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http://www.ky3.com/news/political/blog/41721617.html
State apologizes for security report targeting third party groups
By David Catanese, KY3 Political Reporter
State apologizes for security report targeting third party groups
Tools
Story Published: Mar 23, 2009 at 10:04 PM CDT
Story Updated: Mar 23, 2009 at 11:59 PM CDT
By Brian Vandenberg
SPRINGFIELD -- A state security report that's causing an uproar among conservatives has led to an apology from the head of Missouri's Public Safety Department.
The 8-page report was produced by the Missouri Information Analysis Center. It was designed to be a training document for law enforcement on how to identify homegrown threats. But considerable backlash from conservatives has prompted an apology from the state.
The report, entitled "The Modern Militia Movement," paints right wing groups as a potential domestic security threat.
But how those groups are defined is what has caused the uproar.
"It seems like it's an attack on a lot of right wing views, a lot of views that I find very sacred," said conservative Clayton Bowler of Springfield. (View the report on Bowler's blog HERE.)
Christians, anti-abortionists, tax resistors, anti-immigration advocates and supporters of third party candidates like Ron Paul are all listed as characteristics of "ideologies" to watch out for.
"I started reading it, and I'm like, 'Oh my gosh, that sounds like me in some of these things.' I'm a Christian, I'm pro-life, I'm a conservative," said Bowler, who stumbled upon the report accidentally while surfing through the blogosphere.
That Internet chatter quickly trickled up to Jefferson City, where conservative lawmakers were poised to take action this week.
"I don't want to evolve into a society where people are watched just because they're out participating in some freedom of speech activity," said State Rep. Shane Schoeller of Willard. (To view more video of Schoeller's comments, click HERE.)
By late Monday afternoon, the Department of Public Safety apologized for targeting any third party political candidates in its report.
"I have ordered that the offending report be edited to excise all reference to Ron Paul, Bob Barr or Chuck Baldwin," wrote Department of Public Safety Director John Britt in a letter to the candidates released to KY3 News. "I regret that those components were ultimately included," Britt went on.
"While the intent of the report was only to identify certain traits that are sometimes shared by members of militia organizations, this report is too easily misinterpreted as suggesting that militia members may be identified by no other indicator than support for a particular candidate or political organization," wrote Britt.
That apology still doesn't go far enough for some conservatives, and Republicans believe the controversy could cause a political program for Gov. Jay Nixon, whose name appears on the report's letterhead.
Missourians United For Life has filed a complaint with the American Civil Liberties Union against Nixon, who is, for now, standing by the rest of the report.
That offends Bowler.
"There's a better way to say it. You can say anti-Semite without using the word Christian," said Bowler. "I think it needs to be written from a more balanced perspective," he said.
State apologizes for security report targeting third party groups
By David Catanese, KY3 Political Reporter
State apologizes for security report targeting third party groups
Tools
Story Published: Mar 23, 2009 at 10:04 PM CDT
Story Updated: Mar 23, 2009 at 11:59 PM CDT
By Brian Vandenberg
SPRINGFIELD -- A state security report that's causing an uproar among conservatives has led to an apology from the head of Missouri's Public Safety Department.
The 8-page report was produced by the Missouri Information Analysis Center. It was designed to be a training document for law enforcement on how to identify homegrown threats. But considerable backlash from conservatives has prompted an apology from the state.
The report, entitled "The Modern Militia Movement," paints right wing groups as a potential domestic security threat.
But how those groups are defined is what has caused the uproar.
"It seems like it's an attack on a lot of right wing views, a lot of views that I find very sacred," said conservative Clayton Bowler of Springfield. (View the report on Bowler's blog HERE.)
Christians, anti-abortionists, tax resistors, anti-immigration advocates and supporters of third party candidates like Ron Paul are all listed as characteristics of "ideologies" to watch out for.
"I started reading it, and I'm like, 'Oh my gosh, that sounds like me in some of these things.' I'm a Christian, I'm pro-life, I'm a conservative," said Bowler, who stumbled upon the report accidentally while surfing through the blogosphere.
That Internet chatter quickly trickled up to Jefferson City, where conservative lawmakers were poised to take action this week.
"I don't want to evolve into a society where people are watched just because they're out participating in some freedom of speech activity," said State Rep. Shane Schoeller of Willard. (To view more video of Schoeller's comments, click HERE.)
By late Monday afternoon, the Department of Public Safety apologized for targeting any third party political candidates in its report.
"I have ordered that the offending report be edited to excise all reference to Ron Paul, Bob Barr or Chuck Baldwin," wrote Department of Public Safety Director John Britt in a letter to the candidates released to KY3 News. "I regret that those components were ultimately included," Britt went on.
"While the intent of the report was only to identify certain traits that are sometimes shared by members of militia organizations, this report is too easily misinterpreted as suggesting that militia members may be identified by no other indicator than support for a particular candidate or political organization," wrote Britt.
That apology still doesn't go far enough for some conservatives, and Republicans believe the controversy could cause a political program for Gov. Jay Nixon, whose name appears on the report's letterhead.
Missourians United For Life has filed a complaint with the American Civil Liberties Union against Nixon, who is, for now, standing by the rest of the report.
That offends Bowler.
"There's a better way to say it. You can say anti-Semite without using the word Christian," said Bowler. "I think it needs to be written from a more balanced perspective," he said.
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