Here's an interesting perspective on the two translations that I'm sure will interest any Christian Martialist:
Mike Brown's Comparison of the Geneva & KJV
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
The Case for an Independent Militia, 3
Continued from "The Case for an Independent Militia, 2"
The Preamble to the US Constitution begins, "We the People . . . ." It gives the impression that the document originated in a grassroots movement. This is a fiction, but an important one.
Thomas Jefferson used a similar fiction when he penned the Declaration of Independence.
That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends (i.e., securing the people's rights, CM), it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.
Jefferson and the Continental Congress founded their appeal for independence on the will of the people, even though only an estimated one-third of colonists supported it. Right or wrong, the signers of the Declaration represented the wishes of the people about as much as the leaders of the People's Republic of China or the People's Democratic Republic of Germany in the Twentieth Century.
In the same way, the convention that scrapped the Articles of Confederation and drafted the Constitution appropriated an air of legitimacy for themselves and their coup when they presumed to represent the will of the people. In reality, it took a great campaign to persuade enough of the people's representatives to vote for ratification.
(For a more complete treatment of the conspiracy and bloodless coup that led to the US Constitution, see Conspiracy in Philadelphia by Gary North -- available free online in PDF form.)
The Framers eschewed democracy, for they did not trust the consensus of the common man. Sadly, the common man -- especially today -- has lived down to those expectations.
Nonetheless, the Constitution is written as a document that officially establishes, in the words of John Wycliffe, a government of the people, by the people and for the people. Whether or not the courts, the legislature and the executive acknowledge it, the Constitution tells us that the extent and limits of our government's power lies rooted in the will of the people.
And, as I demonstrated in the previous post, the people = the militia.
To be continued
The Preamble to the US Constitution begins, "We the People . . . ." It gives the impression that the document originated in a grassroots movement. This is a fiction, but an important one.
Thomas Jefferson used a similar fiction when he penned the Declaration of Independence.
When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people . . . .
Jefferson and the Continental Congress founded their appeal for independence on the will of the people, even though only an estimated one-third of colonists supported it. Right or wrong, the signers of the Declaration represented the wishes of the people about as much as the leaders of the People's Republic of China or the People's Democratic Republic of Germany in the Twentieth Century.
In the same way, the convention that scrapped the Articles of Confederation and drafted the Constitution appropriated an air of legitimacy for themselves and their coup when they presumed to represent the will of the people. In reality, it took a great campaign to persuade enough of the people's representatives to vote for ratification.
(For a more complete treatment of the conspiracy and bloodless coup that led to the US Constitution, see Conspiracy in Philadelphia by Gary North -- available free online in PDF form.)
The Framers eschewed democracy, for they did not trust the consensus of the common man. Sadly, the common man -- especially today -- has lived down to those expectations.
Nonetheless, the Constitution is written as a document that officially establishes, in the words of John Wycliffe, a government of the people, by the people and for the people. Whether or not the courts, the legislature and the executive acknowledge it, the Constitution tells us that the extent and limits of our government's power lies rooted in the will of the people.
And, as I demonstrated in the previous post, the people = the militia.
To be continued
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Call Me Madam, 5
Continued from "Call Me Madam, 4" (or click here to start at the first episode in the series)
The story so far: High upon the mist-shrouded mountain, I have sought out the great master of combat arts, ancient and modern to inquire about the place of love and marriage in the life of a warrior. I told him that I wondered if a warrior might not be better off if he did not have a wife to worry about. The combat master pointed out that even Jesus, the archetypal Warrior-King has a bride. I respond in my customarily smooth and articulate fashion.
". . . but . . . uhhh . . . ."
The master patiently prods. "Yes, Clodhopper?"
"Didn't soldiers in ancient Israel get an exemption from battle if they were married?"
"You are referring to Deuteronomy 24:5 where it says that a man who has taken a new bride will not be called to war?"
"Um . . . yes, I think so."
