Militia Groups on the Rise in the U.S.
Across the U.S., militia groups are reorganizing and according to researchers, could grow rapidly. It's hardly surprising given the turbulent state of affairs in the world right now - economic crisis, war, and various other gripes against the government.
According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, amongst the causes for the rise in these groups are the stresses of a poor economy and a liberal administration led by a minority president. A conspiracy theory that Mexico has a secret plan to reclaim the American southwest is also spreading along with the debate over illegal immigration.
Special Agent Bart McEntire with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives says that this is the most growth he has seen in more than a decade in militia groups. The SPLC report, which was released Wednesday, says the growth is reminiscent of what was seen during the 1990's - people ideologically against paying taxes, right-wing militiars, and "sovereign citizens" are popping up left and right in large numbers.
However, according to the report, while anti-government sentiment has been on the rise in the past two years, there haven't been as many threats and violent acts at this point as there were in the 90s. But researchers worry that it is only a matter of time.
The 1990s movement grew out of concerns about gun control, environmental laws and basically whatever could possibly construed as liberal government meddling and intervention. It was characterized by the 1995 bombing of a federal building in Oklahoma City by Timothy McVeigh, which killed 168 people. Concern is now rising that something similar could happen again soon.
The militias of today are mainly concentrated in the Midwest, Pacific Northwest and the Deep South. In the past few months, the SPLC found 50 new groups that have formed.
The conditions are ripe for such militias to rise up and gain new membership. With a liberal President in office and a predominantly Democratic Congress, things like the government bailout of the financial and auto industries and proposed universal healthcare have really gotten under the skin of some Americans. With the more widespread availability and adoption of the internet today, it's also a lot easier for these militia groups to get out their messages and recruit new members. Just last year, an Ohio militia put a recruitment video on YouTube. To date, it has more than 60,000 views.
The SPLC believes that the only thing missing from today's movement is a spark. In the 1990s that spark came in 1992 during an FBI standoff with white separatist Randall Weaver at Ruby Ridge, Idaho. An FBI sniper killed Weaver's wife and son. A second standoff occurred in 1993 between federal agents and the Branch Davidian cult in Waco, Texas. This standoff lasted 52 days and resulted in 80 deaths. Such events led even more people to believe that the government was conspiring and would go so far as to murder its citizens to promote a liberal agenda.
In 2008, the Department of Homeland Security warned of increased activity from militias, and projected that militias and white supremacists "are more violent" and "more likely to conduct mass-casualty attacks on the scale of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing."
Over the last year there have been several domestic terrorism incidents in the news, none of which were tied directly to militias. But the ideas behind them are similar.
Comments
"The 1990s movement grew out of concerns about gun control, environmental laws and basically whatever could possibly construed as liberal government meddling and intervention. It was characterized by the 1995 bombing of a federal building in Oklahoma City by Timothy McVeigh, which killed 168 people. Concern is now rising that something similar could happen again soon."
Ah...do some research. OKC and the rise of malitias had more to do with Ruby Ridge and Waco, were the government killed innocent citizens, without a trial, without a jury.
And why aren't you talking about the Moveon.org crowd or PETA, they engage in more distructive behavior than any malitia ever has. Now that I think about it, maybe you're correct by not including them, they are better characterized at domestic terrorists.
They have a mail order operation based on what the 1980s televangelist did, but instead of telling the flock that satan in under their beds, they tell liberals that everyone at the local gun club is plotting to run their house over with a tank. That's how they suck donations, and this is why the better business bureau considers them to be scam artists.
They used to use the klan as the main boogie men, but they ran out of klansmen, and they are desparate to invent new ones.
Here's a few that they tried to scare liberals with:
The Hibernians / because they didn't want gays in the st. pats parade.
Catholic groups / because they don't love abortion
Gino's Steaks in Philli / for demanding that patrons speak english
Lord of the ring fans / because the hobbits have "nazi ideals"
The media has been tying the rise in these groups to racism and trying to make them look crazy. It is not good reporting. I didn't expect anything less, but it needs to be said. We have the right to have weapons and militia. It is certainly handy when trying to stop your own government from being oppressive.
