The same week a man with ties to a far-right anti-government group showed up with a gun strapped to his thigh at a New Hampshire town hall meeting where President Obama was speaking on health reform, a watchdog organization released a report documenting a surge among right-wing militias motivated in part by the election of an African-American president.
"The Second Wave: Return of the Militias" was released Wednesday by the Southern Poverty Law Center, a group based in Montgomery, Ala. that monitors hate activity nationwide. It found that almost a decade after largely fading from view, far-right militias are re-appearing in worrisome numbers.
"This is the most significant growth we've seen in 10 to 12 years," according to one unnamed law enforcement authority quoted in SPLC's report. "All it's lacking is a spark."
The day before the report's release, William Kostric showed up with a gun outside the New Hampshire meeting carrying a sign that read, "It is time to water the tree of liberty," a reference to Thomas Jefferson's quote that the "tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants" -- the same quote that was on a T-shirt worn by far-right terrorist Timothy McVeigh on the day in 1995 he bombed the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, an attack that killed 168 people and injured another 680. Kostric's action, it should be noted, broke no laws.
The Arizona Republic reports that Kostric is a "team member" of the Arizona chapter of the We the People Foundation, a group whose website claims the U.S. Republic and Constitution are in danger and that questions the U.S. citizenship of President Obama. The group was founded by Robert Schulz, a prominent figure in the far-right tax protest movement.
In its report, SPLC offers examples of the far-right's resurgence, including a gathering of anti-government activists in Pensacola, Fla., where a retired FBI agent named Ted Gunderson told attendees that the federal government has set up 1,000 internment camps across the country and is storing 30,000 guillotines and a half-million caskets in Atlanta in preparation for a mass killing of dissenters. Gunderson has long promoted conspiracy theories involving widespread satanic ritual abuse of children by U.S. government agents.
SPLC's report also points to a so-called "American Grand Jury" that assembled outside Atlanta and issued an "indictment" of Obama for fraud and treason, alleging he wasn't born in the United States and thus is illegally occupying the White House. The claim that the president is not a U.S. citizen has been repeatedly debunked and dismissed in legitimate courts of law by judges considering lawsuits that sought to challenge his qualifications to serve as president.
But the idea that the president is foreign-born continues to be promoted by by prominent pundits and politicians. They include the 11 Republican House members co-sponsoring the so-called "birther bill" (H.R. 1503) that in response to the controversy over Obama's birthplace would require future presidential candidates to submit a copy of their birth certificate to the Federal Election Commission. The bill's primary champion is Rep. Bill Posey (R-Fla.), and the co-sponsors are Reps. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Dan Burton (R-Ind.), John Campbell (R-Calif.), Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and six Congressmen from Texas -- John R. Carter, John Culberson, Louie Gohmert, Kenny Marchant, Randy Neugebauer, and Ted Poe.
SPLC calls on all Americans -- and especially law enforcement officers -- to take seriously the potential dangers of the militant far-right's resurgence.
"This is equally true for the politicians, pundits and preachers who, through pandering or ignorance, abet the growth of a movement marked by a proven predilection for violence," it says.
(Photo from SPLC's website)
The "right wing militias" are patriotic defenders of America. There were hundreds of other people with guns that you failed to mention. Every law enforcement person carried one. It bothers me that there is some crazy presumption that because they have a badge, they are more trustworthy.
August 14, 2009 12:12 PM | Reply
So easy for Obama to get rid of this controversy and remove a major talking point from the far right -- simply release his birth certificate (in addition to his COLB).
What is he afraid of?
Where's the birth certificate?
August 14, 2009 12:23 PM | Reply
The misinformation that the ironically named Rationalist puts forth is debunked in the Snopes.com article I link to in the story. Here's that link again:
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/birthcertificate.asp
August 14, 2009 12:39 PM | Reply
Sue,
Again, what is Obama afraid of?
(The article doesn't seem to address that question at all.)
Why rely on mere indirect evidence when the direct source would prove everything conclusively?
There seems to be a lot fear out there about Obama's birth certificate among Obama supporters -- why else would they insist he should *NOT* release it?
Perhaps the question above should be "What are Obama's supporters afraid of?"
