Yesterday in his WorldNetDaily.com column I May Run for President of Texas Chuck Norris alluded to thousands of cell groups meeting this Friday to take the country back. The meetings are organized under Glenn Beck’s You Are Not Alone campaign as a new movement called: We Surround Them. Details about the movement will be unveiled on Fox News Channel this Friday during Beck’s program at 5 p.m. EST.
According to the group’s website the organizing principle is 9/12, i.e. after 9/11 all things changed. The organizers apparently consider the election of Barack Obama another 9/11: “We are faced with yet another attack on our freedoms. This one doesn't come in the form of airplanes, but is an assault on our core freedoms, principles and values. Our Constitution hangs by a thread, our economy has been sold, our rights trampled, our future compromised.” The site is run by “Debra” who prefers to remain anonymous. In the 9/12 vein Beck lists 9 principles and 12 values; only those who agree with 7 of the 9 are eligible for membership.
The meetings, organized through MeetUp.com appear to have limited success with Beck listing less than 30 sites holding meetings to watch the unveiling; not the thousands claimed by Mr. Norris,. Some sites include houses of worship which may create problems with the IRS if the meeting is considered a partisan event.
The impetus for the creation of this network of neighborhood cell groups is spelled out by Beck on his website:
Do you watch the direction that America is being taken in and feel powerless to stop it?
Do you believe that your voice isn’t loud enough to be heard above the noise anymore?
Do you read the headlines everyday and feel an empty pit in your stomach…as if you’re completely alone?
If so, then you’ve fallen for the Wizard of Oz lie. While the voices you hear in the distance may sound intimidating, as if they surround us from all sides—the reality is very different. Once you pull the curtain away you realize that there are only a few people pressing the buttons, and their voices are weak. The truth is that they don’t surround us at all.
We surround them
During the Clinton administration right wing militia groups sprang up, literally training members for battle to prepare for the overthrow of what they considered an illegitimate U.S. government. After the Oklahoma City bombing many believed the harsh rhetoric of right wing talk radio gave aid and comfort to dangerous groups willing to use violent means if necessary.
Friday may shed more light on what the surrounders intend for those they surround.
Comments
Um... ARREST THEM? Isn't it against the law to threaten the stability of the US? Sounds like a threat to me...
What the election wasn't convincing enough? They couldn't keep the country through the ballot so they now want to, ? what?
Geez -- haven't these people done enough damage to America these past 8 years? I hope the FBI and SS are keeping close tabs on these clowns.
Mr. Moore makes it sound like a violent revolution is taking place, when it isn't. It's just people who want the Constitution upheld and restored. They aren't threatening the stability, they (we) just want our country's government to adhere to the laws that they were given from the founding fathers. It's not just this administration at fault, the current one is just the most rampant in years.
What a bunch of bovine excrement Mr Moore has spouted. Take a look at those principles and values on Glenn's web site. Hard to argue with too many of them whether you be Republican, Democrat, Independent or whatever. Then, think of the Constitution -- I know that may be a hard task for some, but this is the standard against which all actions and policies of the federal government can be vetted. We have gotten so far out of whack there, it would be humorous if it weren't so sad. I'm not sure where Ron is getting his numbers from, but we have over 10 meetup groups here in Idaho alone. We have over a hundred people coming to the session here in Boise. The point Mr Moore has missed (obviously not a Glenn Beck fan) is we are Americans first (way before our political party affiliation). The great majority of America's citizens hold these common values. We support the Constitution and the way the founders intended the country to be run. Our existing political parties have pitted us against one another for their own political gain. They field candidates that offer us little choice other than to vote against the lesser of two evils. However, we are now realizing that they are the minority. "We the people" really can take back the reins of power in the government. We can once again have government "of the people, by the people, and for the people." No one is talking right wing militias here except for Mr Moore. What we are talking about is an America we can once again be proud of. This transcends political parties and right-wing, left-wing ideologies. Those who don't understand that are truly in the minority -- and yes, we do surround them.
Yes, Beck fantasized about Gen. Petraus arresting congressmen and trying them in military tribunals. Sorry, Kelly Parkinson, but those aren't the words of someone who wants to uphold the constitution. But your post is a pretty slick attempt to make this radical movement look "mainstream".
UNITE, or DIE???? Seems to me that those words alone cancel out any so-called principles and values this group thinks they have. Anyone who listens to Glenn Beck and has-been Chuck Norris is drinking a little bit too much koolaid.
Of course, it would make too much sense to vote, to pursue court cases, or to petition the government.
No, these folks want to undo elections and tout revolution--which is another word for treason.
