Free Republic

Vermont State Rep. Fred Maslack has read the Second Amendment to the U.S.. Constitution as well as Vermont 's own Constitution very carefully, and his strict interpretation of these documents is popping some eyeballs in New England and elsewhere. Maslack recently proposed a bill to register non-gun-owners and require them to pay a $500 fee to the state. Thus Vermont would become the first state to require a permit for the luxury of going about unarmed and assess a fee of $500 for the privilege of not owning a gun. Maslack read the "militia" phrase of the Second Amendment as...

Switzerland did not fall to Hitler or any external invader for the last 500 years. But the latest assault is the most insidious: the attack of nitwittery from Bolshevik Apparatcheks.

A Minneapolis man is charged with robbery after police say store employees and customers held him until officers arrived on scene. Reginald Calhoun was arrested at the Family Dollar Store at 1010 East Lake Street in Minneapolis on Monday. Police say he took off after he robbed and assaulted a clerk. He didn't get far because customers and employees caught him before he tried to get away in a taxi. Police say the taxi driver was not aware Calhoun was allegedly involved in the robberies. Minneapolis Lt. Mike Fossum praised the citizens for their bravery. "They did a great job....

I'll give it to you in one word: Independents. If House Democrats want to avoid losing 20 seats in 2010, they know they will have to fight and hold on to as many Independents as possible, period. Lose them and they will lose the House, it's just that simple, and they know it. Thus the creation here of late in the mainstream press of the local militia and Nazi memes. It's an old political trick. Fanaticize the right with a bogus militia scare, throw in a couple of swastikas and watch the Independents stream back into the fold. So get...

The 24-page report released this month by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) entitled, “The Second Wave: Return of the Militia” is sweeping in its indictment. In it, police officers, soldiers, veterans, tax defiers, Patriots, tea party members, right-wing militias, “birthers” and sovereign citizen proponents are all said to exhibit elements of a resurging anti-government movement that reached it’s zenith in the mid-1990’s and spiraled out of control with violence and domestic terrorism. A number of national and local citizens groups are called out in the report — the National Rifle Association, Minutemen, Oath Keepers — as well as mainstream...

Conservative groups are rejecting as "anecdotal and exaggerated" a report out of the Southern Poverty Law Center that claims the election of a black president has fanned the flames of a resurgent anti-government "militia movement." The SPLC report cited a recent rash of ideologically driven violent crimes, rising gun sales, a reported rise in the number of militia groups and level of activity and stern warnings from law enforcement officials about the potential for violence in concluding that "there are unmistakable signs of a revival" since the 1990s. The assessment said Latino immigration, and particularly the election of President Obama,...

Militia groups with gripes against the government are regrouping across the country and could grow rapidly, according to an organization that tracks such trends. The stress of a poor economy and a liberal administration led by a black president are among the causes for the recent rise, the report from the Southern Poverty Law Center says. Conspiracy theories about a secret Mexican plan to reclaim the Southwest are also growing amid the public debate about illegal immigration. Bart McEntire, a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, told SPLC researchers that this is the most growth...

The stress of a poor economy and a liberal administration led by a black president are among the causes for the recent rise, the report from the Southern Poverty Law Center says. Conspiracy theories about a secret Mexican plan to reclaim the Southwest are also growing amid the public debate about illegal immigration.

Militia groups with gripes against the government are regrouping across the country and could grow rapidly, according to an organization that tracks such trends. The stress of a poor economy and a liberal administration led by a black president are among the causes for the recent rise, the report from the Southern Poverty Law Center says. Conspiracy theories about a secret Mexican plan to reclaim the Southwest are also growing amid the public debate about illegal immigration. Bart McEntire, a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, told SPLC researchers that this is the most growth...

WASHINGTON – Militia groups with gripes against the government are regrouping across the country and could grow rapidly, according to an organization that tracks such trends. The stress of a poor economy and a liberal administration led by a black president are among the causes for the recent rise, the report from the Southern Poverty Law Center says. Conspiracy theories about a secret Mexican plan to reclaim the Southwest are also growing amid the public debate about illegal immigration. Bart McEntire, a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, told SPLC researchers that this is the...

Bad Economy, Obama Fuel Rise in Militias: Report Fears of a return to anti-government violence of the 1990s Updated 2:15 AM CDT, Wed, Aug 12, 2009 The election of America's first black president, fears of a secret Mexican plot to take over the Southwest and a painful recession have combined to fuel a rise in violent right-wing militias, according to a report by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The leading civil rights group is not the only one worried that the country could be on the verge of another domestic terror attack by a lone wolf hatemonger or radical militia...

