On June 4th, 1999, the politician who formerly held the office of the presidency of the United States advocated the registration of all firearms in America. Since that day, a number of organized "pressure groups," as well as some misguided individual citizens, have begun agitating for the registration of all firearms in the United States.
It is no surprise that this politician--- a known felon who has been impeached (yet was not convicted) for his crimes--- would advocate the universal registration of firearms owned by honest citizens. For many years, he made clear his antipathy towards the Second Amendment of the Bill of Rights. For many years, he did whatever he could to weaken the Constitution.
The citizens of the United States are a patient people. We saw that president issue an edict--- an "executive order"--- prohibiting the importation of certain types of semi-automatic rifles into the United States.
We saw that politician and his political allies pass a federal law which strips honest citizens of their gun rights for any misdemeanor which can be classified as "domestic abuse." In effect, Americans who are accused of shoving their spouses are threatened with the total destruction of their gun rights. And a docile Congress made this so-called law retroactive, in direct violation of the ban on ex post facto laws in the Constitution. (Article 1, Section 9.)
THE RIGHT TO SELF-DEFENSE IS A GOD-GIVEN RIGHT
We have seen many such attempts in the last few decades, which are designed to chip away at our right to bear arms. Let us leave no doubt as to where we stand: The right to bear arms is a God-given right. The right to protect one's country, one's home, one's family, and one's person from violent attack is an inherent human right granted by God, and no law written by men can revoke it. The Second Amendment simply codifies it in law; it did not bestow it.
In historical terms, Americans are a patient people. In the last century, Americans suffered a decade of misery during the Great Depression, rather than forsake their constitutional system. In the 1930s and early '40s, we allowed the totalitarian nations to attack our friends overseas, rather than react rashly. We chose peace until we ourselves were attacked. Through more than 40 years of Cold War, we resisted the temptation to attack our enemies with nuclear weapons, although that was considered from time to time.
And in this present struggle to preserve our rights, Americans have been patient. We have seen many laws and presidential edicts issued which have been designed to chip away at the Second Amendment. But there has to be a point where it must end. To go beyond that point would create an irrevocable event--- from which there could be no turning back.
As clear-thinking citizens, we have seen such an event take form on the political scene. It is that one decisive issue, where the choice taken will decide whether our gun rights will survive into the next three generations--- or whether they can be snuffed out at the whim of any administration.
The universal registration of firearms is that event. It is, in truth, a point of no return. If the firearms in this country are registered, the people who own them will literally be at the mercy of every future president and congress. The only things needed then, to seek out and seize those weapons, will be a pretext and a tyrant willing to use it. If the Second Amendment goes, the other nine amendments of the Bill of Rights will ultimately follow.
Let no one accuse us of paranoia. This is not an imaginary scenario. It has taken place already just in the last few years, in Great Britain and Australia. Those millions of people once had gun rights and personal firearms. Now they have neither.
WHAT KIND OF PRESIDENT WOULD ADVOCATE REGISTRATION?
We recently had a president who took the usual oath of office, to "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." It is one of those uncanny ironies of history, that this same man displayed nothing but contempt for the Second Amendment of that same Constitution. And he did everything he could to eviscerate it.
It is surely much more than coincidence, that this same individual is universally known and proven to be both a liar and a perjurer. Were it not for the docile support of his own party members in the United States Senate, he would have already been stripped of his office and put on trial for his perjuries, as other citizens are.
It is surely much more than coincidence, that this same individual is a known sex offender, who has used his predatory instincts to seduce and degrade women in his employ during his government service--- not only in this nation's highest office, but also in his former capacity as governor of the state of Arkansas, where he actually utilized state law enforcement officers to procure women for him. (In the White House, his secretary Betty Currie was forced to assist in that task.)
It is surely much more than coincidence, that this same individual once evaded the draft and shamefully traveled to the U.S.S.R. during a time of war, giving overt aid and comfort to the enemies of this nation. At that time, Moscow was indeed the world capital of Communism.