Besides, no self-respecting Christian can say that God wants us to be politically active. Jesus made two political statements in his life, and both of them drew sharp distinctions between his teachings and politics: "Render under Caesar" and "Put away your sword".
For the submoronic, the teachings of Jesus were about a spiritual nation, not a political one.
Finally, these folks seem to have bought into the lie that our Founding Fathers were somehow sublime Christian examples, moral giants, or evangelical icons. What they were, in reality, were humanists and products of the Enlightenment--not the Great Awakening.
More, you should discuss the bast.ar.dization of the principles and values these people are attempting to present. i.e. The flag they use was originally drafted by Benjamin Franklin in 1754 and symbolized the original colonies (the snake segments) and the curve of its tail represented the coastline. This had to originally deal with the Spanish and French and their wars on the continent. It was only later that the snake underwent variation where the individual segments represented the original colonies, complete with the abbreviations for the various colonies, not numbers and never where there any absurd principles. I don't have the time, but post these folk's principles and virtues. They by no way represent what many of the early revolutionary writers , such as Thomas Paine wrote about.
Plus the country and government has evolved from the original principles. i.e. the end of slavery, the suffrage movement and subsequent acquisition of women's rights, also the civil rights movement. These were not in the original plans, though the original plans where used against those in power to achieve these ends. I'm sick, and going to sleep. I hope these people fail. In fact, I know they will fail. Let's say they hypothetically attempt to start a revolution, armed at that, this government will tear them down faster than they tore down any dissenting group in the last 40 years. When you have ri.fles, pi.s.tols, and sho.tg.uns, you are under matched when fighting an enemy that doesn't even have to look you in the face to ki.l.l you. Have fun fighting aircraft, or unmanned drones, or relatively accurate, long range weaponry. You people deserve every pain that comes your way.
By the way, you are organizing something that borders anarchy, by organizing you have effectively rendered your point and motivations moot. P.i.ss off.
The folks that buy into the crap spouted by Beck, Limbuagh and the rest of the gargantuan right wing media are stupid beyond belief.
I have doubts these couple dozen morons could successfully take over a Hooters restuarant even with Chuckles Norris let alone the US.
Fox News and its commentators have turned news-gathering and reporting into a sporting event: There must be a winner -the GOP, and a loser - Democrats and liberals -which is impossible with legitimate news because it affects BOTH sides.
I've already notified the local newspaper to keep an eye on these wingnuts in case they start something. They're meeting a few miles away in a restaurant on Friday - the 13th!
It's amazing that these people talk about how they are the majority when the "leftist, liberal, baby aborting, gay marrying, America haters" won the executive and legislative branches by a landslide and the president has a 60%+ approval rating.
Where were these "cells" 8 years ago?
Wow, this is interesting! I usually try to give people a bit of slack, but y'all have some serious issues. Have you listened to yourselves??? If you depict the population of the U.S. on a Bell curve, there are probably 10% on either extreme that could benefit from some serious therapy. Some of you guys sound like you belong in one of those groups. Prediction -- the people in the "We Surround Them" group will move this country back to the mainstream. There won't be a need to bring out the militia. It will be done through voting, court cases, and petitions. Both Republicans and Democrats will join the effort because it will make good common sense. These are people who are simply sick of the way both the extreme left and extreme right have screwed up the country. We're tired of the hatred on both ends of the spectrum. And, we will prevail because we are the majority.
So let me get this straight. Mr. Beck is trying to organize terrorism... Cells? We Surround Them? This is EXACTLY how terrorist propaganda works.
Please remember that "TERRORIST" is not a "swarthy", bearded man clothed with a bedsheet and an AK47 in the desert..
White people, immaculately dressed in suit and tie, were just as dangerous TERRORISTS as any other. They were the Irish Republican Army. Or Bernie Madoff and his ilk. Take your pick. One group kills people directly, one group destroys people's lives to leave them to die slowly.
So, Beck needs to reeeaaaly choose his words more carefully, methinks, not that introspection is a strong suit of his "i'm never wrong" ideology.
Norris should be arrested for inciting the fringe right whackjobs.
If the idiots do anything stupid, it's on his hands.
Really serious - Dudaman's prophecy.
Really serious - sounds like Dudaman's Prophecy
Kelly,
Where was your "revolution" over the past 8 years? You claim you want the constitution back but the right wingers trashed it over the last 8 years? Didn't W say "the constitution is only a gad damned piece of paper"? Where were you part time consitutionalists then?
Wow, these right wing nut jobs need to spend some time in a good psychotherapist's office. They are delusional and dangerous!
So what are these nut jobs going to do?
