Monday morning’s sizzling headlines about the arrests of a handful of alleged extremists should not open the door for gun prohibition organizations to equate these suspects with the millions of law-abiding gun owners who keep firearms for personal protection, home defense, competition, hunting and various other reasons.
The temptation is there, of course, for anti-gunners to try smearing all gun owners – and even some militia organizations – with a rather broad brush. The arrests involve members of a group calling itself Hutaree, and what they allegedly had in mind was open warfare against police. It’s all spelled out in a startling court document charging the suspects.
It would be far more plausible to compare the motives of suspects rounded up in three states over the weekend by the FBI with a guy like Jamal James Ellis, the Bothell bank robber who allegedly said he understood why Maurice Clemmons gunned down four Lakewood police officers late last year. Keep in perspective this revelation came from felon who was wanted for robbery in California, according to the Seattle Post-intelligencer; a guy who allegedly robbed a Key Bank branch in Bothell, who was living in an Everett halfway house and who had a stolen gun stashed in his apartment.
Smearing pro-gun conservatives is hardly a new pastime, but this weekend’s federal arrests could provide new fodder for those seeking to demonize gun owners as a collective of loons.
Michael Lackomar, a spokesman for the Southeast Michigan Volunteer Militia, said one of his team leaders got a frantic phone call Saturday evening from members of Hutaree, a Christian militia group, who said their property in southwest Michigan was being raided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives."They said they were under attack by the ATF and wanted a place to hide," Lackomar said. "My team leader said, 'no thanks.'"
From the Brady Campaign’s effort (strongly supported by Washington CeaseFire) to foment public fear against armed citizens at coffee shops, to an effort by the Southern Poverty Law Center (discussed by my colleague, David Codrea) to blame Lou Dobbs, Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck and Rep. Michele Bachmann for the rise in public anger at the government, it appears the Left is certainly following Rahm Emmanuel’s political strategy of never wasting a crisis.
It might be difficult for gun prohibitionists to link the Michigan suspects with a genuine militia, since it is being widely reported that when an officer with the Southeast Michigan Volunteer Militia was approached Saturday evening by members of Hutaree who were looking for a place to hide, the militia guy essentially blew them off.
In court filings unsealed Monday, the Justice Department accused the nine people of planning to kill an unidentified law enforcement officer, then plant improvised explosive devices of a type used by insurgents into attack the funeral procession. Iraq
The Hutaree is being portrayed as a “Christian militia group” by the New York Times, but there is nothing very “Christian” about plotting to murder police and even their families, just to be able to murder more police who gather for the funeral(s) of the first cops killed.
Are there militia groups in Washington State? According to the Internet there are. Find out here and here.
Millions of law-abiding firearms owners should not be slandered by the actions of people who allegedly were plotting to assemble bombs and other devices to murder police. There is a campaign to make gun ownership a thing of the past, but the past weekend's arrests should not become its centerpiece.
Marlin Firearms update
In a brief telephone conversation Monday with Remington’s Jessica Kallam, it appears that production of Marlin firearms may be moved either to Remington’s plant at Ilion, NY or to a new facility in Kentucky, although she could not be certain. Last week, the company's revelation that it is closing its facility in Connecticut set off a tidal wave of concern that the legendary firm may be going out of business altogether.
There is no manufacturing in North Carolina. That’s just Remington’s corporate headquarters.
Marlin builds superb lever-action big game rifles, one bolt-action big game rifle and enough smallbore rifles to make every youngster in the country happy at Christmas.
For more info: Assault on Weapons: The Campaign to Eliminate Your Guns.
Atlanta: Ed Stone | Austin: Howard Nemerov | Boston: Ron Bokleman | Charlotte: Paul Valone | Cheyenne: Anthony Bouchard | Chicago: Don Gwinn | Cleveland: Daniel White | DC: Mike Stollenwerk | Denver: Dan Bidstrup | Fort Smith: Steve D. Jones | Grand Rapids: Skip Coryel | Knoxville: Liston Matthews | | Los Angeles: John Longenecker | Minneapolis: John Pierce | National: David Codrea | Parkersburg: Nicholas Arnold | Phoenix: Douglas Little | Pittsburgh: Dan Campbell | Seattle: Dave Workman | St. Louis: Kurt Hofmann | Tucson: Chris Woodard | Wisconsin: Gene German
Comments
I'm wondering when the Obama administration will spring its version of the "Reichstag Fire" on America as a pretext to demonize all gun owners, legal political dissidents, and begin the roundups? I personally believe they are both capable and willing to set one up. It could come at any time.
Never forget that Adolph Hitler was ELECTED to power. Keep that in mind at all times. After the Reichstag Fire, German dissidents were wounded up in hordes and sent to concentration camps. Germany never had a chance at an effective political resistance after that. The resistors were all being starved, tortured, and killed in the camps.
Also, wasn't the Reichstag Fire the effective end of elections in pre-war Germany? If you don't know enough about this, a quick Google or Wikipedia read will scare you silly.
indicted is not convicted in Detroit they have been impotent to make a bribery case and had to throw ut terrorism cases due to overreach by the authorities. just wait and see.
I wouldn't be too quick to judge the indicted, we've seen these cases turn out to be total bs before.
I agree - idiots with guns should not be considered an image of the average gun owner. And, not all liberals are anti-gun. Although I understand people's fears, making more restrictive gun laws only punishes those who obey the law in the first place. Criminals will ALWAYS find a way to do what they want. I am not a Conservative, but I fully support the right to own a gun.
