Militia member calls new SPLC watch list unfounded


Gina Redmond, Reporting
Lynne Jones, Producer
Jamey Bryan & Mike Dodd, Photographers
Jamey Bryan, Editor

Updated: March 4, 2010


BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Shocking new numbers represent the growth of extremist right-wing organizations across the U.S.

On March 2, 1010, the Southern Poverty Law Center, a non-profit civil rights organization based in Montgomery, Alabama, released its findings on these so-called radical groups.

The SPLC says hate groups remained at record levels in 2009.

Anti-immigrant vigilante groups soared by 80%.

And the most dramatic rise—a 244% increase in the number of “patriot groups” and militia organizations throughout the U.S.

But NBC13 talked with a militia member with the Three Percenters who said militias do not want a revolution and there is no threat to the public.

It’s an image most of us would like to forget. 1995 in Oklahoma City, 168 people including children were killed in the bombing of the Federal Building. The attack was carried out by men deeply rooted in conspiracy theories of the militias.

Mark Potok, editor of the Intelligence Report magazine, published by the Southern Poverty Law Center said, “The ultimate concern is another Oklahoma, no question about it.“

In a room filled with books on hate crimes and anti- government groups, Potok talked to NBC13HD’S Gina Redmond about the latest magazine issue which details the dramatic rise of the patriot movement.

Potok said, “Fundamentally the patriot movement is a movement which sees not black people, not the Jews, not white people or another group of people as the enemy, but the Federal Government as the primary enemy. The militias are groups with the same set of beliefs.

But additionally they engage typically in training, paramilitary training in the woods or whatever it may be. We have seen a 244% rise in the number of patriot groups in the United States in a single year. We saw 309 new groups appear last year, and that is really extraordinary.”
So what’s behind this dramatic spike? Potok maintains the crumbling economy and high unemployment are both significant factors.

So too is the changing landscape of America. For the first time, the leader of the free world is a black man. Potok believes that is a factor, “I think a very important driver of the growth of these groups has been non-white immigration that kind of culminates in the election of Obama.”
Although members of patriot and militia groups cross all socio-economic levels, what they do what is a perceived belief in what is happening in this country.

Potok said, “I think the country has probably not been this polarized in a very long time.”
A recent CNN poll shows 56% of Americans believe the Federal Government has become so large and powerful that is posts an immediate threat to the rights and freedoms of ordinary citizens. 46% of those polled disagreed.

Mike Vanderboegh is a Three Percenter, which is one of seven active patriot groups identified in Alabama by the SPLC. He was also actively involved in the militia movement of the 1990s. He asked, “Are we to serve the government or is the government to serve us? The founders said the government was to serve us.”

Vanderboegh is vehemently opposed to having militia groups labeled as dangerous by the SPLC. He said, “For years they’ve called us anti-government, constitutional militia folks. The only people I know that are anti government are anarchists. What the Three Percenters are is pro-government of the sort of government that the founders would recognize, small government, safe government, a government that doesn’t have the power to shove you around and tell you what to do. We don’t claim to be three percent of the American population today. We claim though, and I think quite rightly, that we are three percent of American gun owners. That’s the muzzles of three million riffles who can be, if required, pointed directly at the hearts of anyone who wants to be a tyrant in this country.”

Vanderboegh maintains Three Percenters do not pose a threat to the public, “The people have nothing to fear from us, absolutely nothing.”
Mark Potok’s top concern is another militia group among the seven identified in Alabama by the SPLC. He said, “To me the Oath Keepers is one of the more worrying groups out there.”
The Oath Keepers declined our request for an interview. They too are among the seven groups identified in Alabama by the SPLC. But unlike the Three Percenters, Oath Keepers are made up of present and former police officers and soldiers.

Potok said, “This is a group of men and women, in many cases, police officers who are armed by the public by you and me in order to protect the rest of us who on occasion may have the power of life and death over you and I or any other citizen they encounter.”

Yet Potok admits it’s not the groups themselves he fears, but the individuals who may join and take matters into their own hands. “Some tiny percentage of them goes out and wakes up one morning and decides I’ve got to start shooting because the government is going to put my family in a concentration camp.”

Vanderboegh doesn’t believe in government conspiracy theories like that. He said his focus is on restoring our God-given liberties that have slowly eroded away over the past 75 years. “Regardless of race, creed, color or religion, the Constitution contifies what God had in mind for all of us. We’re not after a revolution. We don’t want a revolution. We’re restorationists. We want what we had we want what the founders gave us, that’s what the Three Percent wants.”

NBC13 also contacted the militia group, Alabama Shoals Badgers, based in Tuscumbia, which is also on the SPLC watch list. They declined our request for an interview.

Pay attention.

"A recent CNN poll shows 56% of Americans believe the Federal Government has become so large and powerful that is posts an immediate threat to the rights and freedoms of ordinary citizens. 46% of those polled disagreed."

I'm no mathematician but that is where I stopped reading.

Otherwise stated:
56% are smart
46% are ignorant

Better that smart people are above the ignorant.

Not suprising that Mike is doing this. The Dutchman has always been a large contributer and protester. An American hero, so to speak. Any updates will be nice on the status of his protest.

add 56+46

It's like they are saying this person who is from a group like the one the people who murder children etc... Is telling you they are not bad people. But they insert atrocities to devalue his interview. What he is doing is great. The article junk.

Oh. 102. Maybe a typo?

That's the media for you.

Watch the video of the interview. When MV is giving his final response...they cut off the audio.

"A recent CNN poll shows 56% of Americans believe the Federal Government has become so large and powerful that is posts an immediate threat to the rights and freedoms of ordinary citizens. 46% of those polled disagreed.(I'm not sure but I think this is supposed to be disagree)"

I'm not with the grammar police either but look. They don't even proofread or edit their shit. These are supposed to professional journalists/news outlets? OMG what has happened to our country.

Where can I see the vid, Consig?

http://www2.nbc13.com/vtm/news/local/article/dramatic_rise_in_grass_roots_militia_groups/135530/

I found the video. Can anyone read lips. It is a bit weird the last few seconds of audio is gone. Mike did great!

On this page directly under "Breaking News".

I thought the federal government was too big under George Bush (Both of them). It's not just an "Obama" thing. I don't dislike Obama because he's black, I dislike him because he's "red".

+1

Jim777, you hit the nail on the head.

And so ConSigCor, It begins again.....

My reply tp the SPLC article and comments by their loonies on their blog


greywolf said,
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
on March 5th, 2010 at 4:31 pm


It amazes me to see some many buying the premise of the article, that somehow we the militia’s of the States our the problem.
Then I keep hearing this argument that somehow we were not vocal during the Bush years. We were always speaking out. But with the Media being controlled by either the left or the right, we were not given anytime on the news. It only now has become a story, why? Because the left is in control to the government, and they need an enemy. So now we are news worthy again. Most of us have been here since before the 90’s. We tolerated the lies about we were somehow connected to OKC bombing and other things. But we are not extremist as the left likes to call us. The right likes to say we are just lone nuts. As all of you can see we are many.
I would like to know since when did believing in the Constitution and what the founders stood for make someone an extremist? Since when did someone like the oathkeepers become an extremist group. They are former and present law enforcement and military, who have take an oath to keep the oath they took when they join their service. You remember don’t you “To protect and defend the Constitution”. That’s what they stand for. They will not do anything to the people that violated that oath. What is wrong with that?
I am a militia man proud of too. I believe in the founders ideas and the Constitutional republic that gave us. I know that the militia is just every able bodied man between 17-45 years of age in that state. It is not the National Guard which is more under the control of the Federal government then the States as it should be. We are an union, a Constitutional republic made up of 50 separate States. IT is an unique situation that many of our young people are not taught and do not understand.
So we wish that our Constitutional Republic continue as it was founded. That’s what we in the militia stand for.


