November 02, 2005

Militiamen

Psst. Quick tip. If you're keen on joining your neighborhood right-wing militia, you definitely don't want to look like an amateur. Like these guys:
Their faces were streaked with green and black paint, and they listened closely to their training instructor, Super Six, an infantry veteran of the Persian Gulf war of 1991, who motioned them off the range. Moments later, the now-rested marchers took their positions at the range, and Six sat back beneath a tree to watch. "For some of these guys it's just fun and games; they just aren't serious," Six said, idly thumbing rifle rounds and snickering at the gaudy firearms and projectile launchers fastened to a few of the shooters' guns. "Scopes are fine for hunting, but for shooting people, they're distracting," he said. "They keep you from seeing the guy sneaking up beside you."
Right, then. Leave the scope at home. That's from a Legal Affairs piece about the rise—well, continued rise—of homegrown militias since 9/11, a phenomenon the FBI seems content to ignore, more or less, at least so long as unhinged "eco-terrorists" still roam the streets, torching SUVs and chaining themselves to chemical plants or whatever it is they do. As for these militias, usually they don't do much harm in themselves—they swill beer, waste ammunition, and plan their defense against the UN invasion set to sweep in from Canada. Except that every now and again they inspire some lonely Army private to pile a few tons of fertilizer in his truck and go blow up a government building. Not so hilarious then.
-- Brad Plumer 8:06 PM || ||