DHS “Extremist” Lexicon

Here is an interesting Department of Homeland Security (DHS) memo obtained by The Daily Beast that outlines common terms (or “lexicon”) used in memos like the “Rightwing Extremism” memo widely reported in the news a few weeks ago. It seems that the DHS is fairly careful to note that the groups mentioned, covering the extremes of the political spectrum, are only ones that advocate violence, terrorism and/or criminal activity. Perhaps the criticism by conservatives and libertarians, like myself, when the story about the Rightwing memo first broke was a little over-hyped. It will be interesting to see what other memos are released by the Obama DHS in the months and years to come.