Mar
03
244%
ByFrom ThinkProgress:
A new report by the Southern Poverty Law Center has unearthed shocking data about the rise of militias, antigovernment groups, and other right-wing extremist groups. The report, titled “Rage on the Right,†has found that there has been an increase of 244 percent in the number of these extremist groups in 2009…
46 Comments
March 3rd, 2010 at 2:18 pm
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March 3rd, 2010 at 5:32 pm
Typical load of crap by an organization demonstrated to be a covert front for the federal government, before the Oklahoma Murrah building bombing, which according to formerly sealed court case US vs VIEFEAUS, HOWE, BATF informant Carol Howe revealed prior knowledge by SPLC/BATF of the bombing plot being carried out with assistance of 7 agents /informants and a German national who advocated “blowing up buildings” with explosives provided by an FBI informant Now these folks with blood on their hands want to protect us from “racists” who want the Federal Government to enforce federal immigration laws, and “extremists” who think the Federal Government’s employees should obey the oath they took to uphold the Constitution.
March 3rd, 2010 at 6:02 pm
Arming and preparing for what exactly?
If you don’t prefer a people afraid of its government, I’m not finding that in the Tea Party movement. It seems to me many of these people are motivated solely by fear of the government. Irrational fears, conspiracy theories, aka paranoia.
What “drastic actions” do you foresee should the Tea Parties fail?
Me? I’m happy with the charter the way it is. I would not trust the extreme right wing with “revoking” it. They would just replace the imagined tyranny with real tyranny.
March 3rd, 2010 at 6:03 pm
It’s a big mistake on the part of SPLC to characterize any antigovernment militia as “right wing”. There is plenty of antigovernment common ground between people nominally on both wings with lots in common against ruling elites. Locally the commonalities between bus density smartgrowth and property rights aganist the NIMBYs is a huge example.
March 3rd, 2010 at 7:05 pm
anti-government extremism?
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March 3rd, 2010 at 7:32 pm
Covert Front? If so, then it’s a covert front I can get behind!
“…an informant operation being conducted by nationally known civil rights lawyer Morris Dees through his organization the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).
In some detail the FBI acknowledged the SPLC was engaged in an undercover role where it monitored subjects for the FBI believed to be linked to executed bomber Timothy McVeigh, the white supremacist compound at Elohim City and the mysterious German national Andreas Carl Strassmeir.”
You make some enormous leaps of reason to consistently end up at conspiracies, Jim. It’s a talent.
Here are some of the extremist groups in North Carolina listed at the SPLC site. You decide…
- The League of the South is a neo-Confederate group that advocates for a second Southern secession and a society dominated by “European Americans.†The league believes the “godly†nation it wants to form should be run by an “Anglo-Celtic†(read: white) elite that would establish a Christian theocratic state
- White Revolution is a neo-Nazi group that employs the most violent language and works with some of the most virulent leaders in the world of white supremacy, while claiming to remain legal.
- Great Knights of the Ku Klux Klan
- The Council of Conservative Citizens (CCC) is the modern reincarnation of the old White Citizens Councils, which were formed in the 1950s and 1960s to battle school desegregation in the South. Created in 1985 from the mailing lists of its predecessor organization, the CCC, which initially tried to project a “mainstream” image, has evolved into a crudely white supremacist group whose website has run pictures comparing pop singer Michael Jackson to an ape and referred to blacks as “a retrograde species of humanity.”
- The National Alliance (NA) was for decades the most dangerous and best organized neo-Nazi formation in America. Explicitly genocidal in its ideology, NA materials call for the eradication of the Jews and other races — what a principal foundational document describes as “a temporary unpleasantness” — and the creation of an all-white homeland.
March 3rd, 2010 at 7:56 pm
Dear nut cases above, let me guess. Obama isn’t your President. His race is offensive to you. You have small penises.
March 3rd, 2010 at 8:13 pm
I’d rather not speculate on the size of Thunder Pig’s junk, randall.
