Are You a Rightwing Extremist?

Here's how rightwing extremists are defined in a new Homeland Security document:

Rightwing extremism in the United States can be broadly divided into those groups, movements, and adherents that are primarily hate-oriented (based on hatred of particular religious, racial or ethnic groups), and those that are mainly antigovernment, rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority, or rejecting government authority entirely. It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration.

If you take out the hate element you describe most conservatives who have federalist leanings (wanting more power at the state level and less at the federal level). That's me and a lot of people I know.

And let's not forget that a lot of things are described as "hate" that have nothing to do with real hatred. For instance, if you don't favor gay marriage, uncontrolled welfare programs or affirmative action, you will find yourself described as a "hater", even if you don't hate gays, poor people or blacks. "Hate" becomes whatever the government decides it is and that's dangerous.

I'm sure the "hate" definition will soon be expanded to include those who think we're overtaxed and those who don't want to see a debt burden that will bankrupt our grandkids.

The fact that Homeland Security has decided that rightwing extremists as defined by them are suddenly a big problem tells you that dissent, which was patriotic when Bush was president, is suddenly an anti-American threat.