August 14, 2009 7:12 PM | Reply
A helpful summary of the birth certificate matter from Wikipedia:
I would also note that Hawaii is currently governed by a Republican administration. That means the conspiracy theory Rationalist is trying to sell here involves not only a forged birth certificate being covered up by GOP state officials but also a birth announcement placed in a newspaper by a Hawaii state agency in 1961 in order to help a newborn become president 47 years in the future.
August 14, 2009 8:10 PM | Reply
Long live the second amendment! and the right of secession! Just because slaveholders once failed to secede doesn't mean modern non-slaveholders can't!!!! Thus the left could bid the right good riddance as will as the right being rid of the left.
August 14, 2009 8:39 PM | Reply
Roger Calero, Presidential candidate for the Socialist Workers' Party, was completely forthright and honest about having been born in Nicaragua. Yet, Calero got on the ballot in several states. Unless the Posey bill is passed, there is no formal vetting procedure for Presidential eligibility. Everything is taken on faith--a dangerous thing. Thanks to Hawai'is very idiosynchratic law on birth records, the Certificate Of Live Birth does not conclusively 'prove' Obama's birthplace. The Obama has also given inconsistent statements about his birthplace: was it Kapi'olani, or Queens? Additionally, the newspaper birth anouncement listing his mother's alleged home has been revealed as a fraud (after a title search). Nor has Obama released his records from his Senate days. Among other things, these would show what lobbyists he met with. As much as his birthplace, THIS should be a cause for concern among the 'left', usually so wary of corporate influence. Obama was very candid about things like cocaine use, so what is he hiding?
August 15, 2009 2:21 AM | Reply
Adam uses questionable information to raise questions about the legitimacy of Obama's presidency. Anyone interested in glimpsing the reality of Obama's original birth certificate on file in Hawaii by people who have actually seen, touched and photographed it should check out the story at the Annenberg Public Policy Center's FactCheck.org here:
http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/born_in_the_usa.html
And if you're interested in the facts around the birth address, click here:
http://www.obamaconspiracy.org/2009/04/obama-birth-announcement-false/
August 15, 2009 10:22 AM | Reply
Sue,
So many people do not seem to be hearing the discussion. Sigh.
The point is *NOT* about releasing the "Certification of Live Birth (COLB)." The point *IS* about releasing the vault copy of the birth certificate itself -- the primary source, not secondary or deriviative sources.
It's very easy to do. Much easier (in terms of politcal costs) than not doing so.
*WHY* is Obama afraid of doing so?
August 15, 2009 2:01 PM | Reply
"Rationalist," it is you who seems unwilling to hear facts that don't support your theories. If you were to actually read the FactCheck.org report I linked to earlier, you would know that the "vault copy" of the birth certificate has been repeatedly verified:
You can see FactCheck.org's images of the document here. The director of Hawaii's Department of Health and the state's Registrar of Vital Statistics have also personally verified that the state is in possession of Obama's original birth certificate.
August 16, 2009 1:17 PM | Reply
Sue,
I didn't realize I had postulated any theories. I didn't realize I had questioned any facts.
If the Obama's original birth certificate has been verified, then Obama (and his supporters) should have no problem with the certificate being released.
So why the fear?
Why defend not releasing it?
Release it and move on.
It's the very act of not releasing the certificate that has
millions of Americans in doubt.
August 16, 2009 6:19 PM | Reply
From Politifact.com:
August 16, 2009 11:53 PM | Reply
Though I disagree with the slant of this site I do appreciate that you are apparently not censoring comments for disagreement. If you support freedom of speech on your site there's hope you will eventually support all the other cherished liberties.
August 17, 2009 12:47 AM | Reply
Sue,
"Even the governor of Hawaii, Linda Lingle, a Republican who at the time was stumping for John McCain, said it was on the up-and-up."
So Obama should have no problem releasing the vault copy of his birth certificate.
What is Obama afraid of?
August 17, 2009 11:36 AM | Reply
Is it Obama's to release? My understanding is that the document is under the control of Hawaii, where as Dr. Fukino noted state law prohibits the release of a certified birth certificate to persons who do not have a tangible interest in the vital record. But we can rest assured knowing that opposition party officials as well as objective reporters have confirmed its existence and provided us with images of it. It's now time to put this birth certificate obsession to rest and move on to the real issues affecting our country.
August 17, 2009 12:25 PM | Reply
I believe Obama could allow the vault certificate to be released if he wanted to.