March 3rd, 2010 at 8:45 pm
Yes, do indeed refer to people with whom you don’t agree as “nut cases”. That’s sure to help heal the divisions that plague and weaken us. And why the derision toward “conspiracy theorists”? Is it more intelligent to be a “coincidence theorist”? Drop the lazy name calling, find some common ground, and DO something.
March 3rd, 2010 at 8:52 pm
I’d also like to know for what. Were ya’ll arming and preparing whilst Bush II was using the Constitution as ass paper? Or are you going to tell us how Obama has secret plans to turn the US into a Muslim Theocratic-Socialist state by making sure people don’t have to lose their homes just because they get sick (I kind of hope it happens soon, as these UN Stormtroopers who I have quartered in my basement are telling me their trigger fingers are getting itchy). Or is Obama the Anti-Christ? Which is it? Because if you were to look at it with even an iota of real subjectivity you would see that Obama is actually less “liberal” than Nixon.
“if you gaze long enough into an Abyss…”
March 3rd, 2010 at 10:05 pm
Just in case you’re interested in the volume of FBI teletypes regarding SPLC, FBI, and Strassmier (revealed as be known to be residing in Black Mountain NC after the bombing and not even interviewed until after having left the country, despite C.I Howe’s assertions, SPLC’s information from on the ground at Elohim City about Strassmier’s close relations with McVeigh) released after Jesse Trentadue’s FOIA lawsuit concerning his brother having been beaten to death by FBI while in custody having been mistaken for John Doe 2. http://intelfiles.egoplex.com/trentadue-foia-complete.pdf I didn’t make this up, co-conspirators ignored by investigators, suppressed evidence, and false testimony in court would lead to a conclusion of conspiracy, like it or not. As to your NC list having unpopular (and wrong) opinions lacking evidence of criminal acts is not illegal, however are these folks mentioned by SPLC?
March 3rd, 2010 at 10:37 pm
Ok, I apologize. They just seem like nut cases to me and since I’m not a medical professional, I am not qualified to make that diagnosis.
I think far right, neo-nazi, racist, reactionaries are evil and dangerous. Is that ok? Common ground? They seem to hate the United States that I served during Viet Nam. The hatred they spew goes against everything I believe. I DO something everyday to move my country forward, not backward. I don’t hold hands and sing campfire songs with evil, I fight it.
March 4th, 2010 at 7:01 am
@Shadmarsh
I’ve been prepping since Reagan was President. My biggest arms purchase was while W was President (if you don’t count what I sent to help out the Contras
), and my greatest ammo purchase was while Obama was President.
As far as neo-Nazis, the Stormfront, or the Smoky Mtn Resistance (the leader of that group lives and owns a business in Haywood County, as does his wife) goes…they are an enemy of humanity, I’ve spent my life working against those types and relish sending them to prison.
Does the SPLC recognize the danger of Islamic terror groups and jihadi training camps operating in America?
March 4th, 2010 at 7:38 am
Preparing for what tho?
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March 4th, 2010 at 9:22 am
We have the framework for our government to be of the people and by the people. Unfortunately there are a lot of folks who can’t be bothered to help make the community, the state, and the nation better, or recognize that taxation with representation is an effective way to provide for the common good.
Those who are afraid of a democratically elected government should get off their asses and participate. Democracy, as Churchill noted, is the worst form of government ever invented by humans … except for all the rest.
March 4th, 2010 at 10:37 am
The 2010 Census!
March 4th, 2010 at 4:31 pm
I was thinking that Bobby was thinking more along the lines of The Rapture, which is why this convenient and affordable solution gives me a certain peace of mind.
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March 4th, 2010 at 5:43 pm
Would this be a bad time to mention I am employed by the Bureau of the Census?
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March 4th, 2010 at 6:22 pm
Disturbing link between Tea Baggery and Neo Nazis.