WASHINGTON (AP) - Militia groups with gripes against the government are regrouping across the country and could grow rapidly, according to an organization that tracks such trends. The stress of a poor economy and a liberal administration led by a black president are among the causes for the recent rise, the report from the Southern Poverty Law Center says. Conspiracy theories about a secret Mexican plan to reclaim the Southwest are also growing amid the public debate about illegal immigration. Bart McEntire, a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, told SPLC researchers that this is...

A friend of mine recently forwarded me a question a friend of his had posed: "If/when our Federal Government comes to pilfer, pillage, plunder our property and destroy our lives, what good can a handgun do against an army with advanced weaponry, tanks, missiles, planes, or whatever else they might have at their disposal to achieve their nefarious goals? (I'm not being facetious: I accept the possibility that what happened in Germany, or similar, could happen here; I'm just not sure that the potential good from an armed citizenry in such a situation outweighs the day-to-day problems caused by masses...

(IsraelNN.com) Starting in late July, a group of Israeli combat veterans will be holding a training camp in New York to teach advanced self-defense techniques to Jews in U.S. communities. An increasing number of American Jews have expressed interest in the program following a wave of anti-Semitic incidents worldwide over the past year, organizers report. The group calls itself Kitat Konenut New York – a reference to the “rapid response teams” active throughout Judea and Samaria. Rapid response teams in Israel, comprised of local civilians who are IDF veterans, have often been the first on the scene of terrorist attacks...

If the people believe the election results are accurate, even if they disagree with the outcome, and Lord knows many Americans disagree with our outcome in November, you will almost never see this violence.

MONROE -- A Monroe man's federal prosecution on weapons charges has focused attention on a private gun range that has begun hosting marksmanship events. The shooting range, located on farmland along Ben Howard Road outside Monroe, is described in court papers as being called the "Militia Training Center" and frequented by members of anti- government groups. That simply isn't true, said owner Jim Faire, a lifelong Snohomish County resident.

Or, are you now or have you ever been a member of the Republican Party? Washington Times: “The Department of Homeland Security is warning law enforcement officials about a rise in ‘rightwing extremist activity,’ saying the economic recession, the election of America’s first black president and the return of a few disgruntled war veterans could swell the ranks of white-power militias.” It does fit the president’s stereotype of rural Pennsylvanians as xenophobic, religious people who own guns. Glenn Reynolds quoted Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion: “The Constitution Is A Subversive Manifesto Per DHS.” Michelle Malkin confirmed the report. The timing is interesting. Malkin...

Yesterday, Roger Hedgecock and the Liberty Papers posted an unclassified DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis report titled:Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment.The “report” was one of the most embarrassingly shoddy pieces of propaganda I’d ever read out of DHS. I couldn’t believe it was real.I spent the day chasing down DHS spokespeople, who have been tied up preparing for a very important homeland security event later today: The First Lady is coming to visit their Washington office. Priorities, you know.Well, the press office got back to me and verified that the document...

Amid a thicket of confusion and conflicting information, a small militia group is trying to take root in Geauga County. The Geauga County Home Guard says it is associated with the Ohio Defense Force and had planned to host training exercises for the force's units from around the state, beginning April 17. The Ohio Defense Force is a militia formed 10 years ago to help local authorities during emergencies, according to a spokesman. ".....

The chief of the Missouri highway patrol is blasting a report issued by the Missouri Information Analysis Center that linked conservative groups to domestic terrorism, assuring that such reports no longer will be issued. The report warned law enforcement agencies to watch for suspicious individuals who may have bumper stickers for third-party political candidates such as Ron Paul, Bob Barr and Chuck Baldwin. It further warned law enforcement to watch out for individuals with "radical" ideologies based on Christian views, such as opposing illegal immigration, abortion and federal taxes. Chief James Keathley of the Missouri State Patrol issued a statement...

The Constitution Party has issued a warning to Americans traveling within the state of Missouri that they might be considered a threat by law enforcement if they display certain bumper stickers on their cars. A recent report issued through the Missouri Information Analysis Center (MIAC) titled "The Modern Militia Movement" was released with the approval of Missouri Governor Jay Nixon and the Missouri State Police. It labels Americans with a variety of political beliefs as potential "militia members", "domestic terrorists" and "radicals". The Constitution Party decries this report as political profiling and strongly suggests those considering a trip to the...

Former United Nations Ambassador John Bolton -- who was probably the closest thing to a Bircherite militiaman ever to have held that position, which no doubt was why G.W. Bush appointed him -- was on the Glenn Beck program yesterday. Considering how Beck's militia fetish has been reaching feverish levels lately, you can imagine how this went. Yes, it was as bad as you can imagine: Bolton: You can see in this upcoming G20 Meeting in the next few days -- Prime Minister Gordon Brown of the United Kingdom has his own ideas for a global New Deal -- and...

