You might be a terrorist if....

No this is not a take on Jeff Foxworthy's "You might be a Redneck." I read an interesting article today on another blog. It seems that some of us have gone from being a self sufficient / survivalist to being classified as a terrorist.

WARNING: This has put me in a bad mood and I get on my soap box towards the end. It is things like this that just irritate the fire out of me. Suffice to say the more I read the angrier I got.

You might be a terrorist if….

Expressions of libertarian philosophies (statements, bumper stickers)
Second Amendment-oriented views (NRA or gun club membership, holding a CCW permit)
Survivalist literature (fictional books such as "Patriots" and "One Second After" are mentioned by name)
Self-sufficiency (stockpiling food, ammo, hand tools, medical supplies)
Fear of economic collapse (buying gold and barter items)
Religious views concerning the book of Revelation (apocalypse, anti-Christ)
Expressed fears of Big Brother or big government
Homeschooling
Declarations of Constitutional rights and civil liberties
Belief in a New World Order conspiracy

And if that is not bad enough then you might be a terrorist if….

Groups  that hold the anniversaries of certain dates as significant such a Ruby Ridge, Waco and Hitler’s birthday
Oppose abortion, support gun rights and are affiliated with the Ku Klux Klan
Are fearful of big government, espouse support for the Constitution and want to kill police officers
Groups that collect firearms, survivalist books and explosives
These extremists read books such as Patriots, One Second After and The Anarchist Cookbook
They are religious zealots, reading the book of Revelation, speak of the second coming of Christ and plan mass murders to summon the end of the world
These people grow their own food, raise livestock and plot attacks on commercial food production facilities

And are you ready for this you might be a terrorist if….

Believe the Second Amendment gives you the personal right to own a gun.

Former military or law official

Now my questions are…

1. Am I a religious zealot because I read the book of Revelation but I don’t plan mass murders, I don’t believe that will summon the end of the world and I believe that murder is a sin.
2. Am I a terrorist because I homeschooled our children because we were in a horrible school district and I wanted them to be able to read and write beyond a third grade level?
3. Am I a terrorist because I grow a garden and want my own livestock but have no intentions of plotting an attack on commercial food facilities, heck I don’t even know where a commercial food processing facility is?
4. Am I a terrorist because I oppose abortion and support gun rights but am not affiliated with the KKK?
5. Am I a terrorist because I fear economic collapse especially with the way the economy is headed? (I personally think I would be a fool not to entertain the idea of economic collapse)
6. Am I a terrorist because I do not like big governments and I support the constitution but some of my best friends are police officers and by no means do I want to kill them?
7. I am more of a constitutionalist than I am libertarian so does that make me a terrorist?
8. Is my son terrorist because he former military even though he is considering reenlisting?

This is like saying all minorities are on welfare and getting food stamps. It is like saying that if you live in public housing you are trash and should not be allowed to breathe the same air as those that work. It like saying people that have large families are only doing it for the Medicaid, food stamps and other benefits they might qualify for; don’t they scream racist and racial profiling when these ideas at batted around but is the above the same thing?

I for one do not like labels, and personally I do not care to be labeled as a terrorist when all I am doing is trying to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table and do it within the legal confines of the law. I was raised to not be beholden to anyone especially the government. The motto of my house growing up was if you don’t work you don’t eat. Even if meant all you did was sweep the floors. I can remember at a very young age my mother putting the ironing board as low as it would go and teaching me to iron dollies and pillow cases and that was my job then she added other things like pants and blouses and skirts until the point came when ironing was my chore. Why should I be labeled a terrorist if I want to feed my family food that they are not allergic to and does not send their blood sugar or blood pressure through the roof? Why should I be labeled a terrorist if I am not taking from the government but am giving my fair share?