Militia

                    

Not all militia members are racists or anti-Semitic and many seem to be unaware of the history behind militia groups. Most militia members are unaware of the fact that the themes are rooted in white supremacist ideology, state's rights arguments and in anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. Members come from all walks of life and have found defenders in local county public offices. Some of their grievances are based in the reality of economic hardships, the decline of the family farm and repressive legislation.

Before WWII right-winged, fascist paramilitary groups such as the Silver Shirt Legion and the Christian Front formed militias. The Cold War era saw paramilitary militia organizations such as the California Rangers and the Minutemen. One of the most well known and infamous militia organizations being the Ku Klux Klan. During the 1980's survivalists and white supremacists formed paramilitary groups such as the Christian Patriot Defense League, the Texas Emergency Reserve and the White Patriot Party. As a result of the backlash in gains by the 60's social movements, the Militia Movement of today is an off-shoot of the "Patriot Movement". Membership ranges from the John Birch Society to the more extreme Liberty Lobby. The basic principles of unity are anti-tax, anti-regulation, anti-gun control and right-winged or Libertarian anti-government ideology. Many of the movement's leaders have a long history with the white supremacist movement.

The Militia Movement has a history of involvement with anti-democratic right-winged paramilitary groups who want to create a private army to further their authoritarian or theocratic goals by promoting ideas that would deny basic rights creating second class citizenship for those they disagree with and by short circuiting the democratic process by the use of force. Members are white males with the exception of a few "token" minorities and women. Most expound strong Christian beliefs and justify their actions by claiming to be defenders of the Constitution but by using their interpretation of what they believe to be "their" constitutional rights and privileges. The movement activity ranges from lawful protests of government policies to criminal activity, with only a small segment who are actually committing violent crimes.

Organizers, preying on people's fears and real or magined grievances, misdirecting their anger into the scapegoating of individuals or groups as the cause of their problems. Those targeted are federal officials and law enforcement, minorities and Jews, abortion providers and pro-choice supporters, environmental and conservation activists, gays and lesbians, people of color, immigrants and welfare recipients. They paint a picture of good vs evil, parasite vs producers and have a fascination with conspiracy theories pertaining to "One World Government" or "The New World Order", the United Nations, the Illuminati and Freemasons who they believe are controlling the economy by the manipulation of paper currency. Such conspiracy theories unfortunately diverts attention from the actual systems of power and oppression and simplifies the actual social and economic realities.

The 1990 events that sparked the Militia Movement were the election of Clinton, the Rodney King Riots, NAFTA, Ruby Ridge and Waco with the movement peaking in the mid-1990's. During the late 1990's due to media attention and militia related arrests many left the movement, others left feeling the movement was not radical enough and by the year 2000 when Y2K did not materialize many more left.

In recent years there has been concerns that the Militia Movement has been quietly reorganizing keeping a much lower profile and softening or mainstreaming their message while laying-in-wait for their day to come. What was once "black helicopter" websites now take on the appearance of legitimate concerned citizens. Many believe that with the formation of armed anti-immigration vigilantes calling themselves, Minutemen, the Militia Movement has returned.

Overlapping right-winged militant social movements:

Militant gun-rights groups
Anti-tax protestors Survivalists
Far-right Libertarians
Racists, anti-Semitic, Neo-Nazi
Sovereign citizen movements
Militant wing of anti-abortion groups
End Times believers
Dominion theology Christian evangelical right
Militant anti-environmental (WiseUse Movement)
States rights and state sovereignty movements

Compiled By Connie Stringer