March 5th, 2010 at 2:18 am
Another crock of shit, beside all the skinhead,kkk,specious links to tea parties propaganda, is the outright disinformation about the political/legislative history of the US. Former slaves DID gain FEDERAL citizenship with the 14th amendment (state citizenship with the civil rights act of 1866) a status not existing before for black or white people, but definitely a improvement over property (as slaves).Common law? Try looking at a law dictionary to see how ridiculous the assertion it doesn’t exist is. Federal Reserve act? My 1928 Fed notes say they are “redeemable in LAWFUL MONEY”, (gold,silver) as a note is evidence of debt. On March 4,1933 Roosevelt claimed that Americans were “hoarding” gold (not Fed “notes”)in Presidential proclamation 2039, and closed the banks on March 9 acting under the “war powers” (P.P. 2040) not delegated to him until later with the “1917 Trading With the Enemy Act” now amended to include Americans (previously EXCLUDED) as ENEMIES. (12 USC 95 a,b) State/federal citizenship? try Cruikshank vs U.S. (apparently even JUDGES can be “neo-nazi” “conspiracy theorists”, even before nazis existed). Try opening a book some time and stop being lied to by agenda driven propagandists, you might learn something.
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March 5th, 2010 at 11:18 am
I agree with Jim (for the most part, anyway).
Attempting to make some connection between the Tea Party Folks and Neo-Nazis is insulting and unfair. It’s been my experience that while some elements may be a little nutty, they are about as un-Neo-Nazi as you can get.
MM
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March 6th, 2010 at 12:32 am
“Some correlation” is unfair? The roots of this movement are clear to anyone who looks deeper than the shell. I’m not saying that the financiers, aka Dick the Armey/Freedom Works are neo-nazis. I’m not saying that the Mom and Pops dissatisfied with government and in need of a voice are neo-nazis. I am simply saying that I believe the far right fringe of our society are the well oiled, under the radar ground soldiers of this movement. The ones arming and packing against the black helicopters and the Fed. The ones that blow up babies at Federal buildings.
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March 6th, 2010 at 1:13 am
“Some correlation”? You are kidding right? The recent shallow roots of the TP movement are based on a Glenn Beck promoted, Dick Armey financed program using well oiled far right shadow militias as foot soldiers. Dig a little deeper Michael. I’m not talking about the Mom and Pops that need a voice. I’m talking about the deep roots of the movement.
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March 6th, 2010 at 7:02 am
Several people asked, “preparing for what?” Preparing for having to resort to force of arms to take our government back (or at the very least, make their lives a living hell, full of fear of the sound of a most inconvenient rifle or pistol shot) if that should ever become necessary in extremis when all other methods have failed. Surely some of you know the history of the colonies at how long we endured mistreatment by the British. It was taxation then that brought the revolution. Who knows what it will be that brings the next?
I know that Lefties get nervous about the idea that citizens can own firearms in this nation, especially since this nation was founded by armed citizens. The proverb “An armed man is a citizen. An unarmed man is a subject/slave.” states the situation more succinctly than I can, and our first president, George Washington spells it out for us in this quote:
“Firearms stand next in importance to the constitution itself. They are the American people’s liberty teeth and keystone under independence … from the hour the Pilgrims landed to the present day, events, occurences and tendencies prove that to ensure peace security and happiness, the rifle and pistol are equally indispensable … the very atmosphere of firearms anywhere restrains evil interference — they deserve a place of honor with all that’s good.”
About “neo-Nazis” and the Tea Parties
There is a connection between the haters (the white supremacist kind) and the Tea Parties. They think it is a movement that they can infiltrate. Some believe that they can recruit members there, some believe that they can rise to positions of leadership.
Like all political movements, the Tea Parties are ripe for infiltration by people who seek to use it for their own ends. [Stormfront example from last April] read the whole thread. You’ll note an awareness by the posters that they will have to infiltrate these events by not revealing their affiliation with a racist organization until they are sure they will be accepted. They know that to announce their affiliation publicly would expose them to scorn and that they would not be welcome at the event.
