Government Security News reports that three federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security were intimately involved in outlining the sweeping gun control proposals outlined by the president this week.
“The Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said her department had worked with the Justice Department and the FBI to identify measures that could be taken to reduce gun violence as part of the president’s new set of gun control policy proposals and executive actions.” the report states.
‘Big Sis’ was in attendance at the White House Wednesday for the public address on gun control, and said she is “proud to support” the Obama administration’s efforts to “combat gun violence in our country.” The DHS head also issued the following statement after the event:
“In the aftermath of the tragic Newtown shooting, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), together with the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the FBI have worked to identify measures that could be taken to reduce the risk of mass casualty shootings.”
“In the coming days, DHS will expand and formalize coordination of ongoing efforts intended to prevent future mass casualty shootings, improve preparedness, and to strengthen security and resilience in schools and other potential targets,” the statement continued, adding that the DHS intends to “address five critical areas intended to reduce the risk of mass casualty shootings in the United States: Prevention, Protection, Response, Education, and Research/Evaluation.”
Perhaps the most alarming aspect of the statement concerned the program that many have labeled a “citizen snitch” operation, the “If You See Something, Say Something” campaign.
Napolitano noted that the DHS intends to “expand and prioritize” the campaign to raise awareness of the controversial executive actions on firearms that many believe are unconstitutional.
The program actively encourages citizens to report “suspicious activity” to the authorities, including via television screens at Wal-Mart stores which play a message from Napolitano herself.
As we have continually noted, the list of actions or beliefs which may see a person labeled a potential terrorist continues to grow daily under the ‘See Something, Say Something’ program.
The DHS’ own internal documents have revealed that the agency actively monitors opposition to the program, as well as tracking news articles and user comments on it, while categorizing dissenting opinion as potential “Right Wing Terrorism”.
One of the main aspects of Obama’s gun control proposals was a call for universal background checks on all gun sales, whether in stores, at auctions or gun shows.