White, Christian males are under economic stress. Their standard of living has fallen by more than 20 percent since former President Ronald Reagan broke the air traffic controllers union in the 1980s. Their culture of paternalistic families, guns and Christianity seems to them to be under attack as America’s demographics change. Their waning influence has been confirmed by the election of a black American as president.

Since 2008, anti-government patriot groups have exploded from a few hundred to 1,360 — an increase of 813 percent; 44 percent of the Republican Party now believes armed revolution may be necessary.

Republican-controlled state after state passes “nullification laws” barring execution of federal law in their state.

Newspapers in Maine have carried comments that the purpose of the Second Amendment is to maintain a civilian population at least as well armed as the police and military.

The nation’s military and its service academies have been infiltrated by radical anti-government Christians. “The Army of God” and others have been waging a terrorist anti-government bombing campaign. The new president of the National Rifle Association characterizes the Civil War as the “War of Northern Aggression” and echoes the words of Jefferson Davis in 1858 to take up arms, either to defend the nation or overthrow the federal government.

I hope the Department of Homeland Security recognizes the increased threat of domestic terrorism and the need to create an inter-agency task force to assess the adequacy of federal resources devoted to this threat.

Jonathan Albrecht, Dixfield