30 March 2010 An army of your neighbors?

30 March 2010 An army of your neighbors? 

“There's grievin' in the country


There's sorrow in the sand.

There's sobbin' in the shanty

And there's anger in the land.”

Peter, Paul, & Mary




Take a look at your home state

http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/hate-map

These are the hate groups and militias that are known to law enforcement and to monitoring groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center. http://www.splcenter.org The Hutaree militia, currently in the news following the arrest of nine members is not in the list of groups in Michigan. They were either not known or not listed so as to avoid risk to the federal agents who had infiltrated them.

This is the link to a web page defending the various militias and hate groups and denying the findings of the SPLC. It includes a 2009 SPLC report which does list the Hutaree militia. I would be cautious of opening any links on the page. The UAFF bills itself as an “alternative news service.” That sounds rather like Fox News self defense language.

http://www.uaff.info/mass_media_targeting_citizens.htm In my opinion, this is a communications organ for an association of groups that are more or less violently opposed to the changes occurring in the United States. They collectively oppose immigration, social safety net legislation, and are racist and anti-Semitic in nature. The groups they defend, the groups denoted as dangerous by the SPLC are found scattered about the various states, often composed of your neighbors.



I have a relatively healthy degree of paranoia where such things are concerned. I grew up in Mid Missouri, delivering a newspaper that was owned and published by a founding member of the John Birch Society, 30 miles or so north was the headquarters of a militia type group calling itself “The Minute Men.” That name has now been picked up by the anti-immigrant groups that go out to watch our southern border at night. But according to information that was available in my youth, the Missouri group’s headquarters was cordoned off and searched by the FBI in the early 1960’s. A cache of automatic weapons was seized by the FBI. Also seized were, purportedly an anti-tank gun from WWII with ammunition, and containers of napalm. In those days I was uncertain as to the truth of the reports. The local SAC for the FBI lived on our block and he would not confirm the reports when we asked him. However, he did not deny them. You can draw your own conclusions. I think that my neighbor said a lot in his silence. Such weaponry is not nearly as noteworthy today. Large caches of semi-auto weapons modified for full-auto fire are often found in arrests around the nation.

There are many people expressing shock and surprise today after the national news crews show them video of the Michigan arrests. I’m not surprised. Nor am I surprised at either the institutionalized paranoia that drives such groups or the fundamentalist religion that is focal for so many of them. The Christian Identity groups are of particular concern to me. They have a large network of compounds and communities, often secured with barbed-wire, search towers, and armed guards. They have been implicated in murders in Colorado, Missouri, Arkansas, and other states. Eric Rudolph is a prime example of the indoctrination they instill in their children. They are not only obsessed with fundamentalist Christianity but are also racist, anti-Semitic, and anti-government. They seem to be the focal point where all the various hatreds flow together and are blended into hatred and a willingness to kill equal in depth to that of the most committed Moslem extremists. I’ve met some of them. They concern me greatly.

In case you can’t find enough idiocy in the world this afternoon, note the link below. Don’t open it yet. You may not wish to do so at all.

It seems that greed is rampant in the Minnesota GOP. Rep. Michelle Bachman is throwing a dinner function that will cost participants up to $10,000/couple. Should that not be enough cash outlay to make a couple feel they’ve helped Ms. Bachman sufficiently, for $10,000 they may have their photo taken with Sarah Palin. According to campaign laws, the Minnesota Post writes:

“The money donated will, per campaign finance rules, have to be spread among various committees. The first $2,400 would go to Bachmann's primary election fund. The next $2,400 would go to her general election refund. And up to $10,000 can go to the Republican Party of Minnesota.

That's not small change, especially for two pols who say they speak on behalf of real, working class America. “

I have to wonder how much of that will find its way into Palin’s PAC or her personal checking account. She has already demonstrated in the 2008 campaign her utter disregard for campaign financing ethics. And she’s not at all shy about asking for cash from anyone she gets near. So much for representing the common people! I wonder if the GOP’s main financial people have warned the Tea Party organizers to not let her near a clothing store with their credit card?

Now, you can open the link if you like or just hope they somehow both get caught violating campaign laws.

http://www.minnpost.com/politicalagenda/2010/03/17/16721/free_bachmannpalin_rally_tickets_going_fast_but_youll_need_checkbook_for_photo_opp_with_former_alaska_governor