It is surely much more than coincidence, that this same individual has violated federal election laws, in accepting large sums of illegally-obtained campaign money--- much of it from the so-called Peoples Republic of China--- a foreign power which fought against the United States in the Korean War, and which is a rampant violator of human rights today. It also happens to be a foreign power which to this very day has Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) aimed at the United States.
And it is surely much more than coincidence that this individual has broken other laws of this country. Either he --or by his instruction-- his Secretary of Defense signed the document authorizing the use of military force in the destruction of a religious group at Waco, Texas, in 1993. This politician used his power as commander-in-chief to authorize a military attack on civilians in their communal home. As a direct result of this attack, more than eighty of those people were killed. And such use of military force is expressly prohibited by United States federal law. (Posse Comitatus Act of 1878)
Is it possible that history can exonerate such an individual? Is it possible that the judicial machinery of this nation will allow his criminal acts to go unpunished, now that he has left the office which temporarily protected him from prosecution? Is it possible that this individual will go unrecognized as a subversive and a radical--- as a felon, a perjurer and a criminal? We think not.
And yet there are leftist elements in our society who cherish his every word; who consider his pronouncements to be true and valuable; who would expect this man's radical and subversive beliefs to be enshrined in U.S. law. These people commonly ignore his criminal conduct, or dismiss it with the claim that "all politicians are doing it." Surely it is more than coincidence, that many of these people sneer at the concept of morality, and are themselves agitating for the destruction of gun rights.
IT IS TIME THAT WE RECOGNIZE the reality of this situation. The individual who formerly inhabited the office of the presidency is no mere political opportunist. He is far more than the common, everyday variety of politician who "bends the rules", and makes a few "innocent mistakes." THIS MAN IS AN OUTRIGHT ENEMY OF THE CONSTITUTION. Not only are his activities criminal, but certain of his policies and programs are inimical to the rights of every American.
THE TRUTH ABOUT MILITIAS IN THIS COUNTRY
In this age of mass communications and the "sound bite," we realize that many citizens in this country have a picture of Militias which is--- to say the least--- unfavorable. But for those citizens who are open to the truth (as opposed to media propaganda), it may be of interest to know the following facts:
MILITIAS ARE NOT ANTI-GOVERNMENT. The citizen Militias of the United States are not opposed to our government. We do not advocate its overthrow. The vast majority of Militia members love their country, as well as the Republic which was established by the Founding Fathers. Indeed, our highest political precepts are built on the bedrock of constitutional doctrines; the Constitution of the United States (including the Bill of Rights) is our highest earthly law. We are opposed to tyranny, yes. But the U.S. government itself is not our enemy. It has never been our enemy.
MILITIA MEMBERS ARE NOT CRIMINALS. Members of citizen Militias are law-abiding Americans. We do not support ourselves with criminal activities. We do not engage in extortion, obtaining laundered funds, or selling of stolen goods. It is a certainty that William Jefferson Clinton used illegal funds to keep himself in office; but we do not follow his example.
MILITIA MEMBERS ARE NOT EXTREMISTS. We do not advocate extreme solutions to social problems. To save a few hundred lives a year caused by gun accidents, we would not destroy our fellow Americans' Second Amendment right to own guns. To save 30,000 lives a year, we would not ban automobiles. To save a few ocean-going mammals, we would not attack people in fishing boats trying to earn an honest living.
THOSE WHO ACCUSE US of being "anti-government" and "extremist" organizations are liars. We are no more extreme than Thomas Jefferson, who had the highest praise for Militias as a bulwark of freedom. And--- like Thomas Jefferson--- we have the deepest love for this system of government which was created for the purpose of protecting our liberties. Remember: one of the primary reasons our government was established was for the protection of individual liberty.
MILITIAS ARE NOT A THREAT TO THIS NATION
The citizen Militias of the United States are not a radical force in our society. The Militias of this country have not destroyed human life without due process of law. No Militia participated in the Siege at Ruby Ridge, Idaho, in 1992; and no Militia murdered the mother and teen-age son of the family who lived there.
No Militia set fire to any religious group's communal home in Waco, Texas, in 1993. No Militia shot and killed people inside that facility. No Militia stood armed guard around that building and kept out the news media and fire department as it burned to the ground.
