Disarming a Militia
Explosion after Explosion, an arsenal of homemade grenades and other improvised weapons goes up in smoke.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is using a vacant lot behind the Talladega Superspeedway to detonate 168 illegal weapons seized from the Alabama Free Militia.
Investigators say the fringe group had been stockpiling weapons because of paranoid concerns over government and immigrants.
America’s militia movement took the media spotlight in the 1990s, following the deadly standoffs in Ruby Ridge, ID and Waco, TX. But things changed after the 1995 bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, then the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil.
While the Oklahoma case was not the work of classic militia activity, it had a major impact on the anti-government movement in America.
done
“It separated the wheat from the chaff,” said Jim Cavanaugh, special agent in charge of the ATF’s Nashville Field Division.
According to Cavanaugh, many dabblers, who simply enjoyed attending meetings and exercises, left the militias. But those who wholeheartedly subscribed to the militia culture’s conspiracy theories went further underground.
Members of the Alabama Free Militia claimed their weapons were for self-defense. But ATF bomb experts say faulty fuses on the homemade grenades made them highly dangerous — not only to the public, but the militia members themselves.
The seven defendants in the Alabama Free Militia investigation have pled guilty to various weapons charges. Now that they’re behind bars, the ATF is able to wrap up this case with a bang. Click on the video to see the dramatic results.
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Jonathan Serrie is an Atlanta-based correspondent for FNC. He was
stationed in Macedonia during Operation Allied Force and in Uzbekistan
during Operation Enduring Freedom. 
Hmmm - I thought the government was trying to tell us that the 2nd amendment protects militias.
So, then what do they think it DOES protect?
I am not a militia, but I am an American citizen. This is the beginning of the end for America. It seems the federal government has been given the leeway to discern between good militia and bad
militia when militia is a right given by our constitution to protect us from a tyrannical government. Do we still retain the authority to discern between tyrannical or profitable government? Washington is in a dream world, both parties and they are not considerate of the average American, his goals or his
circumstances. The congress has taken oaths that they are contemptable of and have no intention of keeping. They are lining their own pckets at our expense. There is no domestic tranquility for the rancor between the parties wrecklessly abandoning the state of the nation for their own state of affairs. There is no jealous zeal for our rights under the constitution because they are undermining those rights for money for them. There is no desire to make the welfare of the republic secure because it is through their discontent and ignorance that we will be overthrown. In short, washington hates America’s constitution, America’s God and America’s patriotism. Those in power have made their positions perpetual by passing laws and regulations that prohibit an ordinary citizen from partaking in attaining office because of money or ridiculous restraints that accompany cronyism, nepostism and other preferential practices.
That whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and institute new government, laying its foundations on such principles, and organizing its powers in such forms, as to them shall seem most likely toaffect their safety and happiness.
It seems to me the constitution would be a good thing to raise a militia to re-institute because what is happening before my eyes is tyranny. Socialism is promoted. The state is trusted. Taxation is not seen as stealing from the public. Washington had better heed one truth of history–Americans have their rights given to them be almighty God and we are not afraid of the idea of dying for our cause.
It is the exteme minority that give militias a bad name. Real militias are about defense and service when needed. Since the Oklahoma bombing, it isn’t so cool to “hate the gubmint”.
The Beaver County Militia is a militia for the non violent and will fight to the death to stay non violent.
Tom, right on, the point is that if the bill of rights could be revised (by the ATF) the 2nd amendment would go away.
I think it is high time we disarm and disband the BATFE. Armed tax agents are an affront to Liberty.
You said the deadliest attack in US domestic history was the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City. I thought it was the attack by BATF on the Branch Davidian Compound in Waco, Texas.