I remember this hearing and I remember the times pretty well. I had met Mr. Olson at an event prior to all of this. He seemed to be pretty sharp and not a loon.
Anyway, after the OKC bombing the media and some in the government were trying to paint the militia/pro-gun movement as the bad guys responsible for the whole thing. At one point, intel or maybe just rumors suggested that the feds had plans to move on a number of the more prominent militia groups, taking them in to custody, raids and so on even though they were not involved in the OKC bombing.
That did go over well, and the many of the militias decided to back each other up, to the point of violence if needed. Ie if you attack a group somewhere, all the other groups are going to join in and retaliate. I know that a number of congress people were contacted about this potential stand-off. These hearings came out of these concerns, along with the media hype.
While the people who spoke for the 'militias' made their point in this hearing, both sides blinked and pulled back from what could have been a bad situation.
Most militia people stayed connected over the years, but the militia movement as a political force essentially dried up. Which is a shame because at some point an armed political force is going to have to do what the men at Lexington and Concord did.
just gonna hijack and coattail on ur comment (hope u dont mind) for anyone too young to member, OKC bombing was in response to WACO and Ruby Ridge. Janet Reno and Clinton with their horrible policies and overreach on our constitutional rights. what a pair of assholes along with ATF.
I dont know if you heard of MOVE (not a militia but anti-goverment) getting bombed in Philadelphia and 11 people including 5 children burning alive. No real repercussions on the Police who did it.
i just did a quick search, it happened b4 i was born but sounds familiar to me. how did that all go down? i saw in the search the group was raided again in 1985 and sued, was awarded 16 million in a settlement in the late 90's. wew.
Just another show of force from government against people who didn't toe the official party line.
When enforcers can torch "black militant anarcho-primitivist's" alive by the dozen and suffer no real consequences (monetary damage pfeh) they can do the same to "conspiratorial traditionalist militias."
I remember this hearing and I remember the times pretty well. I had met Mr. Olson at an event prior to all of this. He seemed to be pretty sharp and not a loon.
Anyway, after the OKC bombing the media and some in the government were trying to paint the militia/pro-gun movement as the bad guys responsible for the whole thing. At one point, intel or maybe just rumors suggested that the feds had plans to move on a number of the more prominent militia groups, taking them in to custody, raids and so on even though they were not involved in the OKC bombing.
That did go over well, and the many of the militias decided to back each other up, to the point of violence if needed. Ie if you attack a group somewhere, all the other groups are going to join in and retaliate. I know that a number of congress people were contacted about this potential stand-off. These hearings came out of these concerns, along with the media hype.
While the people who spoke for the 'militias' made their point in this hearing, both sides blinked and pulled back from what could have been a bad situation.
Most militia people stayed connected over the years, but the militia movement as a political force essentially dried up. Which is a shame because at some point an armed political force is going to have to do what the men at Lexington and Concord did.
just gonna hijack and coattail on ur comment (hope u dont mind) for anyone too young to member, OKC bombing was in response to WACO and Ruby Ridge. Janet Reno and Clinton with their horrible policies and overreach on our constitutional rights. what a pair of assholes along with ATF.
I dont know if you heard of MOVE (not a militia but anti-goverment) getting bombed in Philadelphia and 11 people including 5 children burning alive. No real repercussions on the Police who did it.
Dropped fire bombs from helicopters, just like Assad.
i just did a quick search, it happened b4 i was born but sounds familiar to me. how did that all go down? i saw in the search the group was raided again in 1985 and sued, was awarded 16 million in a settlement in the late 90's. wew.
Just another show of force from government against people who didn't toe the official party line.
When enforcers can torch "black militant anarcho-primitivist's" alive by the dozen and suffer no real consequences (monetary damage pfeh) they can do the same to "conspiratorial traditionalist militias."
Wish I could pin this comment at the top. Probably the best rundown of the times that I've heard.