Do you like Ron Paul or oppose abortion? You may be a member of a militia, according to a new report by a government information collection agency

If you're an anti-abortion activist, or if you display political paraphernalia supporting a third-party candidate or a certain Republican member of Congress, if you possess subversive literature, you very well might be a member of a domestic paramilitary group. That's according to "The Modern Militia Movement," a report by the Missouri Information Analysis Center (MIAC), a government collective that identifies the warning signs of potential domestic terrorists for law enforcement communities. "Due to the current economical and political situation, a lush environment for militia activity has been created," the Feb. 20 report reads. "Unemployment rates are high, as well as...

A report compiled by federal and Missouri law enforcement officials has ignited a firestorm of criticism that shows no signs of letting up. A confidential analysis on “The Modern Militia Movement” compiled by the state “fusion center” has drawn livid responses from people and groups listed in the document. State officials — including those at the Missouri Information Analysis Center in Jefferson City, which compiled and disseminated the report to police — stand behind it, contending it has been misinterpreted. The eight-page MIAC report listed warning signs indicating someone might be a domestic terrorist or a member of a militia....

The mystery over who ordered U.S. Army forces to patrol the streets of the south Alabama town where 11 people were killed in a shooting spree last week has been solved. WND confirmed troops from nearby Ft. Rucker provided limited assistance after a request from the police chief of Samson, Ala. Multiple news agencies reported the Army was launching an investigation into why the troops were sent to the town, a possible violation of the law. The Associated Press reported uncertainty over who requested the assistance, noting it didn't come from Republican Gov. Bob Riley or the White House. "Under...

Tim Neal of Miller County was shocked recently when he heard a radio program about a strategic report compiled by state and federal law enforcement agencies to combat terrorism. Titled “The Modern Militia Movement,” the report is dated Feb. 20 and designed to help police identify militia members or domestic terrorists. Red flags outlined in the document include political bumper stickers such as those for U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, talk of conspiracy theories such as the plan for a mega-highway from Canada to Mexico and possession of subversive literature. But when Neal read the report, he couldn’t help but think...

As President Obama indicated during the campaign, there are just a few gun-related changes that we would like to make, and among them would be to reinstitute the ban on the sale of assault weapons," Holder told reporters. I think closing the gun show loophole, the banning of cop-killer bullets and I also think that making the assault weapons ban permanent, would be something that would be permitted under Heller," Holder said, referring to the Supreme Court ruling in Washington, D.C. v. Heller, which asserted the Second Amendment as an individual's right to own a weapon.

Glenn Greenwald of Salon.com seems to think that Bill Clinton's nonexistent boogie men, "the militias," are back. Why are they back? Because all white people are angry, racists that are mad that Obama got elected, of course. What else could have dredged up this fantasy from the depths of the liberal's worst nightmares of the 1990s? Somehow, though, it's a bit hard to imagine Greenwald's main premise considering the fact that millions of those same white Americans Greenwald so fears actually voted for Obama. But, in an effort to scold Fox News for airing Glenn Beck's recent "War Room" segments,...

Philipsburg Phil, a member of the Mountaineer Rifle Militia and Sewing Club and noted governmental prognosticator, of Philipsburg, Pa., rose from his bunker this morning and saw a shadow government. "Ems out to get us," said Phil as he peered into the bright lights. He then passed out. Phil's annual governmental tyranny pronouncement has become a festive tradition among militia members, meth junkies and paranoid schizophrenics, makes predictions of upcoming Apocalyptic doom. Phil, who served multiple terms in the Centre County Jaile for what her terms as politically-motivated DUIs, was roused from a whiskey-induced slumber this morning and was brought...

Facing an influx of refugees, the residents of Algiers Point could have pulled together food, water and medical supplies for the flood victims. Instead, a group of white residents, convinced that crime would arrive with the human exodus, sought to seal off the area, blocking the roads in and out of the neighborhood by dragging lumber and downed trees into the streets. They stockpiled handguns, assault rifles, shotguns and at least one Uzi and began patrolling the streets in pickup trucks and SUVs. The newly formed militia, a loose band of about fifteen to thirty residents, most of them men,...

