That's right, the government wants to know your child's political affiliations...
And it wants U.S. educators to act as its informants.
In an unclassified document just released in January, the FBI's Office of Partner Engagement revealed a new agency initiative based on Britain's "anti-terror" mass surveillance program. It, in pertinent part, requests that high school educators across the country inform on students who express "anti-government" or "anarchist" political beliefs.
"High school students are ideal targets for recruitment by violent extremists seeking support for their radical ideologies, foreign fighter networks, or conducting acts of targeted violence within our borders," the FBI document reads. "High schools must remain vigilant in educating their students about catalysts that drive violent extremism and the potential consequences of embracing extremist messaging, or facilitate intervention activities."
This includes immediately reporting a student to the authorities "if a youth's intentions are conducting a violent act."
The agency believes America's public education workers are "in a unique position to affect change, impart affirmative messaging, or facilitate intervention activities."
Educators are to observe and assess "concerning behaviors and communications" that hint toward "extremist ideologies" that are anti-government.
Interestingly, included in what the FBI considers "extremist ideologies" are behaviors that suggest libertarianism and constitutionalism...
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The agency warns on its website that the individuals who echo such political sentiments sometimes refer to themselves as "sovereign citizens" - also known as "constitutionalists" or "freemen."
Here's what qualifies as suspicious "sovereign-citizen" behavior, according to the FBI:
- A person who questions the Redemption Theory. As stated on FBI.gov: "The prevalent sovereign-citizen theory is the Redemption Theory, which claims the U.S. government went bankrupt when it abandoned the gold standard basis for currency in 1933 and began using citizens as collateral in trade agreements with foreign governments. These beliefs can provide a gateway to illegal activity because such individuals believe the U.S. government does not act in the best interests of the American people."
- A person who believes the public should be emancipated "from the responsibilities of being a U.S. citizen, including paying taxes."
- A person who believes in "conspiracy theories," including the formation of global government and a police state, as indicators of extremist or sovereign-citizen ideology.
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Related Articles:
- Public Intelligence: Preventing Violent Extremism in Schools Guide
- FBI.gov: Sovereign Citizens: A Growing Domestic Threat to Law Enforcement