Posted on 08/15/2017 4:17:37 PM PDT by 11th_VA
Of the harrowing images televised nationwide from Saturday’s white nationalist demonstration in Charlottesville, one of the more chilling sights, amid hours of raging hatred and mayhem, was of camo-clad militiamen on the streets, girded for combat in tactical vests and toting military-style semiautomatic rifles.
Photos and video of the heavily armed cadre — a relatively small force commanded by a 45-year-old machinist and long-ago Navy veteran from western Pennsylvania — spread rapidly on social media, raising fears the clash of hundreds of neo-Nazis and counterprotesters might end in a bloodbath.
The show of strength was about “allegiance . . . to the Constitution,” particularly the First Amendment, said Christian Yingling, leader of the Pennsylvania Light Foot Militia. He said he and his troops “convoyed in” to Charlottesville early Saturday to defend free speech by maintaining civic order so everyone present could voice an opinion, regardless of their views.
(Snip)
“No, I don’t think the government, as a whole, is out to get us,” he said in the interview, but “a lot of people in society are self-absorbed. They don’t get involved with the Constitution and defending the freedoms that it gives us. We need to defend those freedoms — for everyone, on all sides of the political debate — or eventually we’ll lose them.”...
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Pay wall?
I hope that unit and all others like it in the country are preparing to show up at the promised rallies by the left(showdowns) - which are coming in the fall. The creeps need to know that there are people willing to stand against them.
Thankful that Trump chose to call it like it is today. It needed to be said and no one else anywhere had the guts!
I’m with these guys...
“”everyone present could voice an opinion, regardless of their views.””
I don’t think voicing an opinion was an aspect of the gathering on Saturday. Were any words exchanged or spoken? I’m talking about speeches etc. If there were, they sure chose not to film them.
Do any of the people who were exercising their open carry privilege get credit for keeping their cool? We’re supposed to believe that “right” only adds to altercations but it didn’t seem to be the case on the weekend. Hmmm - perhaps those in opposition are in the wrong! Could it be!
“”rallies by the left(showdowns)””
Should have been rallies (showdowns) by the left - got the (showdowns) in the wrong sequence...
I’m sorry, but these people should go home. This is not helpful. They are making a spectacle of themselves, embarrassing everybody. Actions by idiots like this prancing around with their rifles and stuff is not going to help the rest of us secure some more sober and constitutionally respective recognition of the Second Amendment. Instead, they’re going to directly reinforce those who want to reign in the second amendment. That they’re racist white supremacists only makes it worse.
I’d define a “well-regulated militia” as one that does not prey upon or or otherwise endanger the public.
Seems like this one qualified as such at Charlottesville.
Not to be overly-cynical, but... did it work? Did they actually help “maintain civic order,” or did they just stand around uselessly while people were being assaulted by the leftists?
Be careful. I heard there are White Supremacists in those dangerous militia groups. We don’t want nothing to do with them. The Freeper Army is gonna take care of this. I mean really. I have been reading posts from so many freepers for days now who are adamant that they don’t want nothing to do with any of these type of scum. Who needs ‘em. We are so numerous and so powerful and so pissed of if these Antifa thugs dare to show their faces in public again guys like Sargon and Timpango are gonn be right there. At our side. We are gonna kick ass and take names. Those poor Antifa thugs wont know what hit them. And we Constituional COnservatives are gonna do it all by ourselves. We don’t need any help from them damn hippy dope smoking libertarians. And we aren’t like them damn Nazis. The millions and millions of Blacks and Jews who think just like us are ready to join up with us arm in arm and we are gonna absolutely crush those Antifa thugs. You betcha!
Lots of stupid comments. The dumbest being the running idea that these weren’t needed “because the cops were there to keep the peace”. I can’t imagine how much of a moron you have to be to post that in light of the fact that the cops stood down and went home. The cops had no intention of “protecting” any one but themselves.
We of course we don’t want nothing to do with them damn White Nazi militias. We don’t need them. There are so many freepers who are good, solid Constitutional Conservatives (who are also Christian, I might add) who are ready to mobilize and seriously cripple these Antifa thugs. We aren’t afraid of being called names, no siree, in fact we aren’t even afraid of having acid squirted in our faces. We are so numerous we are gonna absolutely crush these pricks. Who the hell do think they are? These are OUR streets, not theirs. We voted for Trump. We put him in office. And we don’t need any help from these jerks or any one else. Not even Trump himself. We know he didn’t mean it. He just didn’t want to be called a racist and, certainly, we all understand that. We aren’t racist and that’s why our ranks will swell by millions because there are so many Hispanic and Black Constitutional Conservatives that have just been waiting for us to get off our asses and lead them into action that when Antifa sees US coming they are gonna run crying back to mommy’s basement.
bttt
Bad title! They are not local, they’re from Pennsylvania!
I agree they are harming the effort to protect the 2nd Amendment. They are just feeding their egos and grabbing their 15 minutes of “fame”. They need to go home before they or someone else gets hurt. They are a 2nd Amendment disaster poised to happen!
As I remember state militias from colonial history etc. governors call them into existence. Did the Pennsylvania Governor call them out? Not likely!! Did the Virginia Governor contact the Pennsylvania Governor and ask for militia support? Triple not likely!!
Did they form because of a local breakdown in law enforcement, safety, etc. One could argue that, that occurred in Charlottesville BUT that would mean a local Virginia militia would need to form. It didn’t! I don’t know who advised them to do this but its horrible potentially dangerous disastrous advice. Technically they are either interlopers or invaders into Virginia’s sovereign business. Sovereignty also means sovereignty to be stupid! Virginia has been stupid for several election cycles but it Virginia’s business!
Don’t get me wrong but I am not against the militia concept, but this is bad bad for that concept and bad for those who support the 2nd Amendment. They need to go home!
He added: “It was a resounding success until we were just so drastically outnumbered that we couldn’t stop the craziness. It was nothing short of horrifying.”
I don’t get why they had guns. Things got “horrifying” and they were battered by both sides... leave the guns home next time. Then there’s no chance at all that anyone will get shot.
You are correct about “visiting” Militia. Only the governor of Virginia could give them permission to be there. In their own state (where legal), the local Sheriff can request their help. They were asked to leave, and did.
Good!
They showed good sense in leaving but not in going!
As a member of the Michigan Militia AND a FReeper, I believe you covered that very well!
Seriously. The crap I have been reading for days here almost makes me ashamed to say I have been a freeper.
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