Hold a gun to Obama's head and say he will go to a Christian church daily and preach to the White House staffers?
Are they going to disallow all TV and radio that does not PREACH right wing values?
Hypocrits!
These nut jobs sound like crazy paranoids who are in need of some seriously powerful antipsychotic medication!
Just a couple of final comments. To Ben Franklin, you'll note I did refer to both the right and the left as screwing the country up. It's not just W's administration. It goes back a long ways. We've slowly but surely given up the Constitution and our freedoms to both Republican and Democratic adminstrations. The same technology that helped President Obama get elected can now be used to put the people back in control of the country. And to the others who have commented, I would ask one thing. Put your hatred aside for just a moment and consider the values you hold in common with your fellow Americans. Why can't we build upon this common base instead of continuing to be at odds with one another? Will there continue to be differences in what we think needs to be done? Certainly, but in so many areas we should be able to move forward. We could do so much more by working together for the good of the country. If you don't believe you share significant values with your fellow American, then that is really sad.....
Funny - you all are so upset and have no idea what this is all about.
I imagine spittle all over your computer monitors, as you sputter in righteous indignation.
Big difference between militia groups and this one. Check your facts.
Just watch the show. How silly you sound. Stop the rumors.
G.B says if you believe in at least 7 out of 9 of the principles step up...I am not a right wing anything, although I do believe in God I do not attend church because at this point I find organized religion to be way too political and filled with money mongers. I am just an everyday American who believes in the rights that the Constitution gives me and I also want to the Sovereignty of my Country protected as well as my rights. I don't own a gun, but I don't want anyone to tell me I can't. Basically, Kelly P. has stated very well what I believe in and we are trying to bring out. Right wing militias scare me but so do left wing looney socialists. I have no desire to be a citizen of the world but I do want my rights as an LEGAL American citizen protected and fill if I don't speak up then I should live with the consequences. I can think for myself and chose not vote like an innocent child that was following the Pied Piper. Obama has charisma and reads a teleprompter well but last night he had to hide in the Oval office to sign the omnibus bill because he didn't have the guts to stand up and send it back until the garbage he said he would not allow in his administration was cut out of it..You are getting the "change" you voted for and I didn't. I have no real faith in either party at this time..they are basically the same, greedy and operating in the best interest of the lobbyists and special interest groups..
Give Chuck Norris a break. Put him in a padded cell and give him lots of cat toys to play with. He'll be fine as long as you change his litter a couple of times a week.
Jaz,
Unite or Die is a derivation of "Join or Die" a famous political cartoon created by Benjamin Franklin and first published in his Pennsylvania Gazette on May 9, 1754
It is about the disjointedness of the country's regions during his time.
Sounds ominous in today's climate but is really about the values this country was founded on.
Don't find boogie men where there are none.
i see so fdew of you have actually went to the site and read what this movement is about . this is NOT a call to arms . this artical has spun this WAY off the mark .
do you understand the history of that cartoon ?
""Join, or Die is a famous political cartoon created by Benjamin Franklin and first published in his Pennsylvania Gazette on May 9, 1754.[1]. The original publication by the Gazette is the earliest known pictorial representation of colonial union produced by a British colonist in America.[2] It is a woodcut showing a snake severed into eighths, with each segment labeled with the initial of a British American colony or region. However, New England was represented as one colony, rather than the four colonies it was at that time. In addition, Delaware and Georgia were omitted completely. Thus, it has 8 segments of snake rather than the traditional 13.[3] The cartoon appeared along with Franklin's editorial about the "disunited state" of the colonies, and helped make his point about the importance of colonial unity. During that era, there was a superstition that a snake which had been cut into pieces would come back to life if the pieces were put together before sunset.[4]""""
that's not ours that is Ben Franklin's.
and that is what Glenn Beck is using for the logo.
i do not have control over it. and it is perfectly fitting to the movement.
it's a unified movement born with Glenn Beck, and organized by listeners, and now the general population.
this not about guns and not about militia we are at the point that we wish to remind people about what this country stands for BTW it never states Christian god . only that you have faith . I am Pagan and love this movement but understand what it's intent is . this is NOT for violence no matter how you want to spin it.
youtube
watch?v=kvdaft4svwg
watch?v=9BUhnoju0JA
The lefties posting on this site seem to be pretty smug with their overwhelming wins in past elections......Revisionist history already. I believe that Mr. Obama received a little over 50 percent of the vote. Hardly a landslide that should result in rule by virtue of a mandate of the people. The We Surround Them people are not right wing wackos. Many of us feel that politicians, Republican and Democrat, have forgotten the principles that our Country was founded on. You can try to ridicule everyone who believes in the principles, but you will never know how many of your neighbors agree with them. The talk of militias and revolution are premature. The real issue will begin when government tries to disarm the citizenry.