" The Hutaree is being portrayed as a “Christian militia group” by the New York Times, but there is nothing very “Christian” about plotting to murder police and even their families, just to be able to murder more police who gather for the funeral(s) of the first cops killed. "
Please, please do a little research -before- you hit the Submit key. From the AP newswire (www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hGc00FR9o4OUr36gm80mOpG00ccwD9EOJM1G0):
"Hutaree says on its Web site its name means `Christian warrior` and describes the word as part of a secret language that few are privileged to know. The group quotes several Bible passages and declares: `We believe that one day, as prophecy says, there will be an Anti-Christ. ... Jesus wanted us to be ready to defend ourselves using the sword and stay alive using equipment`."
Did the NY Times hack into the Hutaree web site and put all those references to "Christian" there?? Nope, I didn't think so.
Charles,
Hitler was not "ELECTED" to power, not by the populus anyway. He ran for public office one time (the presidency - against Hindenberg)and was defeated. After the election, HItler fanangled an appointment as Chanceler from Hindenberg, by promising to reign in his SA (which he never did). After Hindenberg's death, HItler appointed himself as the President of Germany. He then went to the Riechstag Assembly, with hundreds of his SA in tow, and demanded that the legislative body pass his "Eabling Act". Under threat of a brutal assault by the SA they passed it, Making Hitler the Riech Furhor.
But hey, could the current adminstration be pulling some of old AH's tricks? Well, the Democrat Party has been following a similar pattern for the past 10 years that the Nazi's did to rise to power in Germany during the 1920's. Not saying that Obama and is ilk are Nazi's, but they have been using much the same tactics to get what they want. Fear mongering and falsely accusing theopposition
Dave you started your article out by using these words
“A handful of alleged extremists”
“Alleged” is the key here.
Why is it so many people automatically take the side of Government?
Does government have a history of being truthful and forth right?
The charges against these people are fraudulent they are a fabrication put forth by a government infiltrator and provocateur based upon a scenario of what would happen if the government began rounding up the people.
What is going on here is a purge and a cover-up.
According to Mark Koernke this group was helping former Georgia State Senator Nancy Shaffer expose a pedophile ring operation in government.
The arrests are about suppressing evidence not violence.
Nancy was murdered over the weekend at the same time these arrests were being made.
I believe what the corrupt government and their paid lackeys in the MSM about as much as I believe in in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Freaking Tooth Fairy. If anyone is that stupid, they don't deserve freedom, or a Gun!
"Never forget that Adolph Hitler was ELECTED to power. Keep that in mind at all times. After the Reichstag Fire, German dissidents were wounded up in hordes and sent to concentration camps. Germany never had a chance at an effective political resistance after that. The resistors were all being starved, tortured, and killed in the camps."
Yeah, we know, we know. The black helicopters are gonna land on your front lawn, take the kids to reeducation camps, the elderly will be sent to face death panels, and rest will be sent to FEMA concentration camps.
And so "Captain" Hutaree will someday be shown to be the modern-day combination of John The Baptist and John Brown.
These people are only accused. What happen to the belief of innocent until proven guilty? Too many people, including those that are supposedly on our side don't seem to hold that belief any more. It seems that the instant someone is arrested they are assumed guilty.
hipshot percusionI, you are really no better than the Obama administration and Congress. Rights are not dependent on any level of intelligence. Rather then stooping to the tactics of the left, why don't you do your best to educate people. We all know that the countries educational system is not teaching children American history or civics. It's very easy to call people stupid. It's much harder to do your job as a citizen and help people understand what our Constitutional Republic is all about. People today would rather watch a ball game or American Idol instead of doing their jobs as citizens.
Pay attention people, I will only say this once...I will lay the puzzle pieces out...you connect them...ready? Here goes...
Notice there was an FBI informant in there (admitted under oath).
WTC bombing (first one)...FBI informant was given the explosives from the FBI.
Oklahoma City Bombing...FBI informant and US military involved, the truck was photographed at an army depot...mcveigh was supposedly in intellegence.
The New York terrorist were setup and given fake bombs and missiles from an FBI informant and undercover operative.
There are other instances, all cases involve an FBI informant or undercover operative who infiltrated and helped foment and steer them into going through...infact they supplied the material support they wouldnt have been able to get otherwise without the FBIs help.....You do the math.
My conclusion, the FBI finds dumb people, borderline retarded (really) and sets them up for the cameras to use to take your rights. Do some research, stop watching TV!
"My conclusion, the FBI finds dumb people, borderline retarded (really) and sets them up for the cameras to use to take your rights. Do some research, stop watching TV! "
Right. YOU can start by shutting off the TV/Radio when Rupert and Glenn and Rush and Sean and Sarah and Michelle come on, and tell you about those death panels and FEMA concentration camps. All of those folks are mega-millionaires, sitting back in their mega-mansions while the likes of you and "Captain" Hutaree do their wet work for them. No jail time for them.
As for the Hutarees being borderline retarded, I don't think so (really). They maintained their own web site, conducted joint training "exercises" with other local militia like the SEVM, posted to YouTube, got ahold of bomb-making materials and instructions, and could lock & load with the best of them. Could your outfit do this?
Their only mistake was not conducting a thorough background check on the bomb-maker they hired (he was the informer).
I've always been intreasted in law-enforcement and guns and Mercenaries ect.I'd love to have a law-enforment job,but I'm to old.THis is one of the best article ever,in my opion.
Guns owners should be aloud to have their guns for self-defsnse
against Criminals,and hunting or war but aginst Police is stupid.
I love America, our goverment is great. we don't need to destroy it. war is one,thing Domestic terrorim/crime is another.
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