Greywolf
47 wolf pack militia
New Mexico

I don't think they understand that a State is a country on it's own and the United State is basically 50 country who united for practical reasons.

The damn yankee government seated in the cesspool on the Potomac hasn't understood that concept since 1860. And it's past time for a divorce.

Prof. Jacobsen has a post of the SPLC\'s Democratic mission . Short, but it's worth a read. Here it is:

Onward and upward,
airforce

What exactly is the SPLC?

Southern Poverty Law Center. Here's an excerpt from their website:
___________________________________________________________________
Who We Are
The Southern Poverty Law Center is a nonprofit civil rights organization dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry, and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of society.

Founded by civil rights lawyers Morris Dees and Joseph Levin Jr. in 1971, the SPLC is internationally known for tracking and exposing the activities of hate groups. Our innovative Teaching Tolerance program produces and distributes – free of charge – documentary films, books, lesson plans and other materials that promote tolerance and respect in our nation’s schools.

We are based in Montgomery, Ala., the birthplace of the modern civil rights movement, and have offices in Atlanta, New Orleans, Miami, Fla., and Jackson, Miss.

_____________________________________________________________________

That's what they claim to be, but in reality, they are an organization that gets their jollies from trying to de-legitimize the militia by lumping them and other Patriot groups like the Constitution Party and Oath Keepers, in with hate groups like the KKK, Neo Nazis, and Skin Heads.

Click on the more videos link on UPN and watch the video: "Exposing the SPLC".

I have to admit - I hadn't heard of SPLC until I started checking this AWRM out. WOW! Talk about fact-twisting and hate mongering. I just visited the site and they have many articles available describing the hateful, paranoid, racist demeanor of our militias.
I subscribed to their newsletter. They sound like the marketing department for the ATF.

Yep!

The SPLC really does not have a lot of credibility in the left wing circles either, but a lot of lefties kiss up to them in the hopes of getting paid or sponsored in some way with a small percentage of the huge money that SPLC gets every year from various grants, donations, and what is reported to be a very sizable investment portfolio.

That situation has even gotten to the point that some of their long time allies are publicly distancing themselves from the SPLC although most likely maintaining close "private" ties to them.

As for their "relationship" with homeland security, it is more like the troublemaker neighbor down the road who watches everything you do and calls the police against you on everything they can once they have something to work with, but they do very little of their own dirty work. It is strongly rumored that several key leadership figures in the neo-nazi movement have been on the SPLC payroll and that the SPLC has somehow inserted themselves into several ongoing FBI investigations by using the same informants. It is something of a force multiplier approach whenever some agency takes interest in a targeted group (usually at the insistence of the SPLC), then the SPLC will coordinate between their informants and whichever agency is relevant to the investigation.

The real ticket is catching the SPLC in anything illegal enough to take them to civil court on, like some of their operatives using illegal wiretaps or violating a terms of use agreement in a website somewhere or being armed for hostile purposes on private property.

You could set them up with maybe a fake class on "explosives" and then get video of everyone there, make and stashes of fake "explosives" which in turn get found by the investigating agencies but you can figure out who knew of which stashes, and then burn the spy.

One thing that Potock probably fears bigtime is some well connected Oathkeepers getting access to case files and digging up dirt on procedural violations which could in turn be used against the SPLC.

This was my last letter to the blogging idiots over at the SPLC... They had a snappy comeback to... something like I'm rubber and your glue...
I ain't got time for the little commie bast@rds


greywolf said,


on March 16th, 2010 at 6:26 pm

Wow,
Some of you need to read something besides Mao’s little red book, or Alimsky’s rules for radicals.
I understand some of you have never made a living by working with your hands. Some are still in those left wing universities. I know that most of us get our ideas from our experiences. If all you know is what your 60’s radical professor told you. I can’t expect you to actually do your own thinking or research.
I am who I am because of my past. School of hard knocks, US Military, War and Working with my hands.
And you are who you are for your reasons. But don’t preach to a working man how you are for the working man. You’ve never worked. I don’t buy it.
Daddy sent you to school, you were bored so you joined the Students for a Democatic society. Now you think you know the working man. Ha!
Or you are some 60’s radical, who was too afraid to fight for your country so you got a deferment and joined the weather underground. You think you speak for the people. HA!
I am glad you all believe this communist stuff and you think your smart and educated, The first things ever done in a communist society is to execute or lock away all the professors and educated elite. Good luck in prison.
you would impress me more if you could quote the founders and not Chavez, Castro, Marx, or Mao.

