Just read all 108 pages of the Ramparts Report. The frightening picture the investigation conjures up depends on seeing Patriots as paranoid crazies who believe in conspiracy theories with Rep. Shea drawing political power from by intimidation & paranoia. #FoundingFathers
The Founders repeatedly warned about a potential for federal tyranny & resolved the controversy about whether to maintain a standing army by guaranteeing the right to bear arms. Bearing arms means the right to show up & put the government on notice that the People have teeth.
The fact that elected Representatives helped direct 3 different protests prevented bloodshed. Whether or not the Bundy family & other ranchers had solid legal cases, armed protests are not criminal. Black Panthers appeared armed in Sacramento & Olympia without violating laws.
The Malheur & other demonstrations were arguably on a more solid footing than #OccupyWallStreet demonstrators who promised Revolution, trespassed in gov facilities & destroyed property. Most never arrested. The difference: OWS was Leftist/Anarchist & media sympathetic to OWS...
Any bearing of arms by OWS was not publicized & news outlets emphasized OWS objectives as peaceful notwithstanding many threats of violence & intimidation. Thus, the Report reflects bias by amplifying the concerns & prejudice of Democrats against guns & Patriot rhetoric...
For example, the Report makes it clear that “Patriots” have a wide variety of views but often refer to American Revolution & Founding Fathers. But threats referencing Communists is used as evidence of unlawful intent. Communism by definition advocates violent revolution...
Communist violence, a theme within Antifa movement, is something police, military & militias naturally prepare to confront. That armed militias even exist is patently offensive to the investigators & many in legislature. Militia are recognized as legal & Constitutional...
Report interprets Washington law to ban armed militia. The state constitution states there is no right to maintain an armed body of men. Unorganized Militia are recognized by WA state law & some are registered with state authorities & a modicum of official recognition exists...
In the light of past FBI misconduct at Waco, Ruby Ridge & other incidents where the FBI was alleged to bear civil & criminal liability for killing women & children without justification, the militia served exactly the purposes anticipated by Founders. Bloodshed was prevented.
The Report hammers on the #OklahomaCityBombing being a Patriot job. This is purely a political attempt to inject grizzly, prejudicial hatred & fear into the legislature & public. The Report is a political weapon fashioned to club Republican legislators into rejecting Shea...
Reference to Timothy McVeigh as a Patriot & conflating the carnage in Oklahoma City Bombing is outrageous & inflammatory- nothing in common with peaceful conduct demonstrated by protestors & elected representatives. On the other hand, what happened to Finicum is more telling...
Shea very well could have been very accurate in predicting that the FBI wanted to make an example out of the Malheur protestors because of the previous stand off at Bundy Ranch. The federal gov does not have clean hands. You don’t agree... but courts dismissed most charges.
@threadreaderapp unroll Thank you!
