The Rise of Militias and Hate Groups in the U.S.
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2010-03-31/rise-militias-and-hate-groups-us
Lobby Day in Richmond, Virginia. Lobby Day was in support of new bill supporting 10th amendment and 2nd amendment rights.
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A Christian militia in Michigan is charged with plotting against the U.S. and attempting to deploy weapons of mass destruction. How a weak economy, the election of the first African-American president and political extremism are fueling the rise of militias and hate groups.
Guests
Mark Potok
Director, Intelligence Project at the Southern Poverty Law Center, the group's latest report, "Rage on the Right," documents the growth in the number of hate and extremist groups.
Chip Berlet
a senior analyst with Political Research Associates and a veteran freelance writer who specializes in investigating right-wing social movements.
Carrie Johnson
reporter, The Washington Post.
Carolyn Brown
an Assistant Professor at American University, School of Communication, and a documentary filmmaker.
Michael Lackomar
Livingston County Team Leader for the Southeast Michigan Volunteer Militia
Comments
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Fred Yoder (March 31, 2010 - 10:53 am) wrote: "If there had been real debate over health care . . . ."
There was a real debate over health care, for more than a year. (Contrast that with the blink-and-you-missed-it "debate" over the freedom stealing so-called Patriot Act under the Republi-Cons.) What was lacking was a rational debate based on truth.
Instead we got a campaign of lies and fear-mongering by the Republi-Cons (phony "death panel" charges, comparisons of health care to genocide, etc.) ginned up by Faux News with financial support from health insurance companies, and eagerly cheered on by the GOP.
As for "Congress doing the bidding of the executive" - what planet do you live on? As I recall the President (foolishly) kept his "hands off" the process until far too late, and the Democratic leaders had to beg members of their own party to get support. Remember the hope of a single-payer plan? GONE! Remember the "public option? GONE! Remember the proposal to expand Medicare to cover those under 65? GONE!
The only recent example of a Congress "marching in lock-step with the President" was during the Bush years (2001 - 2006), when the Republi-Cons were in charge. And even after the Democrats regained the Congress, for two years (2007 and 2008) they largely did whatever Bush asked. Where were all these "patriotic militias" then? Why weren't Bush, GOP Speaker Hastert, and Senator Frist (majority leader) hanged in effigy? Could it be because they were pursuing a far-right agenda?
And speaking of agendas, yours (blind worship of guns) is patently obvious. Read my other posts and realize that the "romantic notion" of gun rights and militias you subscribe to is utterly wrong!
NGH on March 31, 2010 @10:56 am wrote: "It is time for all true Christians to stand up against these psuedo Christians."
Well said. AMEN!
To drslistener26 (March 31, 2010 - 10:57 am):
No, the people in question (openly calling for and planning violence) are not patriots. At best they are dangerous deluded fools.
As for racism, you are deep in denial, sir, if you don't recognize that a considerable portion of both the militia and Tea Bagger's movements are composed of racists. That doesn't mean that they are all racists (no one has said that), but it does mean that the racist rhetoric and actions of that portion must be denounced.
How often have we heard calls for American Muslims to denounce the likes of Al-Queda, even though they have nothing to do with the jihadists? Meanwhile, the militias and Tea Baggers have rallies at which racist signs and slogans are openly carried and shouted, and the failure to denounce this, the silence on the right, is deafening! You, sir, are just another example of this.
To The Anthropologist (March 31, 2010 - 11:10 am):
Boy, are you a fount of misinformation, and an example of what's really wrong with this country (and the right-wing). You support crazy conspiracy theories (like Beck's false charge about FEMA) from a position of total ignorance!
Beck claims FEMA interred the Japanese dureing World War II, you say it was actually set up for the containment of "American Negroes" and civil unrest, the REX 84 website claims FEMA was "originally conceived by Nixon. False, FALSE, FALSE! FEMA was created in 1979, long past WWII, the civil rights movement, and Nixon. (Nixon did propose the concept of "preventative detention", but that was quickly shot down, and had nothing to do with FEMA).
jack wilson on March 31, 2010 @ 12:30 pm wrote: "this is the most disgusting piece of anti Christian hitpiece I have ever heard."
Really? I guess you missed the many times the host and guests clearly stated that not all Christians belong to violent militias. I guess you missed the many places where they, and callers, pointed out that although many of these violent people call themselves Christians, they are anything but. What you object to is any suggestion that not all Christians are pure, perfect, peaceful, or holy. Well, guess what? That's a fact "Jack". Live with it!
And I don't recall "our government" (meaning the current one) labeling "half of us as enemies and unworthy of a voice or opinion". That's what your side does! Or do you think that (falsely) calling someone a socialist or marxist, (falsely) accusing them of creating "death panels" are compliments?
As for things you claim are "hidden" in the law - the proposed legislation has been on-line for everyone to read for most of the past year. Maybe the reason you didn't know about that tax is because the "news sources" you relied on (Faux news, the GOP, right-wing blogs) were too busy screaming lies (death panels) and sending hysterical and lying e-mails to bother with what was actually in the law!
I think that it's understandable that Christians bristle at the sound of the militia members being referred to as 'Christian', but it's worth remembering that these militants self-identify as Christian and base their ideology on a variation of Christian beliefs. 'Christian Radical' or 'Christian Militant' is the proper label to apply. It's no different than that 'Islamic Radical' term you hear on the national news.