As a start, he (or his office) could simply announce that he would like the document released. Then fill out any necessary paperwork or whatever mechanics are required.
He is an "interested party."
As an extreme case, he could allow one of the various law suits to proceed and allow a subpoena to fetch the document. I doubt that would be necessary.
The very fact that Hawaii maintains the documents implies that they are somehow available. (Otherwise, why put up with the expense of storing them?)
It's now time to put this birth certificate obsession to rest and move on to the real issues affecting our country
I totally agree. I believe it's to everyone's advantage to have the document released. Then we can move on.
August 17, 2009 1:48 PM | Reply
Rationalist has helpfully demonstrated that the fact of Obama's birthplace -- which has been firmly established as Hawaii -- is not what he and his fellow "birthers" are interested in.
August 17, 2009 4:12 PM | Reply
Sue,
Huh? What is it you believe I am interested in?
I believe I am interested in Obama's releasing the primary document (as opposed to secondary and deriviative artifacts) so the country can move on.
Again, if Obama believes that his birth place has been so firmly established, he should have no fear of releasing his vault copy.
Why is Obama afraid to release his vault birth certificate?
August 17, 2009 5:19 PM | Reply
Beware of capitalists in USA and in the world. Capitalists are not democratic, and because most people hate capitalism, they (Capitalists) know that they can't win elections. So what they do is that they try to rise to power thru violent means, either thru coup de etats or thru electoral coups like Bush in 2000 and in 2004.
.
August 18, 2009 12:31 AM | Reply
FactCheck.org staffers have now seen, touched, examined and photographed the original birth certificate.
Sue Sturgis, this is a deliberately misleading statement by FactCheck. They're actually talking about the 2007 short form computer printout that they post on their site, not the 1961 original long form signed by doctors and other actual witnesses. If you read further down in their article, you'll see that they mention the long form and say that the State of Hawaii refused to explain why they don't offer it as proof of birth.
The Hawaii official are also engaged in deception. Note that they say things like they have the original "on record" -- without saying that they actually examined it, or that it says where Obama was born.
August 21, 2009 3:47 PM | Reply
The CIA is responsible for the Militia Movement. They are organizing all the meetings and creating all the websites that people are signing up with, and giving their personal information to. They are trying to bring them out! They are going to put these people under mind control and make them commit crimes! The movement is a CIA Mind Control experiment! Look at the repetition of the messages they are putting out there. Just listen to Alex Jones, Glenn Beck, or the Tea Party movement, ALL CIA DISINFORMATION, DESIGNED TO BRING OUT AND CONTROL THE OPPOSITION (AND GET THEM INTO DEEP DOO DOO). THIS IS FOR REAL!!!
August 25, 2009 10:58 PM | Reply
continued....the CIA is looking for people with LAND, BANK ACCOUNTS, and CHILDREN. THEY WANT ALL OF THE ABOVE AND THEY ARE TAKING IT RIGHT UNDER OUR NOSES. THEY HAVE KILLED COUNTLESS AMERICANS WHO WERE PAYING MORTGAGES, AND THEY TOOK DOWN THE STOCK MARKET.
August 25, 2009 11:44 PM | Reply
I'm not worried about his birth records. I am beginning to worry about the divide between Blacks and Whites brought on with the arrogant behavior of the President toward Whites, the disproportionate appointments of predomidently Blacks to Posts and Czars. and expanding Hate-crime laws.Hate comes in ALL colors. Then you have Ms. Pelosi calling Americans who protest against her beliefs...Nazis! As a Democrat, I've protested almost everything for the last 8 years. Why does the first African American President want to go down in History beside G.W.Bush? We Southerners are still cricitized for being inbred slave owners. When actually, only about the top 1 percent could afford to buy and keep slaves. Sound familiar? Blacks are doing very well right now, when they want to.Graduating from High School would be a good start. I dont question Obama's birth in America; but I'm starting to doubt his love and loyalty for ALL Americans. You know...the ones of us who elected him (that are not minority). I'm beginning to think that the Republicans hired Obama to destroy the Democrat Party. When a Southern Jew, married to a Mexican is beginning to have doubts, The Democrats are getting in hot water. Bye Y'all!
August 28, 2009 10:12 PM | Reply