This page serves as an archive reference for content previously hosted on Viddler.com, a video hosting platform that operated from 2006 to 2022. The original video content was shared by user "trama" and discussed concerns about the labeling of political dissent as "homegrown terrorism" in America.

About the Original Content

The video that was once hosted here related to a critical analysis of the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007 (H.R. 1955/S. 1959). This controversial legislation passed the House of Representatives on October 23, 2007, with little public attention or media coverage before moving to Senate committee consideration.

The content examined concerns that the bill's vague language around terms like "extremist belief system," "violence," and "facilitating" could potentially criminalize legitimate political dissent. Critics at the time referred to it as the "Thought Crimes Act of 2007" due to provisions that could be interpreted as creating legal penalties for "planned" activities rather than just actions.

Key Concerns Highlighted

The original video likely discussed several troubling aspects of the legislation:

• The ambiguous definition of "violent radicalization" as "the process of adopting or promoting an extremist belief system for the purpose of facilitating ideologically based violence"
• The equally problematic definition of "homegrown terrorism"
• The lack of clear examples or boundaries for what constitutes these offenses
• The potential impact on First Amendment rights and civil liberties
• The limited public awareness about the bill despite its far-reaching implications

Historical Context

This content appeared during a period of heightened security concerns in America following the September 11 attacks, when numerous laws and policies were implemented that expanded government surveillance and security powers. Civil liberties advocates were particularly concerned about the potential overreach of such legislation.

The original article reference came from NewsWithViews.com, authored by Steven Yates on December 2, 2007, titled "DISSENT IN AMERICA TO BE RELABELED 'HOMEGROWN TERRORISM' PART 1 of 2."

Original Reference

This video was linked from ArkansasFreedom.net, where the topic was discussed in the context of civil liberties and government overreach concerns. The original article that likely informed this video can potentially be found in news archives from December 2007.