It is for this reason that I believe all those who attend Tea Parties should be on the lookout for these people and make them aware that their philosophy is unwelcome and, when they are discovered, kick them out after publicly exposing them for what they are. These people should not be suffered to have ANY part in the public discourse. This is one zero tolerance policy I can buy into.
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March 6th, 2010 at 7:11 am
@randallt:
Dick Armey’s army has certainly tried their best to co-opt the movement. Many Tea Parties were financed by Freedom Works, including the one in Franklin. Asheville’s Tea Party is not a creation of Freedom Works. That is a point in their favor.
I think that you have the Tea parties confused with the 9-12 Project that was created by Glenn Beck. They do have considerable cross over in member participation because the goals of both are essentially the same, although Beck’s Project would have been the better route…because it was founded to get people involved on the local level while the Tea Party types have been myopically focused on the federal level where their voices matter least.
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March 6th, 2010 at 10:30 am
Thanks for your clear response TP.
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March 6th, 2010 at 9:19 pm
@Bobby: I’d like to think that all political movements would be able to eliminate the racist elements. I remember encountering a very nice elderly woman at a 2008 Obama event who revealed herself to be a rabid anti-Semite. It was a much-needed reality check; possibly something worthwhile for a “Bumper Sticker Progressive” to remember the next time he or she insists that “socialist is the new black”.
A little-known fact: I was once an NRA member. My membership lapsed in 1988. Although I’m not currently a gun owner (I had a Glock 31 for protection before moving to WNC, though), I’m still a pretty good shot.
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March 7th, 2010 at 7:25 am
@Deus Ex Machina:
There will be racists among us as long as we, as a society, allow it to continue and not assign a taboo to the people who believe that way.
OT
I was once a member of the NRA myself. I switched to the GOA (Gun Owners of America). It does what the NRA used to do.
An even better organization is Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership. Even though I’m not Jewish, I still joined this organization because it is better than the BOTH the NRA and GOA. I love to print their handbills and leave them in public places.
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March 7th, 2010 at 9:04 am
“Preparing for having to resort to force of arms to take our government back (or at the very least, make their lives a living hell, full of fear of the sound of a most inconvenient rifle or pistol shot) if that should ever become necessary in extremis when all other methods have failed.”
Who decides what “our” government is or should be? Or when the time is ripe to begin this war? Those with the biggest stockpile of guns (outside the military/law enforcement)? And if a significant portion of those with the most guns believe that jews, blacks, gays or non-Christians are the enemy (essentially anyone who lives or believes differently than the armed militia tribe), but some of you don’t, who’s going to come out on top? The “tolerant” militia band versus the “hate filled” brigade? And while you wage your little war, how many innocent bystanders will become casualties?
Neighbor versus neighbor in an “I’ve got the biggest/most guns so I decide what the Constitution really means” battle is the kind of vision that fills many family folks like me with dread.
March 7th, 2010 at 10:10 am
@Kristin:
No government instituted by men can be permanent.
“Who will decide?” Who knows? If things remain the same or improve, that decision will not have to be made. If our rights continue to be usurped, then I hope that it will be decided by the very same type of people who decided in the 1770′s that they had enough of being subjugated and treated unjustly by the British. The very same type of person will eventually decide that they’ve had enough and hit the reset button on America. Currently, our government is the oldest in the world right now. Eventually, our government will fall, as all others have. When our government was formed, the Chinese were ruled by the Manchu’s of he Qing Dynasty (The Qianlong Emperor), Britain by King George III (under the aegis of the Kingdom of Britain), and France by King Louis XVI.
An armed civilian population should make you feel safe, unless you happen to find yourself in a “Gun Free Zone” where only criminals are armed. A very heavily armed civilian population protected Switzerland from being invaded by Germany during WWII and saved tens of thousands of Swiss from death by invasion or concentration camp.
