This story has been on my mind for several months and my sister reminded me of it tonight. It's one of those ongoing events that have significance to ACL research in the most direct way. Not only does the Communitarian Platform have a communitarian rendering of the 2nd Amendment, the very first case law I studied was in a paper published by the National Rifle Association in 1997, COMMUNITARIANS, NEOREPUBLICANS, AND GUNS: ASSESSING THE CASE FOR FIREARMS PROHIBITION http://www.davekopel.com/2a/lawrev/commun1.htm. There's no doubt a lot to learn about U.S. Communitarian Law by studying The Second Amendment Law Library.
During the summer of 2004, back when I built my first gertee at the Denali Wilderness Lodge, I met one of the members of the Alaska Peacemakers militia. I learned a lot from him about their principles for freedom and sovereignty legal issues (which I've never found time to research on my own). Later in the summer he and his wife came to visit. Lingering for hours over the gorgeous fresh lunch they flew in with, we talked about the mental, spiritual and physical preparedness a person needs to live a principled existence in an unprincipled world. I knew, after just one conversation, that I was not prepared to tackle life's realities on their level of activity.
Infringed or Unhinged?
http://www.anchoragepress.com/articles/2010/12/22/news/doc4d12863a2e553333327193.txt
I'm not a real warrior. I prefer to keep my ACL arguments on paper and to fight my battles with my typepad. My courage has severe limitations, and while I think I know how to defend my home from predators (2 and 4 legged) I have never felt like I needed to belong to any organized anything. It was a real eye opener when I read that Alaska State law says adults are required to be in a trained militia.
Anyway, regardless of whether we agree with everything the militia stands for, their primary goal of protecting the neighborhoods during chaos and lawlessness should be somewhat reassuring to the people who have concerns about restoring their local economy after the national economy fails. When our citizens can no longer afford to purchase necessary commodities and essential products are no longer in the stores then locals will have to be prepared to start supplying these products themselves. The new producers will need protection from the roving bands of starving bandits that will likely be prowling the streets in search of easy food. The people capable of rebuilding local economies need a lawful environment to operate.
There are many articles in my inbox regarding the global reserve currency issue, and I had hoped to find time to post some of the links and touch on the most important current event underway. (My limited understanding of the financial crisis does not stop me from reading articles about it in the hope that someday it will all make sense to me. ) The status of the dollar on the global trading market is being challenged in a way that could make the dollar worthless. This is not part of the conspiracy theory.. it's "real" news. What kind of chaos and civil unrest will come after everyone who owns anything based in US Dollars is wiped out? I don't personally know too many people who are prepared for living in the aftermath of a collapsed monetary system. We've been trying to live frugally for years and we're still not prepared.
Homeland Security is absolutely predicated on the possibility of numerous potential tragedies. Why wouldn't preparing for disaster be understandably of primary importance to local residents also? All the emergency preparedness plans under federal leadership claim to involve local residents in the plans. What more co-operation could the federal government want (or need) than what they can get from well trained local militias sworn to defend U.S. laws?
What if every community in the U.S. had a designated LOCAL lead officer in charge of all local emergency responses, a leader whose authority to lead came from the people who own the community where they live. What if LOCAL authority reigned supreme to any federally appointed EU "expert", such as the big NATO guy they called in for "assistance" during Katrina?
The biggest changes to local America came out during the Katrina disaster. America was introduced to foreign troops and foreign leadership steamrolling local authority. It was also a pilot test for banning guns. Yet, if there had been an organized local militia sworn and trained to protect life and property after the flood, there would have been no need to call in private mercenaries or the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne, or the Mexican Navy or the Canadian military. (NATO-EU Rapid Response teams used Hurricane Katrina as a training exercise.)
When do free people have the "right" to defend themselves, their families, and their neighbors from all enemies, domestic and foreign? No wonder the communitarians chose to keep their existence murky and obscured... it's a lot harder for principled, forthright people to fight an enemy who lies and hides it's true allegiance behind nice sounding front agencies and policies.
During the summer of 2004, back when I built my first gertee at the Denali Wilderness Lodge, I met one of the members of the Alaska Peacemakers militia. I learned a lot from him about their principles for freedom and sovereignty legal issues (which I've never found time to research on my own). Later in the summer he and his wife came to visit. Lingering for hours over the gorgeous fresh lunch they flew in with, we talked about the mental, spiritual and physical preparedness a person needs to live a principled existence in an unprincipled world. I knew, after just one conversation, that I was not prepared to tackle life's realities on their level of activity.
Infringed or Unhinged?
http://www.anchoragepress.com/articles/2010/12/22/news/doc4d12863a2e553333327193.txt
I'm not a real warrior. I prefer to keep my ACL arguments on paper and to fight my battles with my typepad. My courage has severe limitations, and while I think I know how to defend my home from predators (2 and 4 legged) I have never felt like I needed to belong to any organized anything. It was a real eye opener when I read that Alaska State law says adults are required to be in a trained militia.
