domestic terrorism | PROBABLE CAUSE

Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck, and Chris Pine have all played Jack Ryan on the big screen. Now, Amazon’s Prime Video offers its take with an action-filled eight-part series starring John Krasinski as the CIA analyst hero.

The big-budget production values are first-rate as are the compelling performances by Krasinski, The Wire’s Wendell Pierce as Chief James Greer, Ali Suliman as the terrorist, Mousa Bin Suleiman, and Dina Shihabi as his wife, Hanin.

Season 1 of the series (reportedly, there will be a season 2) is another example of how Amazon and Neflix are producing some of the best series on the small screen.

I highly recommend you check it out. Amazon Prime members can watch for free.

Here’s a peek at the trailer:

Remember when The Department of Homeland Security issued its April 7 report warning law enforcement officials about a rise in “rightwing extremist activity.” The report warned that the economic recession, the election of America’s first black president and the return of a few disgruntled war veterans could increase the number of hate crimes. The nine-page document entitled, “Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment,” was sent to police and sheriff’s departments across the country.

Remember when Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano was forced to issue an apology after conservatives vehemently objected to the report and claimed that the government considered anyone a terrorist threat if they opposed abortion, owned a gun or were a returning war veteran.

Remember when the Obama administration issued a warning about left-wing extremists last January and conservatives strenuously objected. Okay, that’s a trick question. I don’t remember hearing objections from conservatives and neither do you because it never happened. As a matter of fact, I don’t remember liberals objecting to the report either. Both reports, by the way, were initiated during the administration of George W. Bush.

The Homeland Security Office of Intelligence and Analysis defines “rightwing extremism in the United States” as including both racist or hate groups, and also groups that reject federal authority in favor of state or local authority. “It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single-issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration.”

Now, following the recent killings in Little Rock, Arkansas, Wichita, Kansas and at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C., Attorney General Eric Holder called for new hate crimes laws to stop what he called “violence masquerading as political activism.” Holder wants Congress to pass an updated version of hate crimes legislation in order to more effectively prosecute those who commit violent attacks based on ethnicity, gender, disability or sexual orientation.

His call comes at a time when there has been a surge in white supremacist activity. 2007 statistics compiled by the FBI indicate that hate crime against, blacks, Hispanics, Jews, Arab-Americans and Muslims have risen since 2001, as has crimes perpetuated against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals.

The Southern Poverty Law Center reported in February that the number of hate groups has risen by more than 50 percent since 2000. It attributed the growth mainly to fears about nonwhite immigration, but said Obama’s election and the downward economy also were contributing factors.

It appears that the Justice Department and federal law enforcement may finally be willing to act against right wing extremists. Still, I believe we have far more to fear from domestic terrorists than we do from al Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden.