The Mission of the Modern Militia

Having been a member of a militia (past tense), I was always struck with the question of, “What is our mission?” When I was a member of the Army National Guard, our mission was clear and spelled out. While we could have another discussion about the appropriateness of the current NG mission, it was at least clear. This was never the case as a member of the militia. There were ideas that were discussed, and we had the hope (some believe this to be a 4-letter word) that if there was an emergency we’d be called on, but there was never any formal aid arrangement, response plan, SOPs or defined mission.  This has made me think about what the mission should and shouldn’t be.  I’ll start with the latter…

There are those who believe the militia will be called on by the community in times of need whether this is flooding or all out TEOTWAWKI, but personally, I believe these individuals to be truly delusional in regards to how governments work.  If we’re talking WROL, all bets are off, but I still don’t think the militias will be the first people who the local communities will want to come to their “rescue”.  Those of us who’ve been involved in government know the red tape and complexities associated with it.  If there is ever a disaster, the last thing they will want is a bunch of unaffiliated people with guns running around claiming to have authority.  There are liability issues galore that would prevent the militias from helping in any formal capacity.  There may be unique communities out there where the local government may call on the militia, but at present, I’m not familiar with any of them, and I’m fairly confident they would be a rarity.

I don’t want to dwell too much on what I don’t think the militia is because all too often people tear down something without providing anything constructive in return so I’ll skip any other areas I feel are not fitting of the militia and go to what I believe the militias could be today.

Continuing Education:  Many of us are prior military/LEO in one form or another and would like to maintain some of the skills we learned while serving.  While I don’t see a need for troop leading procedures in my future, there are a lot of other skills I learned in the military that are very useful.  Although I’ve spend many hours doing land nav and map reading, it is a perishable skill and one that can serve you your entire life if you practice it.  Having the opportunity to teach, and relearn, this was of great benefit to myself and hopefully to those I taught.  Communication is another area that is of great benefit both in and out of the military environment.  I’ve recently obtained my HAM radio license and have been learning more about that craft.  There are other areas that can be taught in the militia that will help us maintain and learn skills that we might not have otherwise.

Networking:  Getting to know other people of a similar mindset is always beneficial and usually enjoyable.  These groups can serve as a way of getting to know people who think similarly and have common goals.  This networking also allows you to meet people with different skills sets as discussed above and to learn from those people and share the skill sets you have with them.  In some ways, it’s like Facebook, except you actually have a real relationship with these people.  I think a key part of this area is involvement with other groups.  There are dozens of groups out there that share common goals with the militias, and they, unlike the militia, will actually be called on in an emergency.  Some to look into are ARES (HAM radio), CERT, and Sheriff’s Search and Rescue.  Having members in all of these different areas is a great way to cross train and will also improve communication between these groups in an emergency.  If done properly, the militia could serve as an informal way to tie together a lot of these groups together in a way that will help them be more effective.  The more people who know one another, the better they tend to work together.

The interesting thing about the good things that a militia, or similar group, can do is that none of them necessitate uniforms, patches, websites or playing in the woods with guns.  Although not as glamorous as some of the other depictions of the modern militia, I think it’s a far more practical one.  Getting together with friends (and I would suggest family) and sharing experiences, knowledge, goals, and ideas is a great way to be better prepared for whatever might happen.  And if nothing at all happens, I think you’ll still be better off.

~John

Quote of the Day–Aaron Weiss(6/20/2013)

Aaron Weiss

March 11th, 2013


[My only complaint is he should have said there was no way he would enforce it and if they love it so much they can just do it themselves. –B]

I Don’t Think They Thought This Through…

So Mom’s Demand Action, a wholly owned subsidiary of Michael Bloomberg, Inc. issued the following statement.  Most of note was this line:

The right of mothers to protect our children SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED.

Evidently in their twisted view of the world there are only a few acceptable means of defending your children.  One small problem with that, their statement in and of itself is full of hypocrisy.  Why?  Let me illustrate with 1000 words with help from A Girl.

DefensiveMom_2

A Girl and her daughter E.

You see, my immediate thought when I read that line of garbage, and it is garbage, was of her and E.  Immediately followed by my friend Laurel:

Image via Oleg Volk.

I could continue down the list of mothers I thought of who would stand opposed to what “Moms Demand Action” is claiming to be right.  Not only do they stand opposed, but the desires of Moms Demand Action stands as a direct infringement to prevent them from doing what they claim to be protecting.

No one is forcing you to pick up a rifle to defend your family.  If you don’t want to, fine, that’s your choice and your business.  If however someone does want to pick up a rifle to defend their family, no one has any right whatsoever to tell them they cannot.   Any attempt to tell a woman she cannot pick up a rifle to defend her children is an infringement on the right to protect their children.  As such, any attempt at gun control whereby arms are removed from the hands of law-abiding citizens is just such an infringement.

