National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism

Too often over the past several years, American communities have felt the wrenching pain of domestic terrorism. Black church members slaughtered during their bible study in Charleston. A synagogue in Pittsburgh targeted for supporting immigrants. A gunman spraying bullets at an El Paso Walmart to target Latinos. It goes against everything our country strives to stand for in the world, and it poses a direct challenge to America’s national security, our democracy, and our national unity. This National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism lays out a comprehensive approach to addressing the threat while safeguarding bedrock American civil rights and civil liberties – values that make us who we are as a nation.

Americans hold a wide array of beliefs. That is part of what makes the United States such a diverse and extraordinary nation. Preserving and safeguarding constitutionally protected expression and freedom of association are national security priorities. Our rights and our historic liberties are an intrinsic part of what makes America strong. So this Strategy is narrowly tailored to focus specifically on addressing violence and the factors that lead to violence – violence that violates the law, threatens public safety, and infringes on the free expression of ideas.

We cannot ignore this threat or wish it away. Preventing domestic terrorism and reducing the factors that fuel it demand a multifaceted response across the Federal Government and beyond. That includes working with our critical partners in state, local, tribal, and territorial governments and in civil society, the private sector, academia, and local communities, as well
as with our allies and foreign partners. We have to take both short–term steps to counter the very real threats of today and longer–term measures to diminish the emerging threats of tomorrow.

This is a project that should unite all Americans. Together we must affirm that domestic terrorism has no place in our society. We must work to root out the hatreds that can too often drive violence. And we must recommit to defend and protect those basic freedoms, which belong to all Americans in equal measure, and which are not only the foundation of our democracy—they are our enduring advantage in the world.

Joseph R. Biden, Jr.

More…

h/t David S

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Do you get the impression that they know that their time is running out? Or is this wishful thinking on my part? It does not matter, I know my path and what I will do to restore freedom for my children. Imagine if more people cared about their children’s future?

David DeGerolamo