We hear every day about the "weaponization" of the DOJ and FBI, and it feels as though there is weaponization.  But I am forced to ask: how can the federal intelligence and criminal divisions target everyday patriotic Americans?  Don't they need a reason to get involved in potential local criminal matters?

I think I am understanding better after really thinking through A.G. Garland's response to questions about the parents at school board meets and Catholics being domestic terrorists.  Most rational people thought labeling them domestic terrorists was ridiculous.  But, in questioning by Senate and House Republicans, the standard response was that the FBI and DOJ were investigating violence and threats of violence.  The inference is that threats of violence are coming from domestic terrorists.

I have not seen one Republican pursue this line of questioning:

A.G. Garland/Director Wray, you keep referencing that you put the memo out to investigate violence and threats of violence.  But the FBI and DOJ do not investigate violence or threats of violence unless there is a federal nexus and they are invited in by local law enforcement.  Isn't each of these situations a local matter?  Did a local jurisdiction invite you in?  If so, who?

And, if these are a local matter, is preening on about violence and threats of violence just an excuse to label parents and Catholics domestic terrorists to create a federal nexus out of thin air to allow your agents to open these investigations?

Why should patriots care?

We always need to understand the "how."  If the Democrats and liberals can manufacture a federal nexus out of thin air, then they can investigate anyone for any made up reason.  Director Wray and A.G. Garland continue to push the farce that domestic extremism is the number-one problem for law enforcement.  I think this is why.

We know that the liberals want to define violence to be words they don't like or behavior they don't like.  So what's next?  Going to high school football games and yelling for your team is violence, and therefore you must be a domestic terrorist? Objecting to an open border is violence?  Using facts and logic to win arguments about racial disparities (there are few actual racial disparities these days) or saying man-made climate alarmism is a waste of time because the claims of a man-made crisis are fake?  We see many liberals claim that flying the American flag or other patriotic symbols is violence, and the next logical step is to label us domestic terrorists.  Nonviolent pro-life protesters are being labeled domestic terrorists in order to lock them up and send a message.

Where are the true conservatives in Congress?  If I can figure this out, they should have, and they should already be taking steps to stop this abuse.  Conservatives in Congress should be able to see through this false claim and directly confront A.G. Garland and Director Wray with the stone-cold truth.  They are manufacturing the label "domestic terrorist" to manufacture a "crisis" requiring federal intervention.  And then, after directly confronting this for the American people to see, they can start to shut it down.  The leadership of federal intelligence and law enforcement establishments must be held to account for manufacturing a federal nexus on local matters out of thin air.

All Americans should care, because tomorrow, you may be the next target and declared a domestic terrorist for availing yourself of your First Amendment rights.  Remember, they don't have to convict you to destroy your life.  Just labeling you and investigating you is often enough to ruin any American.

Maker S. Mark (a pseudonym) is a patriot who can understand and explain advanced math and science and is worried about the state of the nation and how to solve the problems we face. United we stand, divided we fall.

Image: Tom Ahearn via Flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0 (cropped).