The contemporary ‘citizens militia’ movement has appropriated and perverted the concept of militias in use at the time of the American Revolution. Lacking a regular army, the colonists initially relied on local bodies of armed citizens to resist tyranny. Despite their celebrated stands at Lexington and Concord, however, militiamen fared poorly against British regulars. The Continental Congress quickly established a conventional army. Militias did play an important role in winning American Independence, but only when they operated under proper authority and in support of regular troops…. Militias are thus the ancestors of the modern National Guard, not of self-proclaimed “patriots” who show utter contempt for any form of authority beyond themselves. The extremists playing solider in the woods of Oregon are at best criminals and at worst domestic terrorists, and they need to be identified as such.
The “F” Troop militia that bravely assaulted and overran the (unoccupied) headquarters building of a federal wildlife preserve in southeastern Oregon portray themselves as defenders of liberty and champions of freedumb freedom. They sprinkle their language with military terms, talking of “operational security” and “defending freedom,” as if speaking the language will somehow legitimize their act of domestic terrorism. They consider themselves soldiers in service of a cause greater than themselves, but the truth is that these soft, untrained, and inept soldier wannabes barely qualify for membership in The Brotherhood of the Tiny Penis ©. They talk a good ball game, but I suspect that if they actually came under fire, they’d crumple like a cheap suit. If the balloon went up, they’d have trouble defending a Dunkin’ Donuts shop.
Ammon Bundy’s gang that couldn’t shoot straight are soldiers in the same way beer truck drivers are athletes. They’ve attempted to appropriate the legacy of the American Revolution-era militias, but the truth is they have little in common. The original militias were the forerunners of what is now our National Guard. The detachment of The Brotherhood of the Tiny Penis now occupying a federal wildlife refuge in southeastern Oregon is no more worthy of being referred to as a militia than Kanye West is certified and equipped to lecture on etiquette and humility.
The new American Republic was understandably leery of creating a large standing army in peace time, having seen how such forces had been used in Europe to suppress freedom. Its founders, therefore, wrote militias into their new constitution. The much debated second amendment declares that: “A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” Gun rights advocates are fond of quoting the second clause in this sentence while ignoring the first. It would be difficult to exaggerate the importance of the term “well-regulated.” Militias always operated under government authority, usually that of the state. In case of national emergency, state militias could be brought under command of the small regular army, as they were at the outbreak of the Civil War.
Those who describe the organization they belong to as a “militia” only demonstrate that they have no idea what a militia is or of the history behind them. These are many of the same people who completely ignore the first 13 words of the 2nd Amendment while clinging to the final 14 as if their very lives depended on it. Cherry-picking definitions and language that serves their purpose, these ignorant men-children are the very definition of White privilege. They decry the “free stuff” other groups allegedly receive…even as they demand the same and more for themselves.
Mocked on social media (and referred to, among other things, as “Yall Qaeda”), these wannabe freedumb freedom fighters should be referred to only as what they are- heavily armed domestic terrorists. The fact that they’re White Christians doesn’t excuse acts of terror, and “Yall Qaeda” are the textbook definition of domestic terrorism.
Erin was wondering yesterday why the federal government and/or local law enforcement aren’t responding to this act of domestic terrorism. It’s a valid question, but when you consider that these brave freedumb freedom fighters couldn’t even remember to bring enough food for an occupation they said could last weeks, months, even years, the case could be made that they represent a threat only to themselves. They’re occupying the headquarters of a wildlife refuge in southeastern Oregon; not exactly striking a blow at the heart of tyrannical Big Government, eh?
It’s difficult to say how long the takeover will last, but I’m guessing they’ll only be able to hold until they have to cash their next government handout check…and they’ll leave to much well-deserved ridicule from the Internet.
How are you going to start a revolution if you can’t even remember to bring sufficient supplies of Pringles and toilet paper??
