "they got arrested for wearing t-shirts" when it's clearly a larger story. It's like saying Clinton was impeached for getting a blow job.

You've discussed this case and others in the past. There were other arrests - probably Fox didn't report them.

This isn't just about the right to own guns - that's just your magic button.

It's not 'an attack on normal political dissent' it's an alert concerning people who use normal political dissent to go further. Peace groups and peace marches always attract the attention of federal authorities - now it's the right's turn to share the attention.

Speaking of gun rights...
Just the other day, our neighbor purchased a firearm just because he thinks that the right to bear arm will be in danger. He's not had a firearm before, he said, it's just that like haus said, he really believes that gun rights will be in jeopardy based on what he's been hearing/watching from the news.
From the people I talk to, many believe that the gun rights will be threatened, some of them are not happy about it, while some are not that concerned, just depends whom you talk to I guess.
Personally, I'm not crazy about guns (I really don't like them, they creep me out), but I like the 'option' /right that when I do want to arm myself in the future, I will still have the right (well, I don't mind following guidelines when I do want to buy firearms).

I came from a country that bans any type of firearms and no guns didn't exactly help with the crime rate where I came from anyway. Plus there are those who had illegal firearms who terrorized the unarmed citizens. Ugh.

Oh Steph you're so snarky when people actually do the research you should have done. It's funny though, so keep it up!

Since the linked article doesn't work and we have no actual numbers, or names, or even threats I'm not going to get all up in a tizzy. Esp. when the DHS report says "could create" and "likely to grow" and "will attempt".

as in "will attempt to recruit"

Hasn't attempted, but we think they might, so we're just gonna go ahead an say it!

Kind of like when governments detain people before figuring out who they are and what they might have done.

rrreeeeeeeaaaacchhhhhh.....

Hey guys, It seems the link has crashed. I'll try to find another!

As long as we're on the subject of firearms, I'll give my two cents

If they could ensure that every gone was gone forever, I'd say maybe it would work. But they can't. So what'll happen? Those who live under the law will give up their guns, and those who are unlawful will keep them illegally. Does that really sound like a good idea?

For Haus:

IOWA CITY -- Two women who were arrested at campaign rally for President Bush last fall and strip-searched at a county jail say law enforcement officers conspired to violate their constitutional rights. Alice McCabe and Christine Nelson are suing the U.S. Secret Service and three of its agents, the Iowa State Patrol and two patrolmen, and Linn County. The two women, both school teachers in their 50s, were among scores of people who were arrested, removed or barred from Bush rallies last year for wearing shirt or buttons favoring his Democratic rival, Sen. John Kerry, or for vocally criticizing the president.
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0429-07.htm

An 80-year-old church deacon was removed from the Smith Haven Mall yesterday in a wheelchair and arrested by police for refusing to remove a T-shirt protesting the Iraq War.Police said that Don Zirkel, of Bethpage, was disturbing shoppers at the Lake Grove mall with his T-shirt, which had what they described as "graphic anti-war images."
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/80866/

Gotta love that mall security. Spotting a man wearing a ““Give peace a chance”” T-shirt in the food court at the Crossgates Mall in Guilderland, New York, they told him to remove the shirt or leave the mall. When the man refused, the guards called the local police, who arrested him and charged him with criminal tresspass. But the man turns out to be a lawyer, and director of the Albany Office of the state Commission on Judicial Conduct, no less.
http://www.lies.com/wp/2003/03/05/man-arrested-for-wearing-anti-war-t-sh...

George Barisich, president of the United Commercial Fisherman's Association, has been selling anti-FEMA T-shirts since last fall, a reflection of his frustration with the federal government's response to the storm that left him homeless and unemployed.
But on Feb. 1, when he handed a shirt to a fellow Katrina victim as he was picking up canned goods at a charity's relief tent, Barisich found himself in trouble with the government.
He was cited by a group of Homeland Security officials for selling a T-shirt on federal property - in this case, near a FEMA center in the parking lot of a Wal-Mart in Chalmette, La.
Barisich, 49, says he didn't sell the shirt, which said: "Flooded by Katrina! Forgotten by FEMA! What's Next, Mr. Bush?" He says he gave it away.
The government is sticking to its guns. "If we ignored this violation, you could have potentially 20 to 30 people standing out in front of the (FEMA) center, obstructing things," says Dean Boyd, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesman. "We've got a duty and a job under the law."

http://www.correntewire.com/arrested_for_selling_an_anti_fema_t_shirt

A Colorado man who was arrested in June on harassment charges after he approached Vice President Dick Cheney to denounce the war in Iraq filed a federal lawsuit on Tuesday accusing a Secret Service agent of civil rights violations.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/04/washington/04cheney.html

alot of those arent proof of being arrested "for wearing a t-shirt"

"especially in a country where not long ago people were arrested for wearing opposition t-shirts at political rallies/speeches."

This is bull. The people claim they were arrested for this, but when you look at the police record, or the video recordings of their actions, you can clearly see that they were arrested for their behavior, and not what they wore.

I got arrested once for wearing no t-shirt!

Just kidding.

I think that the gov't should have its eyes on radicals if there's good cause.

I personally know someone who was on a Maryland watch list for being part of an activist group in support of cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay.

When a new police chief came in my friend got a letter saying he'd been monitored on a terrorist watch list and was given an apology because he'd done nothing wrong. It was crazy.

I'm not in support of that. I hope that's not what is going on here.

You have video of all these cases?

To you have video to prove any one case?