Tea Party Militia on the Burner

[Camel Toe]

OKLAHOMA CITY – Frustrated by recent political setbacks, tea party leaders and some conservative members of the Oklahoma Legislature say they would like to create a new volunteer militia to help defend against what they believe are improper federal infringements on state sovereignty.

Tea party movement leaders say they've discussed the idea with several supportive lawmakers and hope to get legislation next year to recognize a new volunteer force. They say the unit would not resemble militia groups that have been raided for allegedly plotting attacks on law enforcement officers.

"Is it scary? It sure is," said tea party leader Al Gerhart of Oklahoma City, who heads an umbrella group of tea party factions called the Oklahoma Constitutional Alliance. "But when do the states stop rolling over for the federal government?"

Thus far, the discussions have been exploratory. Even the proponents say they don't know how an armed force would be organized nor how a state-based militia could block federal mandates. Critics also asserted that the force could inflame extremism, and that the National Guard already provides for the state's military needs.

"Have they heard of the Oklahoma City bombing?" said Joseph Thai, a constitutional law professor at the University of Oklahoma. The state observes the 15th anniversary of the anti-government attack on Monday. Such actions could "throw fuel in the fire of radicals," he said.

But the militia talks reflect the frustration of some grass roots groups seeking new ways of fighting recent federal initiatives, such as the health reform plan, which requires all citizens to have health insurance. Over the last year, tea party groups across the country have staged rallies and pressured politicians to protest big government and demand reduced public spending.

In strongly conservative states like Oklahoma, some legislators have also discussed further action to fight federal policies, such as state legislation and lawsuits.

State Sen. Randy Brogdon, R-Owasso, a Republican candidate for governor who has appealed for tea party support, said supporters of a state militia have talked to him, and that he believes the citizen unit would be authorized under the Second Amendment to the Constitution.

The founding fathers "were not referring to a turkey shoot or a quail hunt. They really weren't even talking about us having the ability to protect ourselves against each other," Brogdon said. "The Second Amendment deals directly with the right of an individual to keep and bear arms to protect themselves from an overreaching federal government."

Another lawmaker, state Rep. Charles Key, R-Oklahoma City, said he believes there's a good chance of introducing legislation for a state-authorized militia next year.

Tea party leader J.W. Berry of the Tulsa-based OKforTea began soliciting interest in a state militia through his newsletter under the subject "Buy more guns, more bullets."

"It's not a far-right crazy plan or anything like that," Berry said. "This would be done with the full cooperation of the state Legislature."

State militias clearly are constitutionally authorized, but have not been used in recent times, said Glenn Reynolds, a law professor at the University of Tennessee and an expert on the Second Amendment. "Whether someone should get a militia to go toe-to-toe with the federal government ... now, that strikes me as kind of silly," he said.

Some conservative legislators in Oklahoma say talk of a militia, which would be privately recruited, armed and trained, goes too far.

"If the intent is to create a militia for disaster relief, we have the National Guard," said Sen. Steve Russell, R-Oklahoma City, a retired Army lieutenant colonel. "Anything beyond that purpose should be viewed with great concern and caution."

Democratic Gov. Brad Henry's communications director Paul Sund also discounted the militia discussion, saying the National Guard handles state emergencies and security.

Federal authorities say that radical militia groups have not emerged in Oklahoma, unlike many other states, in part because of the legacy of the Oklahoma City bombing. On April 19, 1995, an anti-government conspiracy led by Army veteran Tim McVeigh exploded a truckbomb outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, killing 168 people.

Last month, FBI agents conducted a raid on the Hutaree militia group in southern Michigan and accused members of plotting to kill law enforcement officers.

yahoo news

[sabang]

Be careful what you wish for.

[Camel Toe]

Yeah, the Oklahoma chapter.

Damn wouldn't that be some news story ..

Oklahoma City: Tea Party/Black Panther Standoff Turns Violent.

This Just In: KKK Vows Tea Party Support.

Gun Sales Quadruple Over-Night In Red States.

Troupe Carriers With Thousands Bound For Afghanistan Make U-Turn In Mid Atlantic.

[barbaro]

where is the OP from?