"Well, the passage also says that the exemption lasts for one year. After that time he is liable to service in Israel's militia."
"Then why is he exempt for a year?"
"Scripture says it's for his wife's sake, not his. In addition, after a year he should be a better warrior."
"Why is that, Master?"
"Because he will have more to fight for. He has invested a year in his married life and he leaves behind she who is flesh of his flesh and perhaps even a wee bairn of his own blood. He will now fight not for house -- four walls and a roof -- but for his home."
To be continued
The story so far: High upon the mist-shrouded mountain, I have sought out the great master of combat arts, ancient and modern to inquire about the place of love and marriage in the life of a warrior. I told him that I wondered if a warrior might not be better off if he did not have a wife to worry about. The combat master pointed out that even Jesus, the archetypal Warrior-King has a bride. I respond in my customarily smooth and articulate fashion.
". . . but . . . uhhh . . . ."
The master patiently prods. "Yes, Clodhopper?"
"Didn't soldiers in ancient Israel get an exemption from battle if they were married?"
"You are referring to Deuteronomy 24:5 where it says that a man who has taken a new bride will not be called to war?"
"Um . . . yes, I think so."
"Well, the passage also says that the exemption lasts for one year. After that time he is liable to service in Israel's militia."
"Then why is he exempt for a year?"
"Scripture says it's for his wife's sake, not his. In addition, after a year he should be a better warrior."
"Why is that, Master?"
"Because he will have more to fight for. He has invested a year in his married life and he leaves behind she who is flesh of his flesh and perhaps even a wee bairn of his own blood. He will now fight not for house -- four walls and a roof -- but for his home."
To be continued
Saturday, May 22, 2010
From "Spy Kids" to "Machete"
The "Spy Kids" series of movies (2001, 2002, 2003) all contain a character called Machete. He's evidently a minor recurring character who helps the films' protagonists.
You can see the character Machete in this trailer from "Spy Kids 2". He appears 21 seconds into the video.
Now Robert Rodriquez, the director/writer of the series, has lifted the character -- as portrayed by the same actor -- out of the children's movies and transplanted him as the main character of a dark film that feeds Latino racial envy and hatred. The story's title is "Machete" (slated for release Sept, 2010).
The actual transformation of Machete began with a fake trailer that appeared as part of the movie "Planet Terror" (2007) by Rodriguez. Perhaps he thought it would be funny (in a perverse way) to take a role model of school children and turn him into racist killing machine shown cavorting with fully nude females. (You can Google the fake trailer, but be warned that it contains nudity and graphic blood splatter.)
According to Rodriguez, the movie "Machete" will contain everything that appeared in the trailer, and more. In it, the character Machete becomes a full-blown, murderous Antichrist (in the Biblical sense of a false, substitute messianic figure) to whom Latino characters offer up prayers for deliverance.
The millions of 6-to-12 year olds who became familiar with the character in "Spy Kids" are now in their mid-teens to early 20's. And now they can view him as a savior who turns their frustrations into full-blown political/cultural/racial insurrection.
Certain questions may occur to the astute observer. The biggest is "Why?"
For example, "Why are federal funds involved in the production of a movie that incites insurrection?"
My answer:
For the same reason that the Latino Marxist racist group La Raza receives funding from the Ford Foundation.
For the same reason that federal agents allow Muslim militant training camps to continue in this country while targeting Christian militia groups.
For the same reason that the "mainstream" media paint TEA party activists as violent racists as they ignore the fulminations of antiamerican groups. (Also, see here.)
Alex Jones articulates that reason in the video below.
You can sum up the answer in the phrase "pressure from above and pressure from below". If you don't know what that means, your efforts to defend this country could very well play into the hands of those who have specific plans for your enslavement.
You can see the character Machete in this trailer from "Spy Kids 2". He appears 21 seconds into the video.
