"Patriotism".... who's version? If we believed the federal government's version, we'd all have no problem with our rights being systematically suppressed. We'd know it was for our own good as "patriotic" citizens helping to fight terrorism. But,... if that's not the version you subscribe to, how about joining an "unorganized Militia"?
That's right, I'm talking....."Last stand", "Protect Home and Family", Armed to the Eyeballs,.... Militia.
While perusing the second amendment of the U.S. Constitution, it occurred to me that there actually might be some rules that govern State Militias. What I found was that there are rules and laws, but they aren't necessarily the same thing. And,.. neither is the definition of a "militia", for that matter.
Here's one of the sites for a "State Militia" in California
On this site you can sign up, pledge to protect the United States from all enemies, both foreign and domestic, and you can contact 27 other State Militias, as described by the "CONMILNET" Standards "established by the Third Continental Congress." (If you don't know what "CONMILNET" stands for,... it's short for "Continental Militia Network". You can find out more at....... http://militianetwork.homestead.com/)
I wandered on to this site and started reading the mission statement of "CONMILNET". At first, I thought,.... "that's not so bad. It sounds pretty reasonable and patriotic." But one thing that really struck me was.... you better not be an "atheist" or a "humanist", because if you are, you're one of the people this group is out to stop. Even though their intentions are based on the fundamentals of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights, their concept that "God" has specifically given these rights may or may not be correct, but it certainly is placed ahead of all other reasoning. In regard to what our Forefathers intended of keeping "Church and State" separate, it sparks a prejudice that can only be explained as somewhat fanatical, or extremely intolerant, to say the least.
I'm a big fan of the "Constitution" and the "Bill of Rights", but, even though I agree with a lot of the principles this organization states as their mission, it's somewhat scary to come to the realization that so many out there are buying into the idea that "God" is on their side above all else. The idea that "Socialism" and "Humanism" are "forms of tyranny" demonstrates the misplaced paranoia that radicalizes these organizations.
So, I was curious as to when "the Third Continental Congress" took place. I figured it had to have happened in the seventeen hundreds, maybe the early eighteen hundreds, right? Wrong! What I found was pretty scary. "The Third Continental Congress" took place in 2009. That's right, I said 2009. Their "Articles of Freedom" were ratified (by themselves) in January of 2010. Evidently, it didn't make the evening news. Not Surprising. Another interesting fact I found was that there is no real connection to Congress, or the Government of The United States,.. whatsoever. This document (which can be found at...http://patriotwatchdog.com/OFFICIAL-AOF-1-31-10.pdf) reads like it is the true meaning of our Democracy, but it has a side to it that can only be recognized as the who's who for extremism in militia groups.
I may be dissatisfied with our government, and not happy about the way it's headed, but this outfit is down right Scary with a capital "S". Whether it's total denial of Global Warming due to carbon emissions, or their unbridled support for coal and oil, and their statement that "carbon dioxide generated from these sources is not an environmental Pollutant", this group is the living embodiment of the idiocy of the "Tea Party",.. on steroids. In Article 4 of their "Articles of Freedom", they call for "the repeal of all federal statutes regulating ownership, use and transfer of firearms and ammunition". That in itself doesn't shock me. In fact, that's one thing I sort of agree with. There are several other points I find myself agreeing with, as well, but when you put it all together with the rest of their "Articles of Freedom", it starts to look more like a strangely perverted manifesto for anarchy.
Maybe I'm just way too liberal to join up with any organization that advocates the downfall of Social Security, Welfare, Medicare, and Medicaid. I mean sometimes you've got to think beyond our own back yards. I'm not a big fan of World Trade Agreements, but organizations like The United Nations are all that stand between many peoples and genocide. Without them what would become of humanity? This group wants to pull all affiliations with groups like that. Maybe we (the American People) don't have to buy into the corporate take over of the world, but I can't see myself turning my back on the rest of the people of the world, either. There has to be more than the self centered views expressed in the "Articles Of Freedom", no matter how righteous they sound.
In my post - "What's Really Inspiring Hate For American Leaders?" (see just below this), I've stated some of the reasons that violence may be escalating in the United States. What seems to be of particular interest, is that some of those same reasons seem to be sparking an upsurge in militias and secular organizations, as well as extremist groups. So called "Patriot" groups virtually exploded in 2009 with an increase of 244% in participation, according to a study by the "Southern Poverty Law Center". In their words.... "the extraordinary growth is cause for grave concern".
After reading the findings of "The Third Continental Congress", although I find myself in sympathy with many of their principles, I'd have to agree with the SPLC about " cause for Grave Concern". These groups take themselves way too seriously to be ignored.
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