Written By : William Teach

A couple days late on this story which names even more groups as extremists. For a change, Raw Story is incensed

It’s not just right-wing “radical” groups on the Department of Homeland Security’s black list anymore.

Another embarrassing Homeland Security memo (pdf here) detailing those the agency believes are extremists has leaked. The first was sent to police and warned of radical groups on the right; the second is sure to offend an even broader array of those involved in activism.

The memo, dated March 26, 2009, is titled “Domestic Extremism Lexicon,” and came after the original memo fingering right-wing groups as a threat.

Those now listed as dangerous extremists include: Mexican separatists, “black power” advocates, “racial Nordic mysticism” practitioners and black nationalists.

Raw story points out that Muslim extremists is not mentioned anywhere in the document. Not quite sure what danger there is from racial Nordic mysticism, but, perhaps someone was watching previews for the SciFi channel when they wrote it.

The document basically paints many, many groups as radicals and extremist, without actually being specific. Like the report on you extremist right wing extremists out there, this is generic. Unlike that report, this one nails both left and right. Anti-illegal immigration? You’re an extremist. Don’t think illegals should be given drivers licenses? You’re an extremist. You wear Doc Martins? You’re an extremist. Wait, what was that?

Perhaps the most amusing item is the document’s loose definition of “skinhead,” which appears to encompass anyone who shaves their heads and wears Doc Martens. Even those skinheads who merely preach “group unity” are worrisome, the memo says.

Check out the Daily Beast for more on the lexicon, as the story originate there.

As far as Islamic extremists goes, the document meant to explicitly leave them out and talk about “the nature and scope of the threat that domestic, non-Islamic extremism poses to the United States.” I know there are a few sites out there who want to “punt to Gang Green” the issue away, missing the point that the documents are targeting non-specific, generic populations, rather then specific organizations, gangs, and groups, such as when specific eco-terrorist groups were named. But when the DHS starts spending so much time looking inwards and naming large swaths of the population as extremists, people might want to get worried.

Logo via Obamanation

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