| Steve McAlexander on Fri, 30 Nov 2001 04:17:01 +0100 (CET) |
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| [Nettime-bold] [2ndAmendment] Good Intention get you NOTHING |
FYI - ----- Original Message ----- As an active member of the so-called patriot movement and a long time advocate of individual rights (especially 2nd amendment rights) I have often read and heard the question of 'When do we act?' I know a lot of people that claim to be defenders of the 2nd amendment and a lot more that can be really convincing in their affirmation of commitment to the cause. What is most distressing to me is the fact that of the hundreds or thousands of people that claim to be on our side, very few will do little more than discuss it boldly in the safety of like-minded people. Our forefathers staked not only their reputations, but their careers, their property, their families and their lives to defend what they believed in. How many of us are REALLY willing to do the same today? Not many! Oh, most of us say we would, but when the chips fall will we back it up? I don't think so! Let me explain and clarify. Many people believe that when the time comes to fight it will be an all out war. Society will be in ruins and we will either be fighting street gangs in a lawless society or we will be fighting a foreign enemy bent on killing us and destroying our way of life. They believe that their jobs will be lost, merchants will be closed, Gas pumps will be dried up and people will be cold, hungry, and scared. These people foresee their role in this 'Madmax' scenario as defenders of their property or defenders of freedom where their actions will be regarded as heroic. Where there will be no penalty for their actions. Where they can act out their ideas of primitive survivalism without fear of repercussion. Unfortunately the fact is that a scenario such as this is so remote that it is more likely we will be invaded by intelligent life from another planet or by reanimated Zombies. The time to fight is long past. We should have been fighting for decades but we haven't. We should have taken matters into our own hands generations ago, but we didn't. We need to be fighting now, but we aren't. Am I advocating an armed revolution against the government? No! I'm advocating involvement at a higher level. I'm advocating commitment to the cause. Real commitment, not just words or conversations where we all pat each other on the back and say "Yeah Man, that's right". Most people will join the NRA or the GOA, or they will write a diplomatic letter to their representatives' sugar coating their request in suave professionalism and courtesy. A few even make some donations to other patriotic organizations; fewer still will attend a public rally or sport a few bumper stickers. These lobby groups and national organizations, these politically correct methods of voicing our opinions and ideals are great, but they are not sufficient and they are virtually ineffective. There is an old saying that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. That is so very true. People are always more responsive to those that present themselves assertively than to those that maintain diplomacy. There is another old saying that goes like this; You catch more flies with honey than vinegar. This old saying implies that people will be more likely to acquiesce to your wishes if you are kind and gentle. Although the adage sounds nice, and is probably a good value to teach to children, it's unfortunately untrue. If that were the case there would be no need for laws with penalties and punishments for disobedience. We could simply ask people nicely not to commit crimes and they wouldn't. The fact is people react more positively to a request when there is a known consequence. People try harder to accomplish something when there is a reward, people try harder to comply with a rule when there is punishment for non-compliance. What consequences are there for our government when they usurp the constitution and trample our individual rights? What punishment is there for legislating our freedom away for the sake of the public good, a few gently written letters of discontent, a few less potential voters in the next election? What deterrent is there from abridging our constitutional rights and liberties guaranteed by the constitution? When we lobby our elected officials with polite requests or make donations to organizations that lobby in our behalf we are using honey. The problem is the flies aren't hungry, at least not for our honey. We need to tell them in no uncertain terms that we will not tolerate any further usurpations of power. We need send them a message that it is unacceptable for them to legislate our rights away. We need to show them our flyswatter. We can no longer be nice. We can no longer ask politely for our wishes to be accommodated. We must let them know that there are consequences for non-compliance and we need to visibly show them that we mean business and that we are prepared to defend what we have at ANY COST. How do we accomplish this? Do we begin with an armed revolt? NO! All that is necessary is for us all to commit ourselves to the cause. To truly commit. Join together and stand united not as a lobbying group but as a force to be reckoned with. A force of citizens prepared to fight if necessary to maintain our way of life. But how can we fight if we aren't prepared? We must prepare. We must train. We must organize. Our forefathers recognized this need and they made provisions for it. They called it 'the Militia'. If you are not willing to commit yourself at the possible cost of your reputation, at the risk of being labeled an extremist, then you will not fight when the fighting breaks out. Because when the fight starts those that make up the opposition will be risking it all just as our founders did. There will still be laws. There will still be consequences for rebelling. Those involved will be branded as criminals and traitors, they will be hunted by their own neighbors and friends and relatives. They will be pursued not by some foreign speaking military personnel but by American police and national guardsmen. All too many people that I have spoken with support the same ideas that I do. They believe and feel the same way I do. They offer encouraging words, and claim to be supportive. But when asked to join the militia, to participate in the militia, to become publicly associated with a group that is prepared to enforce what is right, they simply shy away. Because it might cost them their job, or their reputation. They could lose their home or their car. They might be watched by the government, it's just too risky. They are always quick to chime in that they will jump in there and fight when the time comes but they just can't risk that type of exposure. Or they just don't have the time with the kids school schedule or church or volunteer work they do. They have too many other distractions and too many irons in the fire. Maybe after christmas, or next year, or next month, or 'At the next meeting'. These people cannot be counted on to join the cause unless the time comes that there will be no penalty for their actions. Only when they feel they can act without consequence will they be ready to fight. Since that time will never come they cannot be counted on at all. This is not a sign of the times however. During the American revolution one third of the population joined the fight and fought with their government (England) against the rebels. Another third stayed neutral and complacent, fearing repercussion. Only a third stood up and put it all on the line. They won the fight, and they won their freedom. They won OUR freedom. Alas, I fear that far less than a third of the population would be willing to do the same today. I was recently searching the discussion groups on Yahoo to find groups that pertained to Arkansas. I live in Arkansas and belong to a Militia. I was trying to find Arkansas Based groups to join and talk with other folks about participating in the militia. My search results were frightening. In Arkansas there are dozens of groups with hundreds of members of Gays and Lesbians. There is one group of Gay Arab Men in Arkansas that has almost 1000 members. People don't mind being known as Gay, or Satanic. People don 't fear being known as Wiccan, or Atheist, they don't fear being associated with any group except for the one group that wields the power to offer resistance. The Militia. You can write letters and post messages all day long. You can call your congressman, or write your president, but until you commit yourself and your time to a cause that can actually offer a solution you are 'all talk'. And that brings up another old saying. "talk is cheap" . Eric Powers Arkansas State Militia http://groups.yahoo.com/group/arstatemil http://www2.arkansas.net/~ericp Netscape 6.2 or Internet Explorer only [email protected] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Universal Inkjet Refill Kit $29.95 Refill any ink cartridge for less! Includes black and color ink. http://us.click.yahoo.com/QzLWzD/MkNDAA/ySSFAA/aQSolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> APFN GIFT EXCHANGE: SEND GIFT/DONATION AND RECEIVE FROM APFN SUPPORTER A CD OF PATRIOTIC SONGS INCLUDING TRIBUTE TO 911 APFN, PMB 107, 6630 W. 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