[Camel Toe]

Yahoo

[barbaro]

Where's the link?

[slackula]

So the people who were not democratically elected have pushed for the people who were democratically elected to create a militia to attack the people who were democratically elected? And they went along with this? Yeah, that makes sense.

"Is it scary? It sure is," said tea party leader Al Gerhart of Oklahoma City, who heads an umbrella group of tea party factions called the Oklahoma Constitutional Alliance. "But when do the states stop rolling over for the federal government?"

I guess when you stop taking federal government money, using it's postal system, and roadways etc. And good f*king luck with any FEMA aid when the tornadoes come this year.

[panama hat]

tea party leaders and some conservative members of the Oklahoma Legislature say they would like to create a new volunteer militia to help defend against what they believe are improper federal infringements on state sovereignty.

How utterly sad and delusional . . . are these the Glen Beck audience or haven't they evolved that far yet?

[Boon Mee]

I guess when you stop taking federal government money, using it's postal system, and roadways etc. And good f*king luck with any FEMA aid when the tornadoes come this year.

The USPS is a joke as well as Amtrack. With the post office, it's a non-viable business model these days so let it die a quick death. Folks us FedEx, DHL etc and do their business over the internet. Amtrack is paeng maak to use and loses money every year. When the tornados, hurricanes hit, prepare yourself...

[Boon Mee]

The Statistic That Tells You Everything You Need to Know About the Tea Parties

1,000 Tea Party Protest: 0 Arrested
1 Leftist SEIU Protest: 25 Arrested

A crowd of more than 100 protestors faced off against about 50 police officers yesterday afternoon at Ohio State University in an attempt to bring public awareness to the conditions of Sodexo food-workers at university sporting events bully Sodexo into unionizing itself out of existence. …

The protest is part of a "smear campaign" against the firm by the SEIU in a bid to get the firm to exclusively negotiate with that union, said Sodexo spokeswoman Monica Zimmer.

The 25 were arrested when they were blocking traffic on a main thoroughfare and refused to leave...

[slackula]

The Statistic That Tells You Everything You Need to Know About the Tea Parties

1,000 Tea Party Protest: 0 Arrested
1 Leftist SEIU Protest: 25 Arrested

A crowd of more than 100 protestors faced off against about 50 police officers yesterday afternoon at Ohio State University in an attempt to bring public awareness to the conditions of Sodexo food-workers at university sporting events bully Sodexo into unionizing itself out of existence. …

The protest is part of a "smear campaign" against the firm by the SEIU in a bid to get the firm to exclusively negotiate with that union, said Sodexo spokeswoman Monica Zimmer.

The 25 were arrested when they were blocking traffic on a main thoroughfare and refused to leave...

Posts like that are what happens when your education comes from Patriot Bible University.

[Boon Mee]

^
Actually, me alma mater is UC Santa Barbara.

The very bastion of Hippie-commie-sympathizerdom right behind UC Bezerkeley...

[PaddyGreen]

Amtrak is needed by the miltary as standby and major users of USPS are
1 Bills summonses and stuff nobody wants or would sign for
2 Junk Mail
3 Your fan mail birhday card Christmas present from distant loved one if you have any
4 Sure with email and online payments generation X can ignore which is gross discrimination against the old poor and blind kinda Thai style.

[Norton]

A crowd of more than 100 protestors faced off against about 50 police officers yesterday afternoon at Ohio State University

The state of Ohio. A hotbed of anti government protests. From hippies to Tea Party protesters.

Only response is to "eradicate the problem".

[Boon Mee]

^
I love it when Mods turn Troll...

[Dan]

The Statistic That Tells You Everything You Need to Know About the Tea Parties

1,000 Tea Party Protest: 0 Arrested
1 Leftist SEIU Protest: 25 Arrested

Everything I need to know? Good. I can ignore the fools from now on.

[Norton]

I love it when Mods turn Troll...

Troll? Right on topic in response to your post. You could be right though. Comparing 100 patriotic Tea Bagger protesters to thousands of commie hippies at Kent State is a poor troll at best.

[Jet Gorgon]

How nice the article includes that snippet on the Hutaree at the end, camel. About right for a libbie article. False association.