"1.8 Million Definite Militia Members" to March on DC, >>MOD WARNING<<<

MOD WARNING

Truth be told, I thought this was parody.

I am a bit shocked that a man who at one time swore to defend the Constitution would seem so incredibly in conflict, at least in his grandiose dreams, with the Constitution.

Apparently there is a going to be some march on Washington in May, and here are the grandiose parts.

1,800,000 militia members are going to march. They are going to set up campgrounds and RV parks. They are going to demand that the president, Holder, and others resign to face tribunals, and get ready for this, by folks who embody the spirit of Cruz and Issa.

That I thought had to be parody.

This seems to me to be two things.

The first is a former military officer preying upon the weak minded, folks who think that somehow this would work or is even remotely close to a viable plan.

The second is who thinks that this coup of sorts is an embodiment of the principles of this country?

Amusing, sad, and a bit on the scary side, in my opinion.

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/01/harry-riley-operation-american-spring-fox-news

Harry Riley has a dream. On the morning of May 16, somewhere between 10 and 30 million (estimates vary) God-fearing patriots will assemble in Washington, DC, for what Riley, a retired Army colonel from the Florida panhandle, is calling "Operation American Spring." They’ll protest outside the White House by day and set up in campgrounds and RV parks outside the city by night. They won't leave until President Barack Obama, along with Attorney General Eric Holder and congressional leaders of both parties, resign and appear before a specially convened investigative tribunal for further disciplinary action—a polite version of a tea party coup. It's not likely to happen—but two former Fox News personalities have endorsed the endeavor.

"We have 1.8 million definite militia members coming," promises Operation American Spring spokeswoman Karen Smith. (The Anti-Defamation League pegs the number of American militia members at about 20,000.) "Other than that, we're not keeping a list of concerned people or whatever because how are we gonna do that?"

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According to Riley's introductory note, which he posted on Facebook, about 1 million activists will stick around DC after the march in a nonviolent attempt to shut the city down. According to the the document, the real work will occur after the transfer of power: "Those with the principles of a West, Cruz, Lee, DeMint, Paul, Gov Walker, Sessions, Gowdy, Jordan, Issa, will comprise a tribunal and assume positions of authority to convene investigations, recommend appropriate charges against politicians and government employees to the new U.S. Attorney General appointed by the new President."

Riley's backers are an eclectic bunch. Erik Rush, a conservative columnist and occasional Fox News analyst who starred in Sean Hannity's 2012 special The Real Barack Obama, has promoted the event on his website and his radio show. Jim Garrow, a conspiracy theorist who predicted that Obama would attempt to distract from the group's message by revealing the existence of extraterrestrial life, is also on board. Retired Gen. Paul Vallely, who was Fox News' senior military analyst during the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan—a period in which he closely coordinated with Pentagon officials—gave the event a thumb's up in a radio interview.

This is hardly the first far-fetched effort from the far right to replace Obama through peaceful demonstrations. In 2010, Kate Vandemoer, a birther activist, announced the Usurpathon, a "Rolling 'Velvet Revolution' to Remove the Usurper, et al," from office. The plan was to bring 10,000 protestors to the Mall, Congress, and the White House to lay siege to the administration. Two people showed up.

In October, the "Truckers Ride for the Constitution" rally, led by a hodgepodge of conservative truck drivers, was held outside Washington, with the aim of arresting House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.). Organizers expected thousands of people to attend. Thirty truckers showed up, led by a woman who believes that Obama and Osama bin Laden are the same person. ("They have same height, bone structure, hands and ears both are left handed," she noted in a YouTube comment). Two days later, somewhere between a few hundred and a thousand demonstrators convened on downtown Washington for the "Million Vets March."

For Riley & Co., the stakes couldn't be higher. "My knees will not touch the surface as a result of some (*)(*)(*)(*) ant occupant of the White House or a corrupt legislator, or outside element," Riley wrote. "I will fall to my death standing if necessary."

