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Dead Constitution See other Dead Constitution Articles Title: Professors find merit in Homeland Security report Two Arizona professors specializing in security matters say there’s merit — especially in states such as Arizona with high gun ownership — to a recent U.S. Homeland Security Department report that warns the current economic turmoil could swell right-wing ranks. The report prompted criticism from the American Legion and other veterans groups of agency Secretary Janet Napolitano and the Obama administration, including concerns the government is targeting extremist critics. The report says the rise in home foreclosures, job losses and the credit crunch could spur right-wing activity. It also warns returning military veterans and anti-abortion activists could pose domestic security threats. Lew Howell, a risk management and economic security professor at Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, said recessions and economic turmoil historically propel U.S. conservative groups. “Guns are flying out of the places,” said Howell of guns and ammunition sales in Arizona. Gun stores and shooting ranges sometimes are congregation points for anti-government, right-wing advocates, he said. Howell said such extreme sentiment is more pronounced in states such as Arizona, which has a substantial number of gun owners and a more conservative and libertarian political bent. Sheldon Simon, a political science professor and security expert at Arizona State University, said the unemployment rate is key. “Times of economic crisis can lead to extreme political activity. Studies particularly on right-wing extremism in this country show a correlation between severe economic difficulties and the tendency to scapegoat,” he said. “So far, however, to my knowledge, there has not yet been significant activity of this kind. But, as unemployment climbs above 10 percent one should be alert for this kind of possibility,” Simon said. Arizona’s jobless rate stands at 7.8 percent with Pinal, Santa Cruz, Yuma and some other rural counties hitting double digits. The U.S. unemployment rate is at 8.5 percent. Napolitano backtracked somewhat from the report, apologizing for any broad-brush links of veterans to terrorism groups and stressing the Democratic administration is not targeting those on other side of the political spectrum. “We are on the lookout for criminal and terrorist activity, but we do not – nor will we ever – monitor ideology or political beliefs,” Napolitano said in a statement. “We take seriously our responsibility to protect the civil rights and liberties of the American people, including subjecting our activities to rigorous oversight from numerous internal and external sources.” Napolitano and the report have received attention from conservative and national media, including Rush Limbaugh, the heavily watched Drudge Report online news site as well Phoenix news and talk radio stations KTAR-FM 92.3 and KFYI-AM 550. Napolitano has appeared on MSNBC, Fox News and other news outlets to do talk about the issue. “Drudge focuses on it because it’s a fertile field,” said Greg Patterson, who runs Arizona-based news blog EspressoPundit.com, which focuses on the news media and politics. “I think it hurts her.”
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