That said, calling the airing of this show a 'Christian hitpiece' smacks of the paranoia and distrust that fuels these groups.
To dhersman (March 31, 2010 - 12:30 pm):
No one is blaming the GOP or (right-wing) talk radio for the KKK. That's a red herring. They are pointing out (correctly) that much of the rhetoric and ideas of violent militias come from or are encouraged by the right-wing, the Republi-Cons, and talk radio.
Funny, isn't it, how in the past the GOP had no trouble blaming Democrats and liberals for The Black Panthers, Black Muslims, the Weather Underground, and now (falsely) accuse us of being "soft on" or actually supportive of Militant Islamists. I don't recall ever seeing a Democrat keep silent when, at a rally he attended, someone yelled out "kill the President" when the GOP controlled the White House. But Republi-Cons did just that.
Open mindedness is one thing, empty mindedness is something else entirely!
James Brian Hand on March 31, 2010 @ 1:49 pm wrote: "what do you expect when Obama is focused on healthcare and not jobs?"
RIGHT, so if I don't like a government policy, I should just form a violent militia group and plan to kill a policeman or two? Buddy, that's what elections are for. Will you be as supportive if those who wanted a single-payer system decide to murder their local police chief? I hope not.
And thanks for calling Pelosi an "Old hag". That really proves how the right-wing's not engaged in name-calling and demonizing their political opposition!
To lnorcross on March 31, 2010 @ 2:08 pm wrote: "Michael the Cherokee came across very level headed."
Yeah, especially the part where he applauded bringing guns to a political debate! I can't wait for a bunch of screaming left-wingers (supporters of single-payer perhaps) to show up at a GOP Town Hall, and call the speaker a "fascist dictator" while waving their firearms. Think "level headed" Michael will approve?
Oh, that's right, the Republi-Cons only let supporters into their Town Halls!
Found an answer to my question about Hannity. He did refer to the Tea Party movement (and the Republi-Cons in his audience) as "Tim McVeigh Wannabees". And the audience cheered being compared to a mindless mass murderer! DEAR GOD IN HEAVEN!
I will post the link below, just be warned it's much longer than it needs to be. Most of it is just a piece of Republi-Con propaganda, the McVeigh part comes just before the end, at 7:55.
http://vodpod.com/watch/3340517-did-hannity-call-his-audience-tim-mcveig...
However, I must add one caveat: I've found some websites that claim Hannity was merely making a sarcastic reference to a comment by an idiotic blogger. That's not clear from the video clip, but if true it puts an entirely different context on Hannity's statement.
http://www.occidentaldissent.com/2010/03/31/the-rise-of-militias-and-hat...
I just got finished listening to “The Rise of Militias and Hate Groups in the U.S.” on the Diane Rehm Show. White Preservationist posted the link somewhere in the comments.
Mark Potok of the SPLC was on the show. David Lackomar, the Livingston County Team Leader of the Southeast Michigan Volunteer Militia, was also a guest. Three other less interesting characters (a Wash Post reporter, an American University professor, another anti-racist hack) filled out the rest of the panel. . . .
I found it interesting that the Christian militia representative compared himself to a community organizer. I wonder what the response would be if ACORN, or what's left of it, formed an armed self-defense group to protect themselves against an unconstitutional bill of attainder that Congress passed based on 15 seconds of heavily edited videotape that was later thrown out of court.
Bill of attainder - A bill of attainder (also known as an act or writ of attainder) is an act of the legislature declaring a person or group of persons guilty of some crime and punishing them without benefit of a trial.
A question I would have asked the guy from SPLC is are there equivalent armed groups on the left currently operating?
Christian militia indeed!!
I hope all the real Christians will raise their voices against this movement which seems to be anything but Christian.
Anti-Monopolist asks if we would call the original American revolutionaries of 1776 "hate groups," for seeking to separate themselves from "a corrupt government they despised."
First of all, the colonists' complaint with the British was not about corruption but "taxation without representation." No such situation exists now--*except* for Washington, DC residents--and these goofs who have voting representatives in Congress come to protest that they are taxed without being represented? Sorry, but it's a lie, and to someone who is actually taxed without representation, it's offensive.
There's a little "newsspeak" for you. Who is speaking it?
Second, the American revolutionaries were led by honorable individuals, and in modern terms kept to a standard of decency that would make your head spin. Quaker dissidents who would not fight or pay taxes to the revolutionary government were treated humanely, and George Washington himself allowed their wives to cross battle lines to visit them where they were held prisoner. No colonials murdered men, women, and children alike with bombs or sought the destruction of the British government they despised. Nothing American colonists did can even remotely be compared with what Timothy McVeigh did (see earlier comment about Sean Hannity). There is no legitimate comparison between the original American revolutionaries and the presently seen "patriot" groups that survives scrutiny.
"Patriot" seems to me to be the most dangerous newsspeak of all, right now. You people are after something entirely different than the original American revolutionaries, and you do not have the right to their mantle.
Yours,
Autonamath
Where is the Earth Liberation Front these days? (ELF) is a very radical left wing hate group that has bombed a radio tower, burned down homes, destroyed cars...did they get caught yet?