So I went through and fixed up their document while adding commentary:

A Mother’s Bill of Rights

We, as mothers, have the absolute right to protect our children families from harm. We have the right to know our children are safe from gun violence, from the moment they leave our arms in the morning until they return home later in the day.  (That sentence is false, see Warren v. District of Columbia.)  We have a right and responsibility to defend our families from those who might do them violence.  But the rights of Americans mothers are under attack by criminals, the gun lobby, and legislators and puritans  who wish to trample those rights while still sticking them with the responsibility are unable to stand up for common-sense gun reforms. The right of mothers people to protect their families our children SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED.

As mothers people, we have the right to…

 

  • Expect that assault weapons will remain in the hands of our military, not civilians that our right to keep and bear arms in defense of our families and children shall not be infringed.
  • Preserve our children’s innocence and shield them from gun any violence by taking any means necessary to stop it abruptly and swiftly without prejudice. in America, real and scripted(Really, scripted, why don’t you just turn off the TV instead of attacking Free Speech).
  • Demand that all public places remain gun-free zones;’ except private homes and shooting ranges allow the carry of defensive arms by those legally entitled to do so.
  • Know our children are safe in their schools: any school, anywhere, by allowing those who wish to defend our children the tools to do so.
  • Expect our teachers to be focused on teaching our children, not training to become armed guards.  (Because what a teacher does in their own time to defend themselves and your children is a bad horrible thing?)
  •  Demand that our government create the same strong regulations for guns as they have for toys, cars and food.  (Umm, did you miss the fact that firearms are more heavily regulated than all those things combined?)
  • Expect our leaders to put our children’s safety above the profit desire for power and influence of the gun industry those who hate and wish to deny us our rights and personal liberties.
  • Have access to complete, accurate information about the impact of gun violence on our families and communities personal responsibilities we have in ensuring our own family’s safety and wellbeing.
  • Hold our elected officials accountable for keeping our children safe from gun violence breaking their oath to support and defend the constitution.

Seriously, in what world does anything they wrote count as not an infringement.  You all keep using these words rights and infringements and I don’t think any of you on the other side really understand what a right is and what it means to infringe on one.

Not to mention it seems that they think some how their opinion is worth more merely because they are mothers.  Tell me, does the father’s opinion not matter?  Does the opinion of the desire of the husband to defend his wife count for nothing?  Just the same, does the opinion of the wife and mother to carry for the defense of her own family not matter?  No they would rather tell you, me, and everyone else how to live our lives.  Our opinion to them counts for jack.

It doesn’t matter we respect them and their decision not to carry firearms, but they want to force their decisions on the rest of us.  To them I say, “NO!”  I’ve had enough of you taking my cake and you will not get a single solitary inch until you give something back.  I am sick of “compromising” where I give up everything and you give up nothing.  GO TO HELL!  There’s a reason I get angry.

I think this version of the picture of A Girl with some additional text says it best:

Everyone has a right to choose their own tools.

Everyone has a right to choose their own tools.

h/t to Sean.

*If you’d like to use the spoof logo I created:

Moms Demand Action

Feel free to use this, just give me credit if anyone asks. 🙂

Quote of the Day–Joe Huffman (05/10/2013)

In the mean time an enraged narcissist who didn’t get his way with the legislature could conceivably apply the regulations to people posting YouTube videos on how to grip your pistol.

Joe HuffmanFaceless bureaucrats, not blue helmeted elk

May 9th, 2013


[Go read’s Joe’s post on the breakdown of how they’re attempting to apply ITAR regulations to stop our culture.  This isn’t a joke either folks, it is quite literally that simple, I just didn’t see how they could grossly apply it over anything firearms related. 

Well evidently some congress critter with a cranial rectal inversion, or more likely placing an Easter Egg, has created hell for us.  I’m not sure how we’re going to fight this one, but fight we must.  This is how they will destroy freedom and those who agree will support the tactics as long as it isn’t being used against them. –B]

Quote of the Day–A Girl and Her Gun (5/9/2013)

For all their concern, not a single one of them has expressed an ounce of sympathy to me. I dare say neither my brother nor I matter to them at all. But, they will include his death in their numbers to justify how evil guns are. They will use his death as one in a long line of emotional stories to manipulate the emotions of others and frankly that pisses me off. The only time this “friend” has ever spoke to me about my brother’s death was today and that was all of 5 words. The rest of the 6 paragraph email was about how wrong I am and how guns are bad and I should be sharing my brother’s sorry as a cautionary tale. Outside of the “I am thinking of you” sentence the rest was about the evil I am spreading(albeit probably out of being so naive) and how if we can save just one life…blah, blah, blah. She has not bothered to stay in contact with me, so she doesn’t know that I was attacked or that guns play a vital role in keeping my life safe, but of course my life doesn’t matter. My life isn’t part of the plan. What I do day to day has not mattered to her at all. Just today. Just the day Allen died. Her line saying “thinking of you” just doesn’t feel sincere for some reason.

A Girl and Her GunMay 8th

May 8th, 2013


[First go read her whole post.  It’s an enlightening view of the behavior of those on the other side.

It’s what we all knew, but they took the blood dancing and grief cutting to a whole new level.  Seriously what the hell was the point of that woman sending that email other than to cause pain, grief, and misery.  I am of the firm opinion that people like that are eternally miserable and insist on spreading their misery to others.

