U.S. Militias on the Rise?

A Michigan Militia's Response To The SPLC Militia Report

Headquarters, Southeast Michigan Volunteer Militia 13 August, 2009

In response to recent panic-driven news reports concerning the growth of "racist, anti-government, right-wing militia threats" to The United States, we offer the following:

Next month, September 2009, will see the fifteenth anniversary of the founding of what has become the Southeast Michigan Volunteer Militia (SMVM). I have been an active participant in this unit since its inception. If I had been involved in anything illegal in these fifteen years, would I not have surely been arrested by now?

Before anyone takes the word of any paid employee whose very job is to distort truth and fabricate lies in order to garner support and funding for his organization, one should ask the subjects of these reports what they actually think. No free thinking person enjoys having his ideology or belief system assigned to them by anyone. Readers are invited to visit our web page at www.MichiganMilitia.com, and our social networking sites, so they can read all about our "ideologies" for themselves, and make their own informed decisions about who we are, what we do, and what we represent.

We deeply appreciate efforts by some of the folks at CNN who contacted us and actually asked for our input about a report regarding "the militia". This was a pleasant surprise. We encourage all news organizations, when presented with a one-sided report, such as the one furnished by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), to contact the groups in question, and at least make an effort to be fair and open-minded about things. If you are going to report about "the militia", then shouldn't you at least ask some "militia" people about it?

The SPLC, in what may probably be a very successful fund-raising endeavor, recently raised an alarm about the growth of "right wing militia groups". We can appreciate the recognition of the recent growth we have experienced, but would like to clarify the reasons behind it.

Any simpleton can claim that this group or that group has grown in response to the election of America's first African-American President. The fact is, militia groups that we know of care little for whatever color The President's skin is. We care far, far more that he, along with every other government employee, upholds his or her oath to support, uphold, and defend The Constitution.

No, we are not concerned about The President. He is, after all, merely The President. As such, he cannot pass a single piece of legislation, nor can he rule on even one issue before The Supreme Court. Our Constitution provides an excellent system of checks and balances that prevent this, or any other President, from growing too powerful, or assuming to much control over the lives of American citizens.

However, when multiple branches of government seem to be acting in an effort to establish control over the productive energy of a free people, then said free people have cause for alarm. This is not an extreme view, it is a factual one. No American wants to be told what to drive, where to seek medical help, how warm they can keep their house, or even how effectively their toilets are allowed to flush. No American wants to be told that he cannot own the most effective means of protecting his or her own life, or the lives of his family. No American wants to be told that he must work longer hours to pay more and more of his check to support an over bloated government bureaucracy.

No, Americans want to go to bed at night, after a day's work, and some chance to enjoy the fruits of their own labor, confident that our government is doing the job of protecting individual liberty from aggression, theft, or fraud. Americans want the promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness restored and protected. We don't need to have every facet of our lives micromanaged down to the finest detail.

But there are people at every level of government who somehow think it is their divine right to interfere with, tax, regulate, and confiscate every single aspect of working Americans' lives. This is shameful, and it doesn't have to be this way.

But this is not the only issue causing the very pleasing and expected growth of pro-freedom militia groups. The threat of terrorism or disaster will always loom over our heads. Crime is a constant concern for many Americans. And while the threat of invasion seems at best a very distant, remote one, we would like to help keep it that way.

Americans are becoming more and more involved in militia and other preparedness training not out of fear or hatred, but out of a sense of civic duty and responsibility. We are doing this not because we are angry, but because we care about this great nation, because we care about individual rights and responsibilities, and because we care about each other.

It is easy to demonize someone with whom you disagree with labels such as "Nazi, White Supremacist, racist, extremist, hate-monger, or anti-government." It is especially easy to do so when you are employed by a discredited far left-wing organization whose very existence depends upon frightening people into sending donations. An organization where Logic is an Enemy and Truth is a Menace.

The very idea of lumping us in with Nazi's and White Supremacists represents a total conflict of ideologies. Nazi%u2019s are statist collectivists and by nature crave a supreme leader to follow, while we, as freedom loving Constitutionalists, uphold the rights of the individual to live free and for themself. Our members and their families represent various cultural, religious and racial backgrounds. This does not sit well with White Supremacists or racists. And being Constitutionalists, we are a pro-constitutionally limited republic form of government our founding fathers established, and anti-corruption of that form of government.

Militia people all across this country spend their own time, energy, and money on supporting this cause, the cause of American liberty, the cause of personal rights, the cause of freedom; freedom for everyone, regardless of race, creed, color, tint, or hue, religion (or lack thereof), or political views (or lack thereof). We do not get paid to do this.

Ask Mark Potok or Morris Dees how much they get paid to "report" on us, and you might get a different answer. Then you can decide for yourself.


Lee Miracle (Weapon M), Coordinator
Southeast Michigan Volunteer Militia
www.MichiganMilitia.com