Anyway, regardless of whether we agree with everything the militia stands for, their primary goal of protecting the neighborhoods during chaos and lawlessness should be somewhat reassuring to the people who have concerns about restoring their local economy after the national economy fails. When our citizens can no longer afford to purchase necessary commodities and essential products are no longer in the stores then locals will have to be prepared to start supplying these products themselves. The new producers will need protection from the roving bands of starving bandits that will likely be prowling the streets in search of easy food. The people capable of rebuilding local economies need a lawful environment to operate.
There are many articles in my inbox regarding the global reserve currency issue, and I had hoped to find time to post some of the links and touch on the most important current event underway. (My limited understanding of the financial crisis does not stop me from reading articles about it in the hope that someday it will all make sense to me. ) The status of the dollar on the global trading market is being challenged in a way that could make the dollar worthless. This is not part of the conspiracy theory.. it's "real" news. What kind of chaos and civil unrest will come after everyone who owns anything based in US Dollars is wiped out? I don't personally know too many people who are prepared for living in the aftermath of a collapsed monetary system. We've been trying to live frugally for years and we're still not prepared.
Homeland Security is absolutely predicated on the possibility of numerous potential tragedies. Why wouldn't preparing for disaster be understandably of primary importance to local residents also? All the emergency preparedness plans under federal leadership claim to involve local residents in the plans. What more co-operation could the federal government want (or need) than what they can get from well trained local militias sworn to defend U.S. laws?
What if every community in the U.S. had a designated LOCAL lead officer in charge of all local emergency responses, a leader whose authority to lead came from the people who own the community where they live. What if LOCAL authority reigned supreme to any federally appointed EU "expert", such as the big NATO guy they called in for "assistance" during Katrina?
The biggest changes to local America came out during the Katrina disaster. America was introduced to foreign troops and foreign leadership steamrolling local authority. It was also a pilot test for banning guns. Yet, if there had been an organized local militia sworn and trained to protect life and property after the flood, there would have been no need to call in private mercenaries or the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne, or the Mexican Navy or the Canadian military. (NATO-EU Rapid Response teams used Hurricane Katrina as a training exercise.)
When do free people have the "right" to defend themselves, their families, and their neighbors from all enemies, domestic and foreign? No wonder the communitarians chose to keep their existence murky and obscured... it's a lot harder for principled, forthright people to fight an enemy who lies and hides it's true allegiance behind nice sounding front agencies and policies.
Leaders of the Alaska Peacemakers Militia say the organization has the dual goals of providing community cohesion and working as a check on government power. Members include, from left, Gary Brockman, Ken Thesing, Schaeffer Cox and Coleman Barney. / Photo courtesy Libby Selle
Fairbanks militia leader challenges court's authority, The Associated Press, Published: December 11th, 2010 09:27 PM
FAIRBANKS -- A 26-year-old leader of an Alaska militia defiantly told a judge Friday that he will not attend another court hearing until the court system explains its authority over him.
Read more: http://www.adn.com/2010/12/11/1599617/fairbanks-militia-leader-challenges.html#ixzz19HD9w1pL
Fairbanks militia says it is focused on community welfare, liberty and rights, Apr 11, 2010
FAIRBANKS — David Lazenby can sum up the motivation behind the Alaska Peacemakers Militia with a single phrase.
“We’re preparing for a worst-case scenario, praying to God that we never have to use it,” said Lazenby, a Fairbanks resident and sergeant in the local citizen-based force.
Read more: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - Alaska Peacemakers Militia says it is focused on community welfare protection of liberty and rights
Focusing on semantics for a minute, should those of us who are opposed to Communitarianism just stop using the word 'community' completely? It looks to me as though it's going to be like the word 'gay' and we might have to just let the communitarians have it and its new meaning. We could instead use words like neighbourhood, group, people, populace, public, residents, society, general public, etc.
ReplyDeleteI am starting to really dislike this word anyway - in any context! And it seems to be developing into the latest, most powerful and loathsome buzzword being bandied about all over, it makes me cringe!
Good question cheese, not sure what the answer is. I've started (when I remember) to write "community (communitarian)" instead of just plain community, but it may be too late for that.
ReplyDeleteI know that one of the enlightened ones in Kenny Lake who edits the newspaper in CC was so annoyed by my description of their quiet community development that she wrote an editorial response to me in the paper and sneered, "community, community, community" as if she were casting a spell.
I've mistrusted the word ever since the neighborhood group in Seattle told me "the community wants this plan." I had already gone door-to-door asking my neighbors if they approved of the plan. Every response was "what plan?" From that point forward when the stakeholders used the word Community, I knew it meant only their little group of communitarian stakeholders.
I don't know how we can stop using it, or if we should, no matter how confusing it gets for our readers.