 

They are not threatening violence so I see no problem with this protest.

I wish them well.

 

Marching on Washington armed and demanding to hold tribunals for duly elected members of our government is implied violence. So here is the thing, let them in if they leave their guns behind.

What do you say?

 

The police carry guns.

That is implied violence.

And citizens have a right to protest the government.

But as I read the story again I see no mention of carrying weapons.

If the laws in DC prohibit carrying guns then I'm confident the militia will not carry.

 

As seems the norm...this may not be in jest, but it will not take place. It is one thing to pretend you have huge balls....yet another to whip 'em out.

 

I hope these morons don't do anything stupid. The last thing we need is a Reichstag Fire Part 2.

 

Not if they are not threatening anyone. You can't carry in DC...they can protest all they want. They might get as many as the last few protests but it sounds like this guy wants to provoke. So we can see what happens.

Since it will be Armed Forces Day I think the President should give a speech at Arlington Cemetery and compete with them.

 

My guess is maybe a 1000 will show up. Fox will take a picture from the summer and make it look like ten million. Nothing to see here other than some people trying to make money off a bunch of rightwing idiots.

 

All of 3 people will show up, then maybe arrested and fined for disorderly conduct.

 

We have ELECTIONS in this country....not coups and kangeroo courts by sore loser rightwingers.

 

I think less than 1000....but maybe more than wgabrie's 3.....100-200 maybe.

They'll camp out for a few days (shuttling into DC from some KOA in Virginia), then it'll slowly peter out and they'll be left wondering about Day Two "Hey? Where did all those reporters and cameramen from Fox News go?!?!?!?"

And it'll be good for a chuckle at the heights that Sore Loserism can reach....then?

Forgotten.

 

Wrong way to go about it. To be effective protest ones own State Capitol in mass. It is working in Colorado. I went to several Pro 2A rallies on the State Capital last year.

State laws have done more harm than Federal action.

 

So, you're telling us that you don't think that a mob staging a coup poses a threat?

You think a self appointed mob can go to Washington, overthrow the government, construct self appointed tribunals, conduct show trials and meet out unspecified punishment?

You wish them well?????????????????????

That's about as un American as you can get!!!!!

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Fox will definately photoshop the mob. They've had plenty of practice!

 

It's their constitutional right to protest.

 

How old were you during the Civil Rights movement? I think you miss that.

 

It is not thier Constitutional right to foment revolution.

Imagine if this were OWS or the Million Man March (which did not call for insurrection, arresting elected officials, or show trials).

I will be interesting to see you twist in the wind as you try and rationalize defending an armed insurrection in contrast to my examples!

 

How is this un-American?

This country was formed by a bunch of upset white men with guns.

 

I agree.

That's a God given right that precedes even the Constitution.

 

Didnt obama swear to uphold and defend the constitution as well? You know right before he lied to all the American people, and refused to enforce immigration law?

kinda seems to me, these guys have it right.

Protest on !!!

 

No, I remember it quite well.

I realize a lot of white people were telling one another that the "black" was going to take over the country.

But MLK's march on Washington was not an armed insurrection.

He did not call for arresting elected officials and conducting show trials.

Malcom X got closer, but he was a leader of a radical fringe.

And I remember the riots after King was killed VERY well.

Noone marched on Washington declaring that they were going to overthrow the government then either.

 

They haven't taken the country over, just the urban areas.

 

Please leave me out of this off topic nonsense. If you are not sure what the presidential oath of office is, then I suggest using a search engine.

 

No kidding.

Detroit used to be a great city before the whites moved out.

Now it looks like Berlin in 1946.

 

Interesting.

Not sure what a racially derogatory and offensive comment has to do with a march in Washington.

 

They'd better check the heart-lung monitor's every morning to make sure most of these old-timers are still alive. On a more serious note, it'll be great for the local economy; we should encourage more of these events to take place. It would be like the freak show of the circus; it would attract a lot of viewers so the MSM might actually be willing to spend monies and resources on covering it.