Code Red: John Kerry's Neighborhood Terrorist Watch

The Associated Press reports that John Kerry is calling on Americans to "do more to protect themselves against terrorism by setting up neighborhood watch groups":

Americans should do more to protect themselves against terrorism by setting up neighborhood watch groups, Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry said.

"If we do that to protect ourselves against vandals or a burglary, why would we not do it to protect ourselves against a terrorist?" Kerry asked during an interview Saturday with reporters aboard his campaign train. ("Be on Watch for Terror, Kerry Says," Newsday, August 9, 2004)

Rush Limbaugh wails that, for the umpteenth time, the Democrats are stealing a Republican idea:

Now, okay, you know, Ashcroft suggested a TIPS program. Remember what the libs did? "Why, that's civil rights violation! Why, whistle-blowers! Why, you can't allow that! Why, it's prejudice and bias!" Now they're out there basically suggesting the same things. What are these neighborhood watch groups going to watch for, and when they see something suspicious, what are they going to do, report it, or would that be offensive? What's a neighborhood watch group supposed to do? ("Kerry Copies Ashcroft, Calls for Terror Watchers," The Rush Limbaugh Shaw, August 9, 2004)

Read Bill Berkowitz's May 24, 2002 article, and you'd agree with me that Limbaugh got a point:

With the familiar strains of "Heeeeere's Johnny" resounding throughout the auditorium, professional sidekick Ed McMahon introduced Attorney General John Ashcroft to an enthusiastic audience of representatives from more than 300 Neighborhood Watch groups meeting in Washington, D.C., in early March. Ashcroft was unveiling a new and expanded mission for the Neighborhood Watch Program. He announced a grant of $1.9 million in federal funds to help the National Sheriffs' Association double the number of participant groups to 15,000 nationwide.

Up to now, Neighborhood Watch has been a fairly low-key crime-prevention tool focused on break-ins and burglaries. But all that is changing, as the Bush Administration has earmarked it for a broader role -- surveillance in the service of the "war on terrorism."

"President Bush has announced that, with the help of the National Sheriffs' Association, the Neighborhood Watch Program will be taking on new significance," according to the government's web page. "Community residents will be provided with information which will enable them to recognize signs of potential terrorist activity, and to know how to report that activity, making these residents a critical element in the detection, prevention, and disruption of terrorism." ("AmeriSnitch," The Progressive, May 2002)

Constantly threatened by the Democratic Party's copycat Republican attacks like this one, what are liberals and leftists to do?

Drum roll, please. . . .

Here's my brand-new color-coded advisory system that allows liberals and leftists to evaluate Threat Conditions and take corresponding Protective Measures:

The current threat level?