HEAR YE, HEAR YE! It is announced this 29th day of December, in the Year of our Lord 2008, that the Virginia Militia is hereby re-forming in preparation to ensure the defense of the U.S. Constitution, as envisioned by the founding fathers, and as provided for by the Constitution of the United States of America. All qualified able-bodied men are asked to repair with haste to the following site, register, and ask for membership by the moderators: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/virginiamilitia/ Those not qualified as prescribed by law, but nonetheless wish to assist in dispensing equally important duties in support as a “friend...

TEL ASQUF - With Kalashnikovs slung over their shoulders, Iraq's first Christian militia enforces one simple rule on the border of this little village. "Anyone not from Tel Asquf, is banned." This village in northern Iraq's flashpoint Nineveh province, frequently targeted by Sunni and Shiite fighters, has now taken security into its own hands with armed patrols and checkpoints at the village's four entrances. The village borders are marked with a sand barrier built by residents in a bid to stop car bombs breaching the perimeter as they did in 2007 when two such attacks within six months rocked the...

AMNESTY International yesterday warned that arming civilians and militias in Mindanao against Muslim rebel attacks could escalate the violence there. Tens of thousands of civilians have been displaced and dozens killed in recent attacks blamed on Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels, prompting the government to scrap a preliminary peace accord calling for an expanded autonomy for minority Muslims. The rebels, who have been fighting for Muslim self-rule, said they regretted the violence but rejected government demands to hand over two commanders blamed for recent civilian deaths. The military has stepped up pressure on the rebels by launching limited air strikes...

Shi'ite militia leader Muqtada al-Sadr stepped back into Iraq's political fray Friday with an offer that (if genuine) Washington would be hard-pressed to refuse: Set a timetable for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, and the Mahdi Army will begin to disband. "The main reason for the armed resistance is the American military presence," said Sadr emissary Salah al-Ubaidi, who spoke to reporters in Najaf Friday. "If the American military begins to withdrawal, there will be no need for these armed groups." Sadr in the past has vowed to expand the humanitarian work of his movement but promised to maintain...

Over the last decade, they cropped up in cities throughout China, tucked into raucous markets or along forgotten side streets, their interiors smelling of musty canvas and crammed with bounty for aspiring young soldiers: illicit weapons shops with names like ARMY GOODS STORE and GUNCOOL. For a few thousand yuan--a few hundred dollars--assault rifle-like air guns await in dirty back rooms, along with fatigues, bulletproof vests, kneepads, long underwear, camouflage t-shirts, rucksacks, bandoliers, helmets, helmet sleeves, walkie-talkies, and two-liter CamelBaks. Once outfitted, China's militiamen organize into clubs--Guangzhou Fight Men, Shanghai Band of Brothers, Tianjin Seals--and storm remote lots or abandoned...

Early in World War II, Japan considered invading the mainland of the United States. Admiral Isoroku Yamoto, commander in chief of the Japanese naval forces and architect of the Pearl Harbor bombing, advised against invading. Twenty years prior, Admiral Yamoto had spent a few years in the United States studying at Harvard University. Based on his experience with American culture, Admiral Yamoto reportedly told his government, “I would never invade the United States. There would be a rifle behind every blade of grass.” Admiral Yamoto’s observation speaks to the heart of America’s uniqueness. The Admiral observed, in essence, that America...

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is using a vacant lot behind the Talladega Superspeedway to detonate 168 illegal weapons seized from the Alabama Free Militia. ... Members of the Alabama Free Militia claimed their weapons were for self-defense. But ATF bomb experts say faulty fuses on the homemade grenades made them highly dangerous — not only to the public, but the militia members themselves. The seven defendants in the Alabama Free Militia investigation have pled guilty to various weapons charges. Now that they’re behind bars, the ATF is able to wrap up this case with a bang....

April saw 49 U.S. casualties in Iraq, the highest total in seven months. Does this mean, as some insist, that the enormous progress we have made since the start of the military surge is being lost? As one who has spent nearly two years with American soldiers and Marines and British Army troops in Iraq - having returned from my last trip a month ago - here's my short answer: no. We are taking more casualties now, just as we did in the first part of 2007, because we have taken up the next crucial challenge of this war: confronting...

Sadr City is experiencing a relative lull after several days of intense battles between the Mahdi army and US and Iraqi forces. US troops killed six Mahdi Army fighters in a series of engagements, while the Iraqi government reported over 900 have been killed since fighting broke out in Sadr City at the end of March. Iraqi's prime minister has vowed to continue the operation in Baghdad and Basrah. US troops killed six Mahdi Army fighters during separate engagements in Sadr City last evening and this morning. US Abrams tanks and unmanned aerial vehicles targeted Mahdi Army fighters as they...