Armed civilians can stop crime in it’s tracks. I speak of this first hand, having shot two armed robbers in the act of pointing and waving illegally obtained weapons in the faces of several people…including children.
People like you would have robbed me of my right of self-defense, and of the option of defending those around me from criminals.
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March 7th, 2010 at 3:03 pm
@Bobby
I’ve read Edward Abbey.
“People like you would have robbed me of my right of self-defense, and of the option of defending those around me from criminals.” There’s a big difference between supporting your right to bear arms and your right to a private armory with the intent of possible war against the government. Don’t care how you pare that down with your hair-splitting rebuttals; a couple of hunting rifles or a hand gun or two is not the same as a Koresh-esque stockpile.
The logic of 1770′s comparison falls on its ass. The world is different; our country is different. The “arms” of then & now–GROSSLY different–the capacity for mass slaughter is vastly higher now than it was then. The rights you passionately wish to defend have themselves changed. As a woman, I’m not too eager to revisit the glory days of the 1770′s when I had no voice in government nor much occupational potential outside birthin’ babies.
So I am to overcome my fear of heavily armed wing-nuts by stockpiling my own arsenal? Sounds like the astute logic of the cold war. I’m not pro-government. But I find the path of folks like Ghandi and MLK more human and evolved than this cave man–me gettum big stick, protectem me ideology–mentality.
March 7th, 2010 at 6:22 pm
Randall et al.,
Interesting article over at AlterNet on The Oath Keepers.
MM
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March 7th, 2010 at 7:00 pm
Thanks for linking that Michael. Chilling. I’ve known about the Oath Keepers for awhile but this is fresh and important insight. Following is a great example of why we should be concerned more than ever.
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March 7th, 2010 at 11:16 pm
@Mr. Coggins.
I don’t have a problem with guns, Mr. Coggins. A gun is an inanimate object. It’s people that disturb me. While “an armed population should make you feel safe”, it doesn’t. What makes me feel very unsafe is the simple fact that “armed” does not mean responsible. Just owning a gun doesn’t mean you’re trained to use it or even care for it properly. And even being trained to aim at and hit a target doesn’t mean you’re trained or prepared to use that weapon in a high-stress situation against someone who can shoot back. Sure, an “armed civilian” can stop crime in it’s tracks. That same “armed civilian” can just as easily take out an innocent life because they aren’t trained to stop crime. Would you be go quick to brag about stopping “two armed robbers” if one of your shots had ricocheted or gone through one of them and killed one of those children? Or would that have been what’s called “collateral damage”?
Just because someone has the right to own a gun, doesn’t mean they’ve proved themselves responsible enough to do so. That isn’t a given, Mr. Coggins.
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March 8th, 2010 at 11:12 am
Oh,yeah, thanks for the Oath Keepers link, Michael. I need a handful of aspirin after reading that.
A “comment” is impossible as the problem has such depth and breadth.
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March 8th, 2010 at 4:56 pm
@Kristin: You said
Apparently you are unfamiliar with the practices of modern warfare. Just as the colonists refused to follow the accepted practice of lining up and slugging it out with British forces in the open, modern day guerrilla warfare techniques involve more than running out and getting slaughtered. The terrain (political, physical, psychological) is studied, force multipliers are used to make effective kill zones. The infrastructure (roads, bridges, electrical grids, Telephone Towers, Internet switching nodes, water & sewer systems, etc) are studied and reconnoitered in detail. Police & military logistics, strategy and tactics are studied and practiced. (Most often this is done by joining these organizations, sometimes making a career out of it).
No, you don’t have to have your own stockpile to be safe in public.
The very 1st step in protecting yourself is situational awareness. Another might be a self-defense course to help you learn certain things that can defuse situations before they get out of hand or protect you if they do. Take a handgun course. You’ll find that the vast majority of those who own firearms are very careful about safety and do not have a hair-trigger mentality you seem to ascribe gun enthusiasts. There are over 200 million handguns in private ownership in the USA. Only an infinitesimally small number of those are ever fired at a living person.