Now Robert Rodriquez, the director/writer of the series, has lifted the character -- as portrayed by the same actor -- out of the children's movies and transplanted him as the main character of a dark film that feeds Latino racial envy and hatred. The story's title is "Machete" (slated for release Sept, 2010).
The actual transformation of Machete began with a fake trailer that appeared as part of the movie "Planet Terror" (2007) by Rodriguez. Perhaps he thought it would be funny (in a perverse way) to take a role model of school children and turn him into racist killing machine shown cavorting with fully nude females. (You can Google the fake trailer, but be warned that it contains nudity and graphic blood splatter.)
According to Rodriguez, the movie "Machete" will contain everything that appeared in the trailer, and more. In it, the character Machete becomes a full-blown, murderous Antichrist (in the Biblical sense of a false, substitute messianic figure) to whom Latino characters offer up prayers for deliverance.
The millions of 6-to-12 year olds who became familiar with the character in "Spy Kids" are now in their mid-teens to early 20's. And now they can view him as a savior who turns their frustrations into full-blown political/cultural/racial insurrection.
Certain questions may occur to the astute observer. The biggest is "Why?"
For example, "Why are federal funds involved in the production of a movie that incites insurrection?"
My answer:
For the same reason that the Latino Marxist racist group La Raza receives funding from the Ford Foundation.
For the same reason that federal agents allow Muslim militant training camps to continue in this country while targeting Christian militia groups.
For the same reason that the "mainstream" media paint TEA party activists as violent racists as they ignore the fulminations of antiamerican groups. (Also, see here.)
Alex Jones articulates that reason in the video below.
You can sum up the answer in the phrase "pressure from above and pressure from below". If you don't know what that means, your efforts to defend this country could very well play into the hands of those who have specific plans for your enslavement.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Balance
I found this article by Lt. Col. Al Ridenhour, USMC to be clear and well thought out. He mentions exercises for achieving balance that can be found in the book Attackproof. It's something for me to work on, since I've noticed an improvement in my balance since entering into chiropractic care.
I have previously found the exercises nearly impossible -- my balance was that bad. Now, I think I'll give them another try.
I have previously found the exercises nearly impossible -- my balance was that bad. Now, I think I'll give them another try.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
The Case for an Independent Militia, 2
Continued from "The Case for an Independent Militia"
Whether God's Word permits an independent militia is another matter that I hope to address at a later time.
The whole of the citizenry comprises the constitutional militia. That is how the Framers understood the militia. Witness the words of Federalist Alexander Hamilton:
The project of disciplining all the militia of the United States is as futile as it would be injurious, if it were capable of being carried into execution. . . . But though the scheme of disciplining the whole nation must be abandoned . . . . (The Federalist, No. 29)
Notice that he equates training all the militia with training the whole nation.
(As an aside, I believe Hamilton's assertion is mistaken. In Switzerland, if you vote, you serve in the militia -- shades of Heinlein!)
So far, I have merely laid the groundwork of the case for an independent militia:
Next, you must consider "the people" as explicitly mentioned in three different places in the Constitution.
To be continued
Please Note: In this discussion of the legitimate and lawful grounds for an independent militia, I refer to the U.S. Constitution because it is the law of the land. It is not the "supreme law" as it claims, for that place belongs only to the Word of God as expressed in Holy Scripture.
My position as regards the Constitution is that Christian ideas have strongly influenced it. It also received influence from the introduction of humanist ideas. The latter produced at least one fatal flaw in the document, which I cannot in good conscience endorse.
Nonetheless, since the Constitution is the accepted ground for our system of civil government, and since it is the professed rule by which it operates, I am writing this series to demonstrate that an independent militia falls within the parameters of government found therein.
The whole of the citizenry comprises the constitutional militia. That is how the Framers understood the militia. Witness the words of Federalist Alexander Hamilton:
The project of disciplining all the militia of the United States is as futile as it would be injurious, if it were capable of being carried into execution. . . . But though the scheme of disciplining the whole nation must be abandoned . . . . (The Federalist, No. 29)
Notice that he equates training all the militia with training the whole nation.