No Militia broke Federal law during the siege of Waco, Texas, by ordering U.S. military weapons to be used. No Militia lied to the military, saying that an illegal drug ring existed within that facility.
No Militia set the bomb which exploded at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. And no Militia tried to falsely implicate Richard Jewell, an innocent security guard, for that crime.
No Militia was responsible for the bombing of the Federal Building in Oklahoma City in 1995. No Militia falsely accused any government official of perpetrating this act. Yet the man who recently inhabited the office of the presidency tried to falsely implicate Militias. Just as Adolf Hitler blamed his political adversaries for the Reichstag fire of 1933, William Jefferson Clinton attempted to blame the patriotic members of Citizen Militias for the Oklahoma bombing. The doctrine of the Big Lie was formulated by Hitler; but obviously it was not that dictator's personal monopoly.
MILITIAS ARE NOT SUBVERSIVE ORGANIZATIONS
No Militia has advocated that universities and other forums of education be prohibited from uttering simple prayers at certain functions. No Militia has attacked their freedom of speech.
No Militia has radically tried to overthrow the doctrine of Fifth Amendment, which guarantees that neither life, liberty nor property shall be taken from any person without Due Process of Law. No Militia has advocated the slaughter of unborn children. No Militia has defended the savage practice of "partial birth" abortions.
No Militia has advocated new and radical laws, for the purpose of destroying the rights of citizens to own firearms. No Militia has supported the unconstitutional passage of ex post facto laws to destroy citizens' rights and liberties.
No Militia has advocated the overthrow of the Constitution. No Militia has advocated "laws" which are designed to undermine the Constitution. No Militia has advocated the destruction of civil rights, Constitutional rights, or the Bill of Rights itself. The Militia seeks to preserve and practice these rights and liberties.
THE CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY ARE THE MILITIA
WHO ARE THE MILITIA IN THIS COUNTRY? YOU ARE. Under Title 10 of the United States Code, Section 311, every able-bodied male citizen between 17 and 45 years of age, and who is not in the active military or National Guard, is in the unorganized Militia. (The National Guard is the organized Militia.) Many state constitutions also include women in the unorganized Militia.
CITIZEN MILITIAS ARE made up of ordinary Americans who love their country. We are not political organizations, racist organizations, or "hate" groups. There may be members who are Democrats, or Republicans, or Libertarians, or what have you. There may be members who have racist views. There may be members who hate one group or another. But Militias do not stand for any of these views, or for any political party. All Americans--- even individual Militia members--- have a right to their own views.
WHY IS THE RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS SO IMPORTANT?
Because it is the one guarantee that this country will remain free. The Second Amendment guarantees that the citizens of this country shall always have the right to arm themselves. But if that right is lost, there would be NO OTHER guarantee to preserve our own freedoms. If--- God forbid--- some future president decided he wanted a promotion (to dictator), all he would have to do is cook up a pretext to seize private firearms. After that, nothing--- NOTHING would stand between him and his goal.
If the guarantee of the Second Amendment is erased from our nation's highest law, who will provide a new guarantee? Who can guarantee that 15, or 25, or 50 years down the line, some president won't destroy our freedoms and establish a dictatorship? WOULD YOU WANT THAT KIND OF DEGRADATION FOR YOUR CHILDREN OR GRANDCHILDREN? TO HAVE THEM LIVE OUT THEIR LIVES AS SLAVES?
The history of mankind is littered with examples of democratic nations which were taken over by dictators. Do we have to look any further than the Russia of 1917, the Germany of 1933, or the Philippines of 1971?
WE ARE NOT ADVOCATING ANY RADICAL MEASURES
CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE IS A LONG-ESTABLISHED TRADITION in the United States. In the Supreme Court case of Marbury vs. Madison (1803), it was declared that "An act of Congress repugnant to the Constitution is not law." In the official publication, "American Jurisprudence," (2nd edition, Vol. 16, Sect. 177) it is stated that, "An unconstitutional law, in legal contemplation, is as inoperative as if it had never been passed. ... No one is bound to obey an unconstitutional law, and no courts are bound to enforce it."