@Jessica B: It’s good to see you again! (if you’re the same person from other online forums)
My very first firearms class (other than what I was informally taught by my father and others in my family) was in a 9th grade hunting and boating course. (Of course, the idea of bringing firearms on school campuses is frowned upon these days).
In my later various firearms-related classes, including CCW (Concealed Carry Weapons)classes we had very extensive classroom and range instruction.
Most of the times I’ve encountered dangerous situations I have notified law enforcement via cell phone or radio and not drawn my weapon because I felt that there was not an imminent threat to life. Only in those two situations above have I lawfully drawn a weapon.
A person does not have to “prove themselves responsible” to own a firearm. Being able to own a firearm is a right.
When you regulate rights, they are no longer rights, but privileges.
Rights are given to men by the Creator, and privileges are granted by the government. There is a huge difference.
And from one of my favorite Founding Fathers,
.
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March 8th, 2010 at 10:51 pm
@ Bobby Coggins:
After some of our last exchanges, I’m surprised you’d think it was good to see me, Mr. Coggins. I’m not a fan of your attitudes towards the LGBT community, or of some of the lies and myths about said community you (based on articles on your own blog) and many of the extreme right promote. You speak of someone “usurping your rights” yet seem quite happy to deny rights to those who don’t fit your mold.
Rights carry responsibilities, sometimes heavy ones, whether you want to admit it or not. The Right to Free Speech doesn’t not give one the right to lie or to slander someone falsely. It does not give one the right to yell “fire” in a crowd when there is no fire.
The fact that one has the “Right” to own a weapon, does not guarantee that one has the common sense to do so. Without responsibility as a guide, that “Right” could easily lead to tragedy, and often does.
Not everyone has your training, Mr. Coggins. Too many people seem to think that being able to pull a trigger automatically makes them safe. It doesn’t. As Robert Heinlein said in his novel, Tunnel in the Sky: “One time in a hundred a gun might save your life; the other ninety nine it will just tempt you into folly.” I’d rather see regulation requiring proper training in handguns to be an owner, than see someone untrained lose their life or cost someone else theirs.
March 8th, 2010 at 11:58 pm
Is anyone here NOT a member of a Militia? http://www.ncleg.net/gascripts/Statutes/StatutesTOC.pl?Chapter=0127A
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March 9th, 2010 at 7:15 am
Don’t forget holding a gun in your hand gives one the false sense of power.
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March 9th, 2010 at 5:00 pm
@Jessica B: I guess unlike you, I can be happy to see or communicate with people I disagree with on issues.
Would you require people receive proper training before they are allowed to speak or to gather in public? To exercise their right to be safe from warrantless searches & seizures? Or any number of other things guaranteed us in the Bill of Rights?
You’re mighty selective on your Heinlein quotes. Here’s a couple you overlooked:
and
Methinks Lefties are afraid of their fellows being armed is summed up nicely in those two quotes.
@shadmarsh:
LOL. Criminals certainly feel powerful when they’re the only ones holding a weapon…most especially if they are doing so in a Free Slaughter Zone, I mean a Gun Free Zone.
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March 9th, 2010 at 10:11 pm
Guns don’t give me a feeling of power, but metallic silhouettes cringe at the sight of my .22 rimfire.
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March 10th, 2010 at 12:22 am
@ Bobby Coggins
Comparing public speaking, or any of the other items you mention to carrying a deadly weapon is more than a little ridiculous, Mr. Coggins. It isn’t even comparing apples to oranges, more like apples to orangutans.
As I said before, I don’t have a problem with guns. Guns aren’t the problem. I do have a major problem with irresponsible people, and arming them doesn’t help the matter.
As for being afraid of my “fellows being armed”, I’m apparently less ruled by fear than you, Mr. Coggins, based on your statements so far. If you’re fearful and paranoid, a gun is the answer. If you’re smart and resourceful, it’s merely one of the options.
