Nine members of a militia group who named themselves the Hutaree have been arrested for, among other things, sedition and attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction.
From the NYTimes:
The indictment said the Hutaree, in anticipation of a war against its enemies, had been engaging in “military-style training,” from weapons proficiency drills to “close quarter battle drills” and the use of “ambush kill zones.” The small group had acquired guns, ammunition, medical supplies, uniforms, communications equipment and “explosives and other components for destructive devices,” it said.
After attacking the police, the members planned to retreat to several planned “rally points” and wait for the authorities to come after them. They were preparing fighting positions as well as “trip-wired and command-detonated” bombs, it said.
“It is believed by the Hutaree that this engagement would then serve as a catalyst for a more widespread uprising against the government,” the indictment said.
In addition, Mr. Stone had announced, “a covert reconnaissance exercise” in April, during which “anyone who happened upon the exercise who did not acquiesce to Hutaree demands could be killed,” the indictment said.
The United States attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, Barbara McQuade, said the government raided the group this past weekend because that exercise would have “had the potential of placing an unsuspecting member of the public at risk.”
The Hutaree Web site features the motto “Preparing for the end time battles to keep the testimony of Jesus Christ alive” and a video showing rifle-toting men in camouflage running through woods and firing weapons.
“Jesus wanted us to be ready to defend ourselves using the sword and stay alive using equipment,” the Web site says, adding, “The Hutaree will one day see its enemy and meet him on the battlefield if so God wills it.”
By Monday, the Stones’ house stood empty, its front door ajar and two dogs still tied up in the were.
The Stones’ two sons were among those arrested. Joshua, the eldest, left the local school system after the fifth grade in 1999 to be home-schooled, and the younger son, David B. Stone Jr., 19, had never been enrolled, an official said.
Also charged were Joshua J. Clough, 28, of Blissfield, Mich.; Michael D. Meeks, 40, of Manchester, Mich.; Thomas W. Piatek, 46, of Whiting, Ind.; Kristopher T. Sickles, 27, of Sandusky, Ohio; and Jacob Ward, 33, of Huron, Ohio.
They could face a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted of the most serious charge, attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction.
There are so many aspects of this story that are so disturbing and raise so many questions. One of my first reactions, and I will just get this out of the way now, is that I feel very sorry for the two kids involved. They never had a chance. They were indoctrinated with their parents’ craziness from the time they could walk. They were “home schooled”, which ensured that they would never receive any learning that would contradict that craziness. Really, they never had a chance. But by now, it is probably too late to hope that they might be rehabilitated and become productive members of society, rather than someone on the outside trying to tear down that same society.
My very first reaction, however, was one of absolute horror. What could possibly be wrong with these people that they would think that killing a policeman would help them in their fight against the ultimate fictitious enemy, the Antichrist? These people saw themselves as “God’s Warriors”, and they couldn’t even keep their stupid yard clean? If there ever were a good example of “white trash”, it would seem to be these people. I don't believe in God, but if there is such a being, I would really hope that He would be truly offended that people like this believe that they think they can speak for him and murder other people in His name. But, throughout history, there have always been such people and there always will be. God thinks exactly like they think. What a coincidence.
Without knowing any of this group personally, here is my take. These people have so little self-worth and extremely few prospects for the future, they had to come up with this crap about being “God’s warriors” in order to give their feeble lives some meaning. It’s a grown up version of having some sort of “secret club” when you are a kid, with secret signs and a secret hideout, and a big plan about something or other that gives membership in this club a reason to be proud of. It’s also all about blaming others for their troubles. In today’s society, it’s always someone else’s fault for whatever problems you have. It’s never your fault. These people are losers in the biggest sense of the word, and they couldn’t accept that. So they anointed themselves as “God’s warriors”, doing God’s bidding and going forth to fight the Antichrist. What b.s. Yet, this concept is what ruled these people’s lives, and continues to rule the lives of many more people just like them.
I really try not to make many inflammatory statements here on this blog. I don’t like to use the anonymity of the blogsphere to be a jerk on purpose with the intent of attracting readers. I’ll leave that particular to trick to the followers of Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck. But I see one possible future of this country as an armed revolt of stupid people. But you know what would happen? If successful, it wouldn’t be the stupid people who would end up on top. It would be the bright boys and girls who manipulate the anger of those stupid people. No, I am not going to get into comparisons with Nazi Germany. That always has a way of clouding the point anyone is trying to make. But the Russian Revolution, that might be an apt comparison. Look who ended up in change, Lenin and his gang. It wasn’t the proletariats. They were just the tools for the unscrupulous and power hungry to gain control.
If these people really wanted to give their lives purpose and be able to legally run around trying to kill the bad guys with really big guns, why didn't they all join the military? But no. That would be actually hard work and they would have other people telling them what to do. This way, they get to play soldier (and God's soldier at that) on their own terms. When they get tired at the end of the day, they can tell themselves they did a wonderful job in support of a great purpose and then go home and watch Fox News on television, so they can renew their anger at all the people in the United States who make them mad.
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