A historic event may soon be taking place; in District of Columbia v. Heller, the Supreme Court will make a ruling that may finally decide whether the Second Amendment protects an individual right to keep and bear arms or if it only protects a state's right to maintain a militia, this often being defined as the National Guard. While supporters of the 'individual rights' interpretation of the Second Amendment no doubt pray for a ruling that supports their views (as well as the Founding Fathers'), there may be little to fear from a ruling stating that the Second Amendment applies...

Militiamen loyal to anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr are positioning explosives to defend the major routes into Baghdad's Sadr City neighborhood in anticipation of a major battle with U.S. and Iraqi government forces, residents said yesterday. Iraqis also said families in Sadr City and other Shi'ite areas of Baghdad are stocking up on food, fearing new fighting that will leave them unable to get to the markets. While food prices in most of Baghdad are stable, they have increased in Sadr City and surrounding neighborhoods as people brace for a resumption of fighting that rocked the neighborhood late last month, said...

BAGHDAD (AFP) - Moqtada al-Sadr's militiamen Tuesday battled troops in four Iraqi cities on Tuesday, including the capital, as the hardline Shiite cleric threatened a countrywide campaign of civil revolt. Heavy clashes broke out between Sadr's Mahdi Army fighters in the southern oil city of Basra, killing at least seven people and wounding 48, and in Kut and Hilla, both south of Baghdad, officials said. As evening fell, Mahdi Army fighters fought with Iraqi and US forces in their Sadr City bastion in eastern Baghdad for the first time since last October, a security official and witnesses told AFP. Troops...

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi Army militia ordered shops to close in some Baghdad neighborhoods on Monday in what they said was the start of a "civil disobedience campaign." The show of force by the feared militia, which the U.S. military once called the greatest threat to peace in Iraq, alarmed residents, but leaders of Sadr's political bloc in parliament stressed that it was a peaceful protest. The militia has kept a low profile since Sadr called a ceasefire last August and extended it last month, a move U.S. commanders say has helped to sharply reduce...

West Virginia is considering a bill to teach schoolchildren how to handle a gun and hunt safely its proponent hopes will increase state revenues from hunting licenses, a state lawmaker said Thursday. "We will teach a hunting safety course during their physical education class," state senator and bill sponsor Billy Wayne Bailey told AFP. The courses would be imparted in secondary schools, from the eighth to 10th grade (13-16 years of age)...

BISBEE — A local border watch group recently changed its operational name and some of its tactics due to the types of illegal immigrants its members are encountering. Cochise Borders Civil Defense Corps is now officially known as Cochise County Militia. Bill Davis, the director and founder of the group, said he is authorizing the carrying of rifles and shotguns, in addition to handguns. Members also can wear military-type battle dress uniforms, camouflage gear and face paint.

Here is a remarkable development. Just twenty-five years ago, there was a strong consensus, among judges and academics, that the Second Amendment did not create an individual right. No federal court had invalidated a restriction on guns on Second Amendment grounds (ever). As recently as 1992, Chief Justice Warren Burger, a conservative Republican appointee, rejected the individual rights view in public. (For some details, see my TNR piece, "The Most Mysterious Right.") In a short period, the consensus has shattered. There is a strong possibility that the Supreme Court will accept a view that seemed utterly implausible in the relatively...

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (CNN) -- A Colorado Springs megachurch instituted security precautions after a shooting at a Denver area mission center earlier Sunday, saving "hundreds of lives" at the New Life Church, senior Pastor Brady Boyd said Monday. A New Life parishioner acting as a security guard shot and killed a gunman who entered the church Sunday afternoon after he had gotten no more than 50 feet inside the building, Boyd said.... Boyd said the female security guard was a hero in preventing further bloodshed, rushing to confront the gunman just inside the church. "She probably saved over a hundred...

Who’s going to duck and cover on the Second Amendment debate that’s really getting wound up since the Supreme Court of the United States decided to rule on District of Columbia vs. Heller, or more commonly known as the D.C. Gun Ban? It seems that the republican candidates are getting involved and are at least letting voters know how they interpret the Second Amendment. The democrats seems mum on the issue, maybe because they know that gun rights can be politically deadly. The debate hitting all the media outlets still seems to be on the interpretation of “A well-regulated militia...

America needs a gun ban. Yes, a ban that denies possession, transfer and ownership of firearms. I say that as a gun owner myself. I say this as a strong defender of the Second Amendment to the Constitution. I say it with the belief the Second Amendment empowers American citizens to defend their sacred honor, their homes and families and to help “defend the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic.” It is the phrase “all enemies foreign and domestic” that leads me to endorse a gun ban. The Second Amendment is clear: A well regulated Militia, being necessary to...