(As an aside, I believe Hamilton's assertion is mistaken. In Switzerland, if you vote, you serve in the militia -- shades of Heinlein!)
So far, I have merely laid the groundwork of the case for an independent militia:
the people = the militia.
Next, you must consider "the people" as explicitly mentioned in three different places in the Constitution.
To be continued
Saturday, May 15, 2010
The Case for an Independent Militia
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
It's interesting that both sides of the RKBA crowd look at the Second Amendment and find antithetical interpretations. Here is a summary of those positions:
These interpretations tend to lean in one of two ways. The first is that the amendment was meant to ensure that individuals have the absolute right to own firearms; the second is that the amendment was meant to ensure that States could form, arm, and maintain their own militias.
I wish to observe that what the anti-gun crowd's interpretation lacks in sense, it compensates for in its ingenuity and audacity. The "right" of a military force to arm itself seems hardly worthy of a mention in the nation's fundamental law, for an unarmed military is an oxymoron of the first order.
Nonetheless, the wording of the amendment raises a couple a singularly pertinent question:
- How does the people's right to arm themselves relate to the militia?
- How does the militia relate to maintaining the "security of a free state"?
(a) The militia of the United States consists of all able-bodied males at least 17 years of age and, except as provided in section 313 of title 32, under 45 years of age who are, or who have made a declaration of intention to become, citizens of the United States and of female citizens of the United States who are members of the National Guard.
(b) The classes of the militia are—
(1) the organized militia, which consists of the National Guard and the Naval Militia; and
(2) the unorganized militia, which consists of the members of the militia who are not members of the National Guard or the Naval Militia.) (U.S. Code, Title 10 > Subtitle A > PART I > CHAPTER 13 > § 311)
In the broadest sense, THE PEOPLE ARE THE MILITIA. Virginia statesman George Mason is quoted as saying, “I ask sir, who is the militia? It is the whole people…To disarm the people, that is the best and most effective way to enslave them….”
Thus, above-quoted interpretation is wrong. The states have not ever and currently do not "form, arm and maintain their own militias". They take members of the broader militia and "regulate" them through uniform training and discipline.
To be continued
Thursday, May 13, 2010
The American Dream?
Pray for these folks to submit to Christ's rule & a Biblical ethic. (And keep your powder dry.)
Click on image to enlarge.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
20 Things You Will Need When the Economy Collapses
I've been expecting an economic collapse since the summer of 1970. It has not come, and I am not disappointed at that.
The older I get, the less adventurous I feel, and the more realistically I look at prospects of roughing it. Nonetheless, you never know when disaster may strike, either natural (a la Hurricane Katrina, earthquakes, etc.) or man-made (as in war, terrorist attacks, collapse of the nation's currency, etc.).
Then there are those disasters that come upon individuals & families: job loss, loss of one's house &/or investments, leading to one's own personal economic collapse. A year's supply of stored food along with some warm clothing and other supplies might go a long way toward seeing you through your crisis.
In that spirit, I'd like to pass on a link to an article about some basic steps to prepare:
20 Things You Will Need
Note: by linking to this website, I do not necessarily endorse everything you may find there.
The older I get, the less adventurous I feel, and the more realistically I look at prospects of roughing it. Nonetheless, you never know when disaster may strike, either natural (a la Hurricane Katrina, earthquakes, etc.) or man-made (as in war, terrorist attacks, collapse of the nation's currency, etc.).
Then there are those disasters that come upon individuals & families: job loss, loss of one's house &/or investments, leading to one's own personal economic collapse. A year's supply of stored food along with some warm clothing and other supplies might go a long way toward seeing you through your crisis.
In that spirit, I'd like to pass on a link to an article about some basic steps to prepare:
20 Things You Will Need
Note: by linking to this website, I do not necessarily endorse everything you may find there.