A Michigan Militia's Response To The SPLC Militia Report
Headquarters, Southeast Michigan Volunteer Militia 13 August, 2009
In response to recent panic-driven news reports concerning the growth of "racist, anti-government, right-wing militia threats" to The United States, we offer the following:
Next month, September 2009, will see the fifteenth anniversary of the founding of what has become the Southeast Michigan Volunteer Militia (SMVM). I have been an active participant in this unit since its inception. If I had been involved in anything illegal in these fifteen years, would I not have surely been arrested by now?
Before anyone takes the word of any paid employee whose very job is to distort truth and fabricate lies in order to garner support and funding for his organization, one should ask the subjects of these reports what they actually think. No free thinking person enjoys having his ideology or belief system assigned to them by anyone. Readers are invited to visit our web page at www.MichiganMilitia.com, and our social networking sites, so they can read all about our "ideologies" for themselves, and make their own informed decisions about who we are, what we do, and what we represent.
We deeply appreciate efforts by some of the folks at CNN who contacted us and actually asked for our input about a report regarding "the militia". This was a pleasant surprise. We encourage all news organizations, when presented with a one-sided report, such as the one furnished by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), to contact the groups in question, and at least make an effort to be fair and open-minded about things. If you are going to report about "the militia", then shouldn't you at least ask some "militia" people about it?
The SPLC, in what may probably be a very successful fund-raising endeavor, recently raised an alarm about the growth of "right wing militia groups". We can appreciate the recognition of the recent growth we have experienced, but would like to clarify the reasons behind it.
Any simpleton can claim that this group or that group has grown in response to the election of America's first African-American President. The fact is, militia groups that we know of care little for whatever color The President's skin is. We care far, far more that he, along with every other government employee, upholds his or her oath to support, uphold, and defend The Constitution.
No, we are not concerned about The President. He is, after all, merely The President. As such, he cannot pass a single piece of legislation, nor can he rule on even one issue before The Supreme Court. Our Constitution provides an excellent system of checks and balances that prevent this, or any other President, from growing too powerful, or assuming to much control over the lives of American citizens.
However, when multiple branches of government seem to be acting in an effort to establish control over the productive energy of a free people, then said free people have cause for alarm. This is not an extreme view, it is a factual one. No American wants to be told what to drive, where to seek medical help, how warm they can keep their house, or even how effectively their toilets are allowed to flush. No American wants to be told that he cannot own the most effective means of protecting his or her own life, or the lives of his family. No American wants to be told that he must work longer hours to pay more and more of his check to support an over bloated government bureaucracy.
No, Americans want to go to bed at night, after a day's work, and some chance to enjoy the fruits of their own labor, confident that our government is doing the job of protecting individual liberty from aggression, theft, or fraud. Americans want the promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness restored and protected. We don't need to have every facet of our lives micromanaged down to the finest detail.
But there are people at every level of government who somehow think it is their divine right to interfere with, tax, regulate, and confiscate every single aspect of working Americans' lives. This is shameful, and it doesn't have to be this way.
But this is not the only issue causing the very pleasing and expected growth of pro-freedom militia groups. The threat of terrorism or disaster will always loom over our heads. Crime is a constant concern for many Americans. And while the threat of invasion seems at best a very distant, remote one, we would like to help keep it that way.
Americans are becoming more and more involved in militia and other preparedness training not out of fear or hatred, but out of a sense of civic duty and responsibility. We are doing this not because we are angry, but because we care about this great nation, because we care about individual rights and responsibilities, and because we care about each other.
It is easy to demonize someone with whom you disagree with labels such as "Nazi, White Supremacist, racist, extremist, hate-monger, or anti-government." It is especially easy to do so when you are employed by a discredited far left-wing organization whose very existence depends upon frightening people into sending donations. An organization where Logic is an Enemy and Truth is a Menace.
The very idea of lumping us in with Nazi's and White Supremacists represents a total conflict of ideologies. Nazi’s are statist collectivists and by nature crave a supreme leader to follow, while we, as freedom loving Constitutionalists, uphold the rights of the individual to live free and for themself. Our members and their families represent various cultural, religious and racial backgrounds. This does not sit well with White Supremacists or racists. And being Constitutionalists, we are a pro-constitutionally limited republic form of government our founding fathers established, and anti-corruption of that form of government.
