Well, I just have to say something about these guys, don’t I?
First, I’m not real keen on folks calling these guys a militia. A more appropriate term would be a survivalist group. Militias are there for the common good, or at least should be. Survivalist groups are just out for themselves which I don’t have a problem with in itself.
But these guys? Whoa boy. I never heard of them until the other day. So it was really entertaining for me to listen to what an actual commander in the Michigan Militia has been saying about the group on a forum I’m on.
The Michigan Militia has made it policy “for years” to have nothing to do with these guys. If you’re in the MM you do not play with the Hutaree guys at all. Crazier than Jim Jones, says my source.
Dude, when you get told by the Michigan Militia that you’re too militant it might be time to reevaluate your stance oh, well, just about everything. It’s not that I think the guys currently running the Michigan Militia are bonkers, but they’re out there on the fringe.
I know what you’re thinking, “Oh sure, they say that NOW!” but think about it: The Hutaree are anti-Muslim. Who did they call when the raids started for safe harbor? A local Michigan Militia group that was led by a Muslim who, naturally, declined. I think that’s a pretty good indicator these Hutaree guys had no idea who was even running the local chapter there. It’s probably something they would have known to be a bad idea if they were palling around in the woods with the actual Michigan Militia on weekends.
Some folks, like Jay G. are comparing this to Waco and Ruby Ridge. I think that’s a bit uncalled for but I’ll grant him and others thinking like this a bit of lenience. About four minutes after I learned of the story I had an actual known commander in the Michigan Militia posting stuff saying that he’s known these guys were nutters for years and the latest news didn’t surprise him at all. That was the knockout punch to my skepticism.
But, that aside, there’s some really big differences here between Waco and Ruby Ridge.
For starters they actually took the suspects into custody. They’ll get a trial, all that fun stuff, and we’ll learn the real truth. Go-Go Gadget Justice System.
Ruby Ridge played out much different. Cliff Notes: Randy Weaver goes to an Aryan Nations gathering in 1986, never goes back from what I gather, but they had an ATF agent there because they see some link between white supremacists and gun owners. The agent befriends Randy and in 1989 asks him to cut down some shotgun barrels for him. Randy asks how short, agent points to a spot on the barrel, Randy does his work and hands them back over. They’re 1/8″ shorter than legal. they want him to infiltrate the Aryan Nations, he declines, they summons him to court with the wrong date on the mail sent to his house, and he fails to appear. That results in armed FBI agents coming into the remote home’s area, shooting the family dog, and upon hearing gun shots his son and a friend run out, armed, and exchange fire. Son gets shot, wife gets shot holding a baby in her arms, etc. Bad stuff.
Yeah, not seeing much parallel to that one.
Waco: ATF rolls up armed to the teeth to a compound that can see shit coming for miles and a standoff ensues. ATF later crashes a Bradley into the building, fires flammable CS rounds into the place, it catches on fire, and they burned a bunch of women and children to death along with the men.
(FYI: The local sheriff suggested they arrest Koresh on one of his many trips to Wal-Mart. Should have listened to the local guy, as usual.)
Not seeing much parallel to that one either.
Thankfully they managed to arrest these guys without incident. I think some kudos are in order for the FBI and ATF here for not killing innocent women and children during the events. Usually that’d be a career ending move but not with them. Folks like Lon Horiuchi got to keep his job as a sniper after drilling Vicky Weaver in the head as she held an infant in her arms and later got to participate in Waco. If they hadn’t kept him on the payroll who would tell the new hires not to shoot unarmed people in the head? That’s the kind of knowledge one can only gain from real world experience, apparently. Obviously keeping him around has paid off.
Makes you wonder if the FBI has a chalkboard in the office: “It has be ___ days since we shot an innocent woman or child in the head.”
I don’t think we should trivialize the absolute clusterfucks that were Ruby Ridge and Waco in comparing this picture perfect arrest to them. Women and children were killed in those events and everybody from Federal law enforcement just skated on all charges.
Maybe during the trial we’ll find some parallels but right now I’m not seeing them.
Footnote:
HS Precision is a maker of high quality stocks tailored for accurate rifles. They printed an endorsement written by Lon Horiuchi, the guy that shot Vicky Weaver in the head, in a catalog a couple of years ago. They’ve never properly apologized for that. And they get rather irritated with you mention it. Just making sure that stays up there in the Google searches.
And yet, when a similarly incompetent group of idiots were planning to go have a little shooting party at Fort Dix, they were called “terrorists”. These guys, on the other hand, are called “extremists” or “survivalists”.
They don’t understand Operational Security. If you have a secret plan, don’t post stuff on the Interwebs.
And “Christ is their general?” really? I’m not sure Christ was all about warfare, but I suppose you can interpret the Bible any way that is convenient .
These guys were never a real threat. The real threat is the one you don’t see coming.