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March 10th, 2010 at 5:32 am
@Jessica B:
I realize that people on the Left think these things are apples and oranges because they fail to recognize that they are all pre-existing rights that are guaranteed in the Bill of Rights of the US Constitution. Nearly 100 million of our fellow citizens own firearms. The fact remains that the overwhelming majority are never fired at another person, or even drawn against a threat.
I’m also guessing that you failed to read my previous posts, or having done so, ignored the contents. I clearly wrote:
The same is true of the millions of others who carry weapons in public. They only resort to using them as a last resort. Even most police officers never use their weapons in the line of duty during the course of their entire careers.
I think perhaps you might be projecting when you assign fear and paranoia to the ownership of firearms.
There are over 3,500 of your fellow residents in Buncombe County who have concealed carry (over 150,000 in NC) [PDF of stats] and an unknown number of visitors from the other 30 states who practice the same right (North Carolina is a ‘Right-to-Carry’ state, so it has to be proven that you cannot be trusted with a firearm before you can be denied). Odds are, on most days, you need only to reach out within arm’s distance to touch someone who is practicing his/her 2nd Amendment right to bear arms.
That you think that people should be assumed to be irresponsible is your problem, not theirs.
.
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March 10th, 2010 at 8:07 am
“I guess unlike you, I can be happy to see or communicate with people I disagree with on issues.” Spouting off the same tired rhetoric/propaganda over & over is communicating?
“I realize that people on the Left think these things are apples and oranges because they fail to recognize that they are all pre-existing rights that are guaranteed in the Bill of Rights of the US Constitution.”
Again with the Constitution. And yet above you (patronizingly) informed me that “No government instituted by men can be permanent.” Perhaps the Constitution was divinely inspired by God, like The Bible? And thus ought not to have been subject to any amendments based on the changing perspective and needs of the people….? Many folks think so. Am I saying your precious right to arms needs to be withdrawn?–absolutely not. But I am happy that changes were made that granted women and African Americans equal status as citizens and human beings. And I appreciate that the government that was constructed–by human men, in my opinion–was done so within a specific historic and socio-cultural context. As the country has changed, so has the Constitution. But like you say, it isn’t permanent. The last administration hacked away at our rights and it appears this one is doing little to reverse the damage. So I agree with you that we absolutely should not be complacent. Where I disagree is on the method–I favor approaches to government accountability that do not involve preparing for war.
The original post here was specifically about the astonishing rise in militia activity–groups banding together with the specific intention to arm themselves–not for the sake of personal safety or protection, but to rise up against the government. To declare another American Revolution if they believe it is necessary. As you said yourself:
“I’ve been prepping since Reagan was President. My biggest arms purchase was while W was President (if you don’t count what I sent to help out the Contras ), and my greatest ammo purchase was while Obama was President.”
The real focus here isn’t your god-given, I mean Constitutional right to own guns, but the ethics of preparing for a war. Folks who own guns for practical reasons do not alarm me, but I am personally glad there are government agents tracking organized militia efforts. Your motives and perceptions belong to you, so of course you think they are sane and just. But so do the neo-nazis and racists who dismiss the humanity in some of their fellow citizens.
And while I appreciated your mini-lecture on the “precision” of modern warfare, you cannot tell me that today the lives and well being of innocent people are completely spared. War is hell; no matter how righteous or noble people believe the cause to be–it is always hell.
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March 10th, 2010 at 11:46 am
@ BobbyCoggins
I have read your comments, Mr. Coggins. I think it’s great that you have the proper training to be a responsible gun owner and user. I also know that while millions of people own firearms, neither you nor I have any way of knowing how many of them are as well trained as you, if they’ve had any training at all. I’m not anti-gun, Mr. Coggins, no matter how much you might want to portray me as such here and on your own site. I am pro-responsibility, and if you have an issue with that, too bad.
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March 10th, 2010 at 10:17 pm
Does gun control reduce violent crime?
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