Friday, May 7, 2010
A Good Barber . . .
. . . cuts your hair. A great barber sends you emails like this:
At the national museum of the Infantry,there is an M4,M16A2 simulator that charges a nominal fee for a course of fire. This helps pay for the museum,and gives the public a chance to experience a real weapon. They are connected to compressed air that actually causes recoil,and a laser that registers hits. A digital gunshot accompanies each squeeze of the trigger. I opted to pay an additional $2.00 to purchase the 3-round burst,unlimited ammo option. I covered down on an M4 with a ganster grip. During a 2 minute course of fire,I hit 18 of the 20 targets presented to me. In addition,I fired a total of 256 additional shots,on 3-round burst,aimed at various non-target items downrange. In 2 minutes,I fired a total of 276 rounds. I also raised a blood blister on my trigger finger! (hope that's healed by next thursday). My daily practice paid off. My family was waiting downstairs in the lobby,and said they could hear the sustained firing,and other people asked what it was.
At the national museum of the Infantry,there is an M4,M16A2 simulator that charges a nominal fee for a course of fire. This helps pay for the museum,and gives the public a chance to experience a real weapon. They are connected to compressed air that actually causes recoil,and a laser that registers hits. A digital gunshot accompanies each squeeze of the trigger. I opted to pay an additional $2.00 to purchase the 3-round burst,unlimited ammo option. I covered down on an M4 with a ganster grip. During a 2 minute course of fire,I hit 18 of the 20 targets presented to me. In addition,I fired a total of 256 additional shots,on 3-round burst,aimed at various non-target items downrange. In 2 minutes,I fired a total of 276 rounds. I also raised a blood blister on my trigger finger! (hope that's healed by next thursday). My daily practice paid off. My family was waiting downstairs in the lobby,and said they could hear the sustained firing,and other people asked what it was.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
About Learning (Way off Topic)
Today's post is way off topic -- well, maybe not. It's about learning as opposed to schooling.
As a college student and a teacher in a private, pseudochristian school, I learned that people pay good money for a product they don't really want -- education. Students in general (there are exceptions) like shorter assignments, less reading and easier courses.
As a consequence, (or perhaps it's a causal factor), students tend to orient themselves to the byproducts of their schooling (i.e., diplomas, degrees, certification) rather than the content (learning stuff).
I have concluded that my regular readers are among those few (we happy few!) who keep coming back because they want to learn something about the philosophy & application of Christian Martialism. To that end, I'd like to recommend a great resource.
Gary North has written a series of lessons on how to become an outstanding student. In other words, you can study to become an expert in any field, including the Bible, self defense (or the Bible & self defense), history, political science, or you name it.
Here's the link to the page where you can access those lessons, free of charge:
Two Weeks to Success
Here's how I'm using what I've learned about how to learn from Dr. North's course: I've started a highlights in calculus course offered by MIT. Well, I'm viewing the course online, because MIT is in the process of putting its whole curriculum online for free.
No credit, no degree. Just the teaching from one of the world's top schools. Here's the link for that, if you're interested:
MIT Open Courseware
Or you could just go back through the posts in this blog & become an expert Christian Martialist. (Granted, Dr. North's course is slanted toward the academic & cognitive, whereas Christian Martialism includes a lot of kinesthetic skills, but if you are my average sharp reader, you will see how to adapt the principles to physical learning, as well.)
As a college student and a teacher in a private, pseudochristian school, I learned that people pay good money for a product they don't really want -- education. Students in general (there are exceptions) like shorter assignments, less reading and easier courses.
As a consequence, (or perhaps it's a causal factor), students tend to orient themselves to the byproducts of their schooling (i.e., diplomas, degrees, certification) rather than the content (learning stuff).
I have concluded that my regular readers are among those few (we happy few!) who keep coming back because they want to learn something about the philosophy & application of Christian Martialism. To that end, I'd like to recommend a great resource.