One of these day’s I’ll get around to writing up some of the other reasons I haven’t been writing as much lately, but suffice it to say, I don’t like spreading grief, pain or worry.  There’s a little over 6 months left in this year and I’m sure I can figure out some way to rock the rest of it like a boss.  I’m waiting for the all clear and then I’ll explain why.  Some in my inner circle know, but honestly I don’t want everyone and their mother worrying about it.

All I have to say is that overall her response is why I love A Girl.  She was considerably kinder than I would have been had someone send some pile of garbage like that to me.  Hell I remember fighting the urge to bitch slap the woman who told me that allowing my dad to undergo his cancer treatment is what killed him.  Had I been a better son I would have convinced him to do alternative therapy…  She knew nothing about when it happened, what cancer it was, nothing, she just heard my dad passed away from cancer while discussing treatment types.  She took that moment to try and cut into me and lay grief on me as if I was responsible.  After the 10 minute frothing rant was done where I chewed her up and spit her out verbally in front of a room of 20 people.  So loud mind you that no one else could hold a conversation she got up and walked out.  She didn’t speak to me for the rest of the weekend and everyone who saw it didn’t dare broach the subject of what exactly was said because it was obvious it was inappropriate.  I don’t think she even dared to call out my call sign on the radio for even normal traffic.

Some people love misery and they take great pride in making other people miserable.  If you try and make me miserable, I will drag you down, chew you up, spit you out and say **** you while sporting the bird.  Why?  Because I have no need for someone that miserable when I have an awesome family and an awesome group of friends.  Real friends that will support me at the drop of a hat, even if we’ve never met face to face.  The don’t send me an email out of the blue claiming to care while trying to say that I was somehow to blame for their decisions.  That I’m some how to blame for their decided use for an inanimate object.

And when you look at life when you have family and a group of friends like I’ve got; life’s pretty damn good! –B]

Quote of the Day – Barry Snell (5/8/2012)

I’ve come to realize after the Sandy Hook shooting that the reason we can’t have a rational gun debate is because the anti-gun side pre-supposes that their pro-gun opponents must first accept that guns are bad in order to have a discussion about guns in the first place. Before we even start the conversation, we’re the bad guys and we have to admit it. Without accepting that guns are bad and supplicating themselves to the anti-gunner, the pro-gunner can’t get a word in edgewise, and is quickly reduced to being called a murderer, or a low, immoral and horrible human being.

Barry Snell – Waking the dragon — How Feinstein fiddled while America burned

May 3rd, 2013


[And that right there is the honest truth.  Those on the other side of the “debate” aren’t interested in debate.  The view us as the devil incarnate and that our rights don’t matter.  To them we aren’t human, we’re sub-human, merely because we own an inanimate object that many of us use for self-defense.

It’s why over time I have lost just about all patience with those who would take away our rights. –B]

*Article via email from Terry.

The Company I Keep…

I am very glad I can call Mike Jefferson my friend.  Why might you ask?  Well watch this.

I kind of have to laugh though.  I met Jefferson actually through his previous wife who is a fellow blogger though now she doesn’t really blog.  As he said over at his place and is worthy of note here, he gave this speech the same day as our government was doing this.

I hate to say it, but I’m getting an early 90’s vibe again about the governments use of force against its people.  Only this time we have a bunch of people cheering and talking about how they’d appreciate a warrant-less cavity search.  In the words of Samuel Adams,

“If you love wealth more than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, depart from us in peace. We ask not your counsel nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains rest lightly upon you and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen.”

The republic is in the most dire of straights friends.  Even those who we thought were friends of liberty have now betrayed us.  I don’t know how this ends, but usually I’m pretty good at staying in the middle and seeing both the dark and the light.  Currently the light at the end of the tunnel has been extinguished and there is no telling if it will ever be found again.

Well This Sucks…

I’ve hated GE for a long while.  Well one of the biggest issues with GE is they are an overly large conglomerate that has their fingers in just about everything.  Well one of their conglomerate parts is doing something to make me hate them even more.

This month, Glenn Duncan, owner of Duncan’s Outdoor Store in Bay City, Mich., said he received a letter from GE Capital Retail Bank in which the lender said it had made “the difficult decision” to stop providing financing services to his store. Other gun dealers have received similar notices.

GE is at least the second big financial firm to retreat from the gun business following the school shootings, which claimed the lives of 20 first-graders and six adults in December.

Here’s the really bad news, you can try really hard but I doubt you’ll be able to fully escape the reach of GE.  That said, I’m going to try really hard, harder than I currently do.

If I could I would create my own financial institution specifically to fill the gap.  In this horrible economy there has been one section doing well consistently.  Seriously you would be daft to go bail on firearms or ammo manufacturers currently.  If you’re looking out for your company or your investors, other than BS government regulations, what threat is there to your product and market, none.

Given the fact that the market is seeing a sustained peak of demand, manufactures can not keep up, and stock prices keep going up how would this be a smart economical move?

If you said it wasn’t you’d be right.  The CEO of GE is a big Obama supporter and has received many favors for his support.  Obama I think just called in a favor.