The Oath-Keepers: Right-Wing Domestic Terrorists Waiting to Happen

[Joanne98]

If you aren’t yet familiar with the Oath Keepers, here are a few graphs of background by Justine Sharrock, writing for MoJo:

Founded last April by Yale-educated lawyer and ex-Ron Paul aide Stewart Rhodes, the group has established itself as a hub in the sprawling anti-Obama movement that includes Tea Partiers, Birthers, and 912ers. Glenn Beck, Lou Dobbs, and Pat Buchanan have all sung its praises, and in December, a grassroots summit it helped organize drew such prominent guests as representatives Phil Gingrey and Paul Broun, both Georgia Republicans.

There are scores of patriot groups, but what makes Oath Keepers unique is that its core membership consists of men and women in uniform, including soldiers, police, and veterans. At regular ceremonies in every state, members reaffirm their official oaths of service, pledging to protect the Constitution—but then they go a step further, vowing to disobey “unconstitutional” orders from what they view as an increasingly tyrannical government.

And they’re prepared to commit acts of violence if need be. They’re armed, trained, and hopped up on an outsized Glenn-Beckian sense of grievance. Scary people.

All terrorists are animated by a belief that they’re serving a higher purpose, and the Oath Keepers no doubt think that their dedication to the Constitution makes them ‘freedom fighters.’ To understand why they’re common terrorists waiting to happen, one needs only to grasp the single most important, bedrock principle upon which the whole Constitution was built: the separation of the powers. The founders understood that it was the most important wall against tyranny. One hopes that every school-kid gets the whole checks-and-balances thing.

Oath Keepers don’t. They’re not pledging to uphold the Constitution as interpreted by the judicial branch. Every cop and member of the military, including non-wing-nuts, are tasked with that enterprise, at least in theory. They are saying that they will violently uphold their own interpretations of what is and is not Constitutional, or the interpretations of Michelle Bachmann or Rush Limbaugh.

http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/09/03/the-oath-keepers-right-wing-domestic-terrorists-waiting-to-happen/

[grantcart]

1. Wonder if they are related to the Promise Keepers?

Also wonder how many will eventually be meeting the Jail Keepers?

[liberalhistorian]

2. I'm unfortunately not surprised at this shit,

and I'm getting very frightened for Obama and the country in general. Remember that the OK City bombing was a domestic terrorist act that occurred under some of the same conditions we're seeing now. The only good thing at all that came of that was the subduing and retreat of the "militia" movement. Unfortunately, the racist rednecks are now back in droves and with a vengeance even worse than under Clinton.

Now, I'm almost afraid to ask this, but what, exactly, are the "912ers"? Knowing the craziness of these people, I'm not sure I really wanna know.

[StreetKnowledge]

3. I hate to say it, but America is going to see a lot of these clowns in the next couple decades.

And that, as pathetic as it is, is a fact. The next time the economy crashes for fair, these clowns will be out and about a lot, along with the people who believe their pathetic drivel. America's next real depression will result in race riots and civil violence on the biggest scale since the civil war. I hope people are ready for that when it comes.

[Hugabear]

5. They'll be more than ready to step in and provide order

With their military, law enforcement,and other authoritarian backgrounds, they'll be poised to step in and restore order and security. And people will THANK them for it, they'll be looked upon as saviors. Once they've established themselves as such, they'll be able to do pretty much whatever they want.

[earcandle]

4. left behind by the wars, angry and armed here come the terrorists and karma orders popcorn.

she stated, shivering in the coldness of the mood.