Militia people all across this country spend their own time, energy, and money on supporting this cause, the cause of American liberty, the cause of personal rights, the cause of freedom; freedom for everyone, regardless of race, creed, color, tint, or hue, religion (or lack thereof), or political views (or lack thereof). We do not get paid to do this.
Ask Mark Potok or Morris Dees how much they get paid to "report" on us, and you might get a different answer. Then you can decide for yourself.
Lee Miracle (Weapon M), Coordinator
Southeast Michigan Volunteer Militia
www.MichiganMilitia.com
Just because someone joins a group in defense of the nation does not mean it is a "bad thing". With ACORN, SEIU, APOLLO and other groups gaining power and a direct ear to the President, it is best people be prepared. Why they even had a direct flow of billions of tax payer dollars. Our elected leaders turn a blind ear to our input and call us Nazis for disagreeing with their agenda.
It was Obama that claimed he would start a Civilian Security force as powerful and well funded as out Military. What are people expected to do?..wait until ACORN thugs invade their neighborhoods?
I am totally against hate groups however believe we should be united in preparing to defend ourselves in event there is real trouble.
How is moveon comparable to what happened in OKC? When has moveon murdered anyone?
Many of us realize right wing domestic terrorism is going to go up. However we hope that law enforcement agencies are not as easily cowed as the media. When the DHS released a report talking about a rise in right wing terrorism, the media was intimidated by conservatives and I believe the DHS backed off. I hope the FBI and other law enforcement agencies are not as easily frightened by being called names by Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh as our media is.
The fact that people make apologies for domestic terrorism like OKC and claim moveon (which registers voters and places media ads) are terrorists shows that things are going to get worse. ALF is a domestic left wing terror group according to the DHS. Moveon is not.
If McVeigh had a problem with Ruby Ridge or Waco, he didn't have to murder 168 people (including 19 children) and bomb a building with a day care in it. Acts like McVeighs don't make the rest of us feel 'free'. Checks and balances, oversight, transparency, a free press, the rule of law and functioning military and law enforcement help us feel free. Domestic terrorism does not.
Countries without checks and balances, transparency, oversight, the rule of law or a functioning media are not free, no matter how much domestic terrorism they have.
If anything domestic terror makes us less free, because it gives the government a reason to start spying on and intimidating the public more heavily. Then what are you supposed to do? More domestic terrorism? Its not like a huge % of the country wants our democratic government overthrown and replaced with a right wing military autocracy like many of the militias are fundamentally calling for. Do you honestly think if these right wing authoritarians overthrew our democracy that they'd replace it with another democracy? Bull. It would be a military regime similar to Franco.
And much like the public in Islamic countries, most of us don't want to live under a right wing, militant theocracy. For all the talk about Al Qaeda, when elections come up in Pakistan or Indonesia the islamists parties rarely get 10% of the vote. Most muslims vote for democracy parties. Same here, most people don't want to live under a right wing, theocratic dictatorship that pretends to care about 'freedom', which is just code for purging the nation of liberals, deviants and non-whites.
Hi Militias:
I wonder at your sincertiy concerning protecting the constitutional rights of Americans. It seems to me that if you sincerly intend to protect America your membership should be open to all Americans. To exponentially expand your ranks with citizens suffering the same fears and insecurities that you are, you must lose the racist image. In so doing you parallel the US armies recruiting tacts.
Of course, constitutionally only citizens are permited to organize militias not a central government. But as you point out, the constitution can not give you rights, people must defend their own convictions.
Not to be offensive, but have you considered that street gangs are on the rise in America for the same reasons that militias are. Granted they do not have the sophistication of militias but many share the same intentions, liberty from oppression.
Corporate America is global and government coaltions are also (United Nation). If you are going to play in the major league you have to expand your horizons. Citizens rights are globally under attack! You set your selves up as mere irritations for the major players with your present feeble recruiting efforts.
Do you truly not expect repeated attacks on small targets that continue to assert theexistence of human rights in the face of big league players!
Look guys, for the oppressed of this nation militias are the last chance the nation has to avoid such fundamental deprivations of constitutional rights as blacklisting and other political assinations provide.
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The courts of this nation are systematically staffed with evil and anti American personalities.
Consider such invasions as witnessed in Grenada. If weaker nations could not defend their own countries, what chance do minor league players in this country really have to do any better.
Lets get serious about self defense. You need coalitions of endangered citizens!