By Barbara De Lollis, USA TODAY
The Department of Homeland Security is recruiting hotel guests to join the fight against terrorism.
A Homeland Security notice seeks the public's help in reporting suspicious activity.
Starting today, the welcome screens on 1.2 million hotel television sets in Marriott, Hilton, Sheraton, Holiday Inn and other hotels in the USA will show a short public service announcement from DHS. The 15-second spot encourages viewers to be vigilant and call law enforcement if they witness something suspicious during their travels.
During the PSA, which starts with a woman exiting a yellow taxi in front of a train station, a narrator says, "Maybe you see something suspicious. Can you be sure? If you see something, say something to authorities."
The PSA, which will be interspersed with other messages on the welcome screen, will be the same in all 5,400 hotels that LodgeNet serves. It ends by telling viewers to contact "local authorities."
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Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano says that reaching the "millions of guests that stay at hotels and motels each year is a significant step in engaging the full range of partners in our Homeland Security efforts."
The federal government gained access to hotel TV sets by forming a partnership with the hotel industry's largest association — the American Hotel & Lodging Association — which connected DHS with LodgeNet, the industry's largest TV-content provider.
By entering hotels at a time when the hospitality industry is on the rebound, the government has the power to tap a growing, captive audience. Recent research from LodgeNet says 98% of hotel guests turn on their hotel TV, and the average guest keeps it on for more than three hours per day.
Ann Parker, a LodgeNet spokeswoman, describes the PSAs as "well done and professional" and says the decision to air them was not difficult.
"It's about everyone doing their part to help keep each other and the country safe," she says.
But critics of the campaign point out potential pitfalls. Josh Meyer of the Washington-based National Security Journalism Initiative predicts it will generate "a huge amount of potentially baseless tips that will inundate local, state and federal law enforcement authorities."
DHS spokesman Peter Boogaard, however, cites successful citizen interventions, such as the May 2010 incident in which two street vendors helped thwart a car bombing attempt in New York City's Times Square by noticing a smoking vehicle and reporting it to police.
In the last two years, DHS has formed partnerships with a variety of groups including Amtrak, the U.S. Tennis Association, the National Football League and the Mall of America to enlist public support.
“The Department of Homeland Security is recruiting hotel guests to join the fight against terrorism.”
“Welcome screens on 1.2 million hotel television sets in Marriott, Hilton, Sheraton, Holiday Inn and other hotels in the USA will show a short public service announcement from DHS. The 15-second spot encourages viewers to be vigilant and call law enforcement if they witness something suspicious during their travels.”
The federal government formed a partnership with Lodge Net, the hotel industry’s largest TV content provider to run the ads. Since 98% of those who stay in hotels turn on the TV, the government wants to tap a captive audience.
Janet Napolitano, Homeland Security Secretary, said reaching “millions of guests that stay at hotels and motels each year is a significant step in engaging the full range of partners in our Homeland Security efforts… It’s about everyone doing their part to help keep each other and the country safe.”
Critics of the initiative suggest that the new advertisement will generate a large amount of baseless tips that will inundate law enforcement authorities. Another concern is that the new ads will create an environment of suspicion similar to the time of the inquisition in Spain during the middle ages. Any misunderstood action, any strange word could bring suspicion upon that person and could necessitate a trip to the inquisitorial tribunal.
While it may seem innocuous at first, and while the fear of terrorism diminishes a negative reaction, the principles are very similar to the environment created by the inquisition. Such an ad could easily encourage citizens to be distrustful of their neighbors, apprehensive of any unusual, innocent activity with which they might not be familiar, and eventually even create suspicion of private religious assembly. After all, it was the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, under Janet Napolitano, that published a report listing teachers of end-time prophecy as potential extremists, or motivating extremists to do terrorist acts.
The U.S. Constitution was designed, among other things, to protect its people from such an environment. Could such a program to increase the “watchfulness” of U.S. citizens end up encouraging them to spy on their fellow Americans, or to assume the worst, leading to unwarranted searches, the loss of the right to privacy, freedom to assemble privately, etc? Could such ads eventually lead to “revenge tips” in which one person, upset with another, privately tips off law enforcement agencies to minor offences? That kind of thing happened during the inquisition, particularly because tips and tippers were kept confidential.
Sound impossible? God has told us what is coming upon the world, particularly as Rome gains more influence and power, the Papacy will resurrect its principles.