AS LAW-ABIDING CITIZENS OF THIS NATION, we now declare our PERMANENT and UNLIMITED OPPOSITION to this ultimate scheme to subvert the Second Amendment. We will not allow our right to keep and bear arms to be usurped. We will not permit the groundwork to be laid for the wholesale confiscation of firearms in this country.
AND SO WE AVOW AT THIS TIME, that the coerced registration of the firearms owned by Americans is a project which cannot be complied with--- or tolerated. We will never comply with any such law or regulation. We will never hand over to any agency (or any individual) the means to disarm us and to destroy the freedom of our children.
WE DECLARE HERE AND NOW, that if any law or regulation is enacted which compels Americans to register their firearms for any purported purpose whatsoever, we will absolutely refuse to comply with such law or regulation. Further, we will exert our fullest energies to ensure that any such scheme is prevented from going into effect. Any such ordinance which may be enacted under the color of law is inimical to the Constitution, and unworthy of acceptance by the American people.
FURTHERMORE, WE CALL UPON all Americans to follow our example. We call on all Americans to refuse to cooperate in any such scheme to register our firearms--- either at once or incrementally. Any such list of arms in this country would be the death knell of our rights, and a permanent cloud of uncertainty over our future freedom.
WE INVITE OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS in organizations such as the National Rifle Association to join us in taking the same stand against gun registration schemes. Although the NRA has tried to disassociate itself from the Militia movement in order to ward off accusations of "anti-government" taint, our brothers and sisters in the NRA (and other gun rights organizations) must surely know the truth. We are all believers in the same great document--- and in the guarantees of freedom which it holds. And we are all law-abiding citizens. We dare not let petty fears--- nor the lies of those who hate the right to be armed--- divide us at this critical time.
WE ALSO CALL UPON OUR BROTHERS in the U.S. Armed Forces, as well as that other Militia organization, the U.S. National Guard, to consider this most carefully. Throughout history, the military organizations of various countries have been used too often as tools of oppression. But America must be different. In this nation, you must defend our liberties--- not allow yourselves to be used to snuff them out. If any politician ever orders you to use your strength to attack your fellow citizens--- or to destroy their rights--- you must remember what happened in Russia in 1991, when the military commanders REFUSED to crush the freedoms of the people. Instead, they joined with those who were defending that freedom. Can the military of the United States do any less? Would the men who wear the uniforms of the United States let themselves be reviled in history as the destroyers of this Republic?
TO ALL AMERICANS, Military and civilian, we call on you to use your own common sense. We are not fomenting any rebellion. We are not declaring any war. We are not making any threats against individuals. We are simply doing what is necessary to keep the freedoms we have left. We are simply "drawing a line in the sand."
As Americans, we are a patient people. But there is a point at which the wrong decision could produce an "irrevocable event." The mass registration of firearms would be such an event. It cannot be allowed to happen. If it is ever attempted, it cannot be permitted to take hold.
WE ARE AWARE that the haters of the Second Amendment will seize upon this declaration as one more accusation to use against us. For many years now, the liberal elements of the News Media have misused their great power of mass communications. They have ignored their responsibility to publish straight news--- to give fair coverage to both sides of public controversies--- and used their power to attempt to mold public opinion into their own agenda.
Those who control the News Media have willingly become a force for propaganda. Most of these "news" peddlers in the national media have portrayed citizen Militias in the worst possible light--- focusing on the few lawbreakers found in Militia uniforms, and ignoring the message conveyed by the vast majority. We fully expect those same propagandists to misrepresent this declaration, and to do their best to marginalize the citizens who announce it. This will add nothing to their empty lies. The Militias of America are not the ones trying to subvert this nation.
WITH FAITH IN THE GOD who gave us our rights, and in His great judgment over all events of the past, present and future, we now make our stand with what we know to be right. And we trust in that same loving and powerful God, to defend us forever on the day of battle between all truth and falsehood. We pray that our fellow citizens will know the truth when they see it--- and that they will not stand silent in the face of oppression--- and the piecemeal destruction of our individual liberties.