Ben Franklin said “Anyone who would sacrifice essential liberty for security, deserves neither liberty or security”.

I came on here to see what you all were about. heres what I found.
The first time I posted, I was met with the one thing you say your trying to stop. Hatred… I was called drunken white redneck trash. Even though none of you knew me. HUMMM, I see that hatred is alive and well on the left. Maybe the SPLC should put you all down as extremist hate groups. I was neither drunk, or trash and not even a redneck.
The second thing I notice is a lack of wonder. You would think, here you had an opportunity to talk to a militia man and see for yourself what we are about. No you’d rather buy the government line that were all evil.
The third thing I noticed is that most of you have not been taught your history, just the history as your socialist professor see it. Your taught not to question them or their ideas. Just anyone elses that happens to disagree. Then your fed talking points and you sticks with them. Why? because your argument stinks, it makes no sense to anyone old enough to remember the USSR.

I can promise you this if your unlucky enough to suceed in getting your communist/socialist country. You will curse that day, or your kids will.

I can’t spend to much time here, I have training to do, I’ve seen what I came here to see.Not a keyboard commando, like you all...

A patriot.

So if your willing to fight for your beliefs….. I will see you on the field of battle, Good luck

Greywolf
47 Wolfpack Militia

Sorry this one came first, it leads up to the one above.


greywolf said,


on March 12th, 2010 at 8:13 pm

Ruslin
I see you think that the federal government will just wipe us poor wannbe soldiers off the map. The problem with your argument is two fold. First the government trained about 90% of us. Most are Iraq Vets and or Vietnam Vets and a few grenada vets too. Most don’t just play soldier, you see it’s kinda like after Vietnam when guys came home to the mistreatment and formed Motorcycle clubs, Why? because thats where the felt like they belonged. But some formed militia units and live like they never left the military. They train and eat and sleep this stuff. So although out armed by present military forces, most of us know that a good portion of those military forces will join us rather then betray the Constitution. Many of them and us are oath keepers, To those who are unaware of what that means to a soldier or cop. That means we don’t care who’s in charge, we will not violate the oath we took to protect and defend the constitution. Nowhere in that oath did it say protect the government, or socialist, or polititians.
second. although we only carry an AR or AK, and only have our wits to get us by. We know because some of us have fought in wars. that small guerilla units can cause havoc on larger forces. Just ask our Vietnam Vets and Iraq vets. Yes in a conventional war with lines and artillary firing back and forth, we would be screwed. But That’s not what any man in his right mind would do. By the way It really bothers me when some socialist pacifist, who only thinks his cause is worth fighting for uses that same ol tired argument. ” hey your not going to be able to defeat the US military with small arms”. It shows me, that you would march right off to the re-education camps if a tyrannt took over.

Beholder
My friend your a funny dude. I laughed my butt off. I wasn’t flexin my bother just get tired of hearing the same ol fat redneck crap. When I was in the military I took pride in my abilities and physical condition. I still do was all I was saying.
If you need viagra I am very sorry friend, maybe you should take some vitamins or find a better looking ol lady. It’s amazing how smart you all think you are. It is too bad your not as smart as you think.

As for my avatars, I have two…..One is a revolutionary war flag, the other is a pic of me on my scoot… Sorry to disappoint you redneck racist dream… but no swatikas or KKK emblems and I don’t even own a hood. better luck next time… Go back to your closet and get out your Che shirt and sit around drinking your latte and maybe things will work out and we all can become this commune style socialist utopia.