Patterico's Pontifications

4/2/2010

FBI Issues Warnings About Anti-Government Groups

Filed under: Civil Liberties,Terrorism — DRJ @ 7:50 pm



[Guest post by DRJ]

An anti-government group has written letters to most and possibly all State Governors asking them to resign in three days. In response, the federal government is warning about the dangers of extremism, although there are no warnings about this group:

“This week, dozens of governors across the country received letters saying if they don’t leave office within three days they would be removed, according to federal documents obtained by The Associated Press. The FBI is warning local police that the anti-government group’s call to remove governors from office could provoke violence, although investigators said they do not see threats of violence in the group’s message.

The group on its Web site advertises a “Restore America Plan” that it says “is a bold achievable strategy for behind-the-scenes peaceful reconstruction of … government without controversy, violence or civil war.”

The FBI said it expects all 50 governors to eventually receive the group’s letters.”

Sometimes it feels like the only people who have First Amendment rights are abortion advocates, environmental crusaders, and anti-war activists. In fairness, though, Homeland Security should immediately issue a warning about Democrats since the recent arrest of Michigan militia members included at least one member who was a registered Democrat.

— DRJ

14 Responses to “FBI Issues Warnings About Anti-Government Groups”

  1. I just read a news report that said that one of the letters was faxed. Now IIRC, when that happens the faxing end includes its phone number, doesn’t it?

    Steven Den Beste (99cfa1)

  2. I believe you can e-fax: send a fax from an internet utility. So a phone number wouldn’t necessarily be on the fax.

    John Hitchcock (4385b7)

  3. provoking violence….
    If you don’t want to provoke violence, wouldn’t it be productive to not publicize it, or the threat of it?

    The FBI…are they investigators, or bumbling incompetents?

    AD - RtR/OS! (8b509d)

  4. If you don’t want to provoke violence, wouldn’t it be productive to not publicize it, or the threat of it?

    My guess is it’s some 42 year old virgin that collects pictures of Gillian Anderson to hang in his bedroom while he lives in his parent’s basement.

    But it does give the Southern Poverty Law Center more evidence that hate groups are getting more active, something they have been doing every day since the SPLC was founded more than 35 years ago.

    MU789 (d20b17)

  5. The senders are not hiding or disguising their personal identities, so clever means of “hiding” (e.g., e-fax), or stupid ways of being found (fax header) don’t have any play.
    The group that is sending the mail, etc. has a wide open website, see http://guardiansofthefreerepublics.com/front-page.html, and one of the signatories to the letter, Sam Kennedy, is a radio talk show person in Texas.

    cboldt (60ea4a)

  6. That’s nothing! Iowahawk issues warnings about violent journalists and politicians.

    http://iowahawk.typepad.com/iowahawk/2010/04/journopolitico-violence.html

    zmdavid (4bb118)

  7. That’s nothing! Iowahawk issues warnings about violent journalists and politicians.

    zmdavid (4bb118)

  8. In other words, someone in the administration is “suggesting” to the FBI that these incorrigible letter writers need to be put on notice that when you threaten to take peaceful action — the keyword is “threaten”; and that’s a no-no.

    Icy Texan (02cc95)

  9. FBI says the letters, which they won’t release, don’t contain any threat, but might spark lone-wolf violence. What, are the governors going to attack each other? I mean, but for the FBI making a big deal of this, what “lone-wolf” would even know about the letters?

    [Republic Broadcasting Network operator] Stadtmiller says the FBI agents told [letter-sender Sam] Kennedy, in essence, “We know you’re not a threat, but we spent millions of dollars guarding [governors]. The next time you do something like this, give us a heads up. Don’t waste our time and money.”

    Guardians of the free Republics tied to Texas radio station – CSMonitor.com
    .

    What the AP didn’t tell you is: The Guardians of the Free Republics are just a Web cover for a single unhinged Silicon Valley dude who isn’t even American-born. … [Clive Boustred of Soquel, California] appears to have Astroturfed a number of other “companies” and organizations—Liberty for Life, Copper Cards, Strategize.com, and InfoTelesys.com.

    An Astroturf Militia | Mother Jones

    cboldt (60ea4a)

  10. #2 John Hitchcock:

    So a phone number wouldn’t necessarily be on the fax.

    Federal law requires that a telephone number be associated with a fax, so software drivers for fax applications in the US market do include a phone number when e-faxing.

    It is, however, relatively trivial to download drivers from overseas to circumvent that.

    EW1(SG) (edc268)

  11. Two comments:

    #1… A violent DemocRAT militia whose members have been inspired and agitated by Congessional DemocRATs’ extremist rhetoric.

    #2… this ain’t your father’s FBI.

    GeneralMalaise (556297)

  12. “#1… A violent DemocRAT militia whose members have been inspired and agitated by Congessional DemocRATs’ extremist rhetoric.”

    GeneralMalaise – Are you referring to the SEIU, ACORN, HCAN, OFA or somebody else? There are a number of choices out there.

    daleyrocks (718861)

  13. I think the correct selection is: YES!

    AD - RtR/OS! (9b3f49)

  14. Point taken, DR, and AD’s correct… YES! All the above!

    GeneralMalaise (556297)


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