Gary North has written a series of lessons on how to become an outstanding student. In other words, you can study to become an expert in any field, including the Bible, self defense (or the Bible & self defense), history, political science, or you name it.
Here's the link to the page where you can access those lessons, free of charge:
Two Weeks to Success
Here's how I'm using what I've learned about how to learn from Dr. North's course: I've started a highlights in calculus course offered by MIT. Well, I'm viewing the course online, because MIT is in the process of putting its whole curriculum online for free.
No credit, no degree. Just the teaching from one of the world's top schools. Here's the link for that, if you're interested:
MIT Open Courseware
Or you could just go back through the posts in this blog & become an expert Christian Martialist. (Granted, Dr. North's course is slanted toward the academic & cognitive, whereas Christian Martialism includes a lot of kinesthetic skills, but if you are my average sharp reader, you will see how to adapt the principles to physical learning, as well.)
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Brutal Science, Pubic Bone
Continued from "Brutal Science, Vulnerability of the Trachea"
I found this clip quite educational. I'm also wondering if you couldn't generate more power with a forward knee thrust than with the palm heel strike shown.
Separating the pubic bone is a crippling act. Use only when under serious threat.
I found this clip quite educational. I'm also wondering if you couldn't generate more power with a forward knee thrust than with the palm heel strike shown.
Separating the pubic bone is a crippling act. Use only when under serious threat.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Political Prisoners?
About a month ago, you may recall that swarms of FBI & state trooper SWAT teams descended upon some peaceful residential areas of Michigan to seize nine members of a militia group called the Hutaree.
My initial reaction, though I kept it pretty much to myself, coincided with that of Bryan Hyde (The Spectrum and Daily News)
At first glance, the recent arrest of a handful of militia members has all the trappings of a fiendish plot to overthrow the U.S. government by murdering police officers. But anyone willing to do a bit of research beyond the sensational and fear-mongering headlines will quickly find that there's much more to this story than is being portrayed in the press.
In a pattern seen all too often over the past 15 years, a group of individuals actively preparing to resist government tyranny was infiltrated by undercover FBI employees who acted as provocateurs, carefully steering the group toward clearly illegal activities.
Federal agents committed the same species of tyrannical enormity against Randy Weaver in the early 1990's. In case that was before your time, let me recount that Randy moved to northern Idaho to live a survivalist lifestyle with his wife Vicki along with a teenage son & daughter and an infant daughter.
The Weavers' attendance at some politically incorrect functions brought them to the attention of the feds. An FBI informant tried to persuade Randy to cut a shotgun barrel for him to less than the legal length of 18". It took a year of wheedling and begging before Randy finally consented and shortened the barrel for the FBI's agent provocateur.
The situation degenerated from there on out, with ATF agents shooting the Weavers' 13-yr-old son in the back and killing him, and FBI sniper Lon Horiuchi shooting Vicki in the head as she stood at the window holding her six-month-old child in her arms.
Right wing radio host & activist "Bo" Gritz negotiated Weaver's surrender by assuring him that witnesses would be present, lest the feds murder him and the rest of his family. He was led from the scene in chains, and many months later a jury of his peers found Randy innocent of the original charges on the grounds of entrapment by the feds.
No federal agent ever spent a night in jail over the murders of Sam & Vicki Weaver.
That's what the raid on the Hutaree reminds me of. It seems that U.S. District Judge Victoria Roberts also questions the "evidence" against the accused. An AP story reports:
An undercover agent infiltrated the group and secretly made recordings that have been played in court. While there is talk about killing police, it's not specific. In one conversation, there are many people talking over each other and laughing.
The news story further reports the arguments of the defense:
Defense lawyers urged the judge to look at each defendant individually. Although all are charged with conspiracy, they were not always together during critical meetings cited by the government.
At this point, I would like to point out that I do not subscribe to the dispensensationalist theology that led to some of the Hutaree's views on the end times. I do, however, sympathize with their criticism of the tyrannical state that we have allowed to envelope us.