My feeling is that the government decides what is right for the American people. Are We not smart enouph to decide for ourselves? If you look back at the last few presidential elections there have been some strange things happening. Bush was "crowned" not elected. Obama was planted because government thought it was time for a black president. He has questionable requirements, only some of us questioned his credentials, his experience,or his alliances and contacts and supporters.
He was the chosen one, he has the whole package, he has carisma, he speaks well, and his color is an added bonus. People voted for change. He didn't change anything except the amount of the national debt. Did anyone look at the people he was trying to appoint to key positions in his cabinet. How many of them were upstanding citizens who paid their taxes and obeyed the law. I could go on for hours...
"We the people" should have a say in what goes on in our country. Remember, those we elect should speak for us, not decide what we want!!
On a more practical level, militia units need more places to muster and train, preferably not too far fro major metro areas to hold down travel distances. If Norris or anyone else who has some suitable acreage with backstops for safe shooting can make it available email my address at constitution dot org.
This is the name of the group associated with Norris.
Wow, I'm part of a right wing cell group. Didn't know that. I thought I was just a normal everyday fed up with oppressive government person. Thanks to a left wing radical nut for pointing this out.
I attended on of the We Surround Them gathering. I was not surprised to meet a wide variety of people. Seniors, of which I was one, young people middle aged; a real cross section of our community. There were no violent people that I spoke with who wanted to take up arms. There was a genuine concern about where politicians of both parties are takeing this country. There was a spirit of genuine concern but respect of many views. As far a God is concerned I gathered again, a respect for many religions, faith and i would guess even atheists. It seemed to be plain average Americans who do believe that the Constitution is being mess with by those who feel they know what is best for "US". I sense a deep sincere love for this country and a respect for law. Which many see the government politicians not obeying. Tax cheats raising our taxes and try to lecture us on what is good and right for this county.I guess most of the people are sick of the hype and BS of the media and politicians on both sides. I agree with some of what Glenn is saying, not everything. I felt like many of the people at this gathering were just nice people who care about our country and are sick of the spin, the hype, the lies, and the deception from our public "servants". While Obama and his bunch are spending this nation into a whole that our grand children will never be able to get us out of Bush is not getting a fee ride from these people. There is a genuine disillusionment with both parties.
I tried to be honest with what I observed and tired to explain as best I could.
I did not sense any violence or violent intent from the folks I talked with.
Karl from Ohio
I've been waiting for something good for our America. Many citizens want the change now. We are the majority, and together we will clean out this despicable gov't.
Those nuts who rebelled and wrote the Declaration of Independence, US Constitution, and had militia's were the first "nuts" that wanted a country for the people not the corrupted representatives. It is time for another revolution. If you think it will not happen think again.
I find it amazing that liberals, who want us to all get along, are the ones calling those who don't think like they do "fringe right whackjobs"(Daivd) and "nut jobs" (Thomas). It is a shame that a party that demands diversity can not see past the end of their own noses when someone disagrees with them on an ideological stance.
Typical kool-aid drinking liberals....that movement is about as much a 'right-wing' cell as an elementary school classroom....I saw part of it and agreed....too many stupid people in government now....so to you democrats (liberals) - drink you Obama-flavored kool-aid and shut up.
It is really fascinating to see how 'fascism' is starting to take a hold of the liberals. They always say that 'fascism' was due to the uber-right groups. However, whenever anyone disagrees with their newly elected representative - the dismiss the opposition as 'haters' or 'not informed'. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happen in Germany not too long ago. Check history. The Dems are now moving toward fascism and it will get really nasty because they won't be able to proffer an intelligent response to those who have a different idea - that will lead to violence because the Dems are VERY emotional and not to logical in their approach to life. Just an obseration by an Independent voter.
There are some people who attend these we surround events or blog who are angry and feel guilty and very fustrated. these are valid feelings. Allow for venting to release and help them to find the cause of the fustration and what they can do to address what is bothering them. We are moving in the wrong direction but how much can we control. My corner of the planet.
My favorite is the delusion among some of these rednecks that the only thing stopping "the government" from kicking down the doors of their trailers is the 2nd Amendment. Bill Maher put it best: "hey Jessup, that argument might have worked when Uncle Sam had muskets. But today, he has Apache Attack Helicopters, F-16's & Cruise Missiles. And if he REALLY wanted to come through the door, he'd come through the door whether or not you've got your trusty 30-ought-six in your hall closet, jackass."
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