“Every principle of the papacy that existed in past ages exists today. The doctrines devised in the darkest ages are still held. Let none deceive themselves.” Great Controversy, page 571
“[The United States] shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government…” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 5, page 451
A shocking report released by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security dated April 9, 2009 “which links people with pro-life, anti-illegal immigration views, teachers of end-time prophecies, and veterans of war with ‘right-wing extremist’ groups,” wrote the Associated Press.
The report entitled “Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment” has a footnote that says it is unclassified, but not to be released to the public. Nevertheless, it was circulated through conservative blogs and media and eventually created such a stir among veterans and others that a public apology by Janet Napolitano the Director of Homeland Security was believed to be necessary. Apparently those who released the document knew that it would stir controversy and wanted to prevent it from coming to public notice.
The public controversy centered around another footnote on page two of the document that said; “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… It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration.” In her apology to the veterans groups Napolitano said that the report was not an accusation, but a “situational assessment,” and that she wished she could re-write that footnote.
There are other statements in the report however that involve other constitutional issues such as the right to bear arms, which is the 2nd amendment to the bill of rights. The report says that current proposals by the Obama administration to impose “firearms restrictions and weapons bans likely would attract new members into the ranks of rightwing extremist groups.”
Another issue inherent in the report, though not mentioned overtly is the first amendment right to freedom of speech. Those that are concerned about a “one world government,” opponents of abortion, or illegal immigration, or those that are teachers of end-time prophecies, were also mentioned as possible targets for extremist groups. Those who may speak out on these things, or teach end-time prophecies may have their speech curtailed either by direct government action or perhaps just by the fear of being labeled an extremist. The report mentions those that oppose the new president’s policies or intentions as potential extremists. Perhaps the first amendment right to political speech may suffer also, though Napolitano denies this.
The report actually indicated that official efforts to influence public opinion was part of the plan to defend against extremists and said that it should be done “transparently.” “Federal efforts to influence domestic public opinion must be conducted in an overt and transparent manner, clearly identifying United States Government sponsorship,” the report said. The report also cited a recent event on April 4 in which three police officers were killed in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania by someone apparently concerned about one world government and who had views consistent with anti-Semitism.
Even the Roman Catholic Thomas More Law Center weighted in on the issue. Concerned about church positions on abortion and immigration, the Thomas More Law Center wrote a letter to Homeland Security asking for information concerning the basis of the report.
Catholic New Agency reported that “Richard Thompson, President and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Law Center, said “This is not an intelligence report but a diatribe against those who oppose the policies of the Obama Administration. It is a declaration of war against the American people and our constitution. It is a prelude to extreme gun control legislation and hate speech laws targeting Christian churches and others who oppose abortion and same sex marriage.”
The report also said that “because debates over constitutional rights are intense, and parties on all sides have deeply held, sincere, but vastly divergent beliefs, violent extremists may attempt to co-opt the debate and use the controversy as a radicalization tool.” This is an important point. Those that are sincerely practicing their constitutional rights, including those that teach end time prophecies may, in the end, be lumped together with violent extremists.
In a written statement Napolitano said the agency is on “the lookout for criminal and terrorist activity but we do not — nor will we ever — monitor ideology or political beliefs.” Note that she did not include religious beliefs in her statement. Nor should such a statement be taken at face value. Governments have a history of doing the very things they deny.
Concerning teachers of end-time prophecies the report says; “Antigovernment conspiracy theories and “end times” prophecies could motivate extremist individuals and groups to stockpile food, ammunition, and weapons. These teachings also have been linked with the radicalization of domestic extremist individuals and groups in the past, such as violent Christian Identity organizations and extremist members of the militia movement.”
The day may be nearer than we think in which those that teach what the Bible says about the end times will be characterized as extremist, even though they do not advocate violence. Those who teach end-time prophecies must be very careful to make it clear that violent acts are not appropriate. Also it would be important to stress that it is love, not hate which is the motivation for revealing the truth of Bible prophecy concerning the religious organizations involved in Bible prophecy.
Incidentally Jesus never advocated interference in political matters of earthly governments. Here is the statement from Desire of Ages, page 509; “The government under which Jesus lived was corrupt and oppressive; on every hand were crying abuses,—extortion, intolerance, and grinding cruelty. Yet the Saviour attempted no civil reforms. He attacked no national abuses, nor condemned the national enemies. He did not interfere with the authority or administration of those in power. He who was our example kept aloof from earthly governments. Not because He was indifferent to the woes of men, but because the remedy did not lie in merely human and external measures. To be efficient, the cure must reach men individually, and must regenerate the heart.”
Keep the Faith has been saying for some time, based on our intelligence research, that eventually those that teach the truth of scripture will be considered to be extreme. Let us pray that the Lord will hold back the winds of strife.
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