So, are there lessons that the Christian Martialist may glean from these travesties? Let me suggest just a few:
My initial reaction, though I kept it pretty much to myself, coincided with that of Bryan Hyde (The Spectrum and Daily News)
At first glance, the recent arrest of a handful of militia members has all the trappings of a fiendish plot to overthrow the U.S. government by murdering police officers. But anyone willing to do a bit of research beyond the sensational and fear-mongering headlines will quickly find that there's much more to this story than is being portrayed in the press.
In a pattern seen all too often over the past 15 years, a group of individuals actively preparing to resist government tyranny was infiltrated by undercover FBI employees who acted as provocateurs, carefully steering the group toward clearly illegal activities.
Federal agents committed the same species of tyrannical enormity against Randy Weaver in the early 1990's. In case that was before your time, let me recount that Randy moved to northern Idaho to live a survivalist lifestyle with his wife Vicki along with a teenage son & daughter and an infant daughter.
The Weavers' attendance at some politically incorrect functions brought them to the attention of the feds. An FBI informant tried to persuade Randy to cut a shotgun barrel for him to less than the legal length of 18". It took a year of wheedling and begging before Randy finally consented and shortened the barrel for the FBI's agent provocateur.
The situation degenerated from there on out, with ATF agents shooting the Weavers' 13-yr-old son in the back and killing him, and FBI sniper Lon Horiuchi shooting Vicki in the head as she stood at the window holding her six-month-old child in her arms.
Right wing radio host & activist "Bo" Gritz negotiated Weaver's surrender by assuring him that witnesses would be present, lest the feds murder him and the rest of his family. He was led from the scene in chains, and many months later a jury of his peers found Randy innocent of the original charges on the grounds of entrapment by the feds.
No federal agent ever spent a night in jail over the murders of Sam & Vicki Weaver.
That's what the raid on the Hutaree reminds me of. It seems that U.S. District Judge Victoria Roberts also questions the "evidence" against the accused. An AP story reports:
An undercover agent infiltrated the group and secretly made recordings that have been played in court. While there is talk about killing police, it's not specific. In one conversation, there are many people talking over each other and laughing.
Roberts pressed that point more than once as Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald Waterstreet argued in favor of keeping the nine in jail. The judge suggested she didn't hear or read in the transcripts any indication that violence was imminent.
"Mere presence where a crime may be planned is not a crime. ... How does this add up to seditious conspiracy?" Roberts said.
The news story further reports the arguments of the defense:
Defense lawyers urged the judge to look at each defendant individually. Although all are charged with conspiracy, they were not always together during critical meetings cited by the government.
"'What if' is not the standard. ... None of these words are an instruction to anyone to commit a crime," said Stone's attorney, William Swor, as held up a stack of transcripts.
Arthur Weiss, a lawyer for Thomas Piatek, 46, of Whiting, Ind., said disgust with the government as recorded by the undercover agent is similar to what's said daily by radio and TV talk-show hosts Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity.
"Millions of people" are talking about "taking our country back," Weiss said.
At this point, I would like to point out that I do not subscribe to the dispensensationalist theology that led to some of the Hutaree's views on the end times. I do, however, sympathize with their criticism of the tyrannical state that we have allowed to envelope us.
So, are there lessons that the Christian Martialist may glean from these travesties? Let me suggest just a few:
- Be careful of your associations: any group outside the parameters of Establishment worldview and values may become a target for federal agents provocateur;
- Be careful of your words in print and in person: let your speech be always with grace seasoned with salt;
- Be careful of those among you who would incite you to rash and intemperate speech and acts: they may be laying a snare;
- Be aware that our present state of affairs has come about because the Church has ignored some key Biblical commands;
- Be careful to search your own heart: repent of your participation in the sins that have led us into the present judgment;
- Be watchful, prayerful and always ready to do the right thing.
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