From: Ryan-AT-bitstream.mpls.mn.us
Subject: Militia response to Leo
Date: 01 Mar 1996 15:21:56 GMT


I forwarded (sans email address and name) an excerpt of Leo Casey's critique
of "white skin pvivilege" and the militias to a militia member who is
sensitive to the commonly assumed association of white supremacists and the
militia movement. This is because of his and his father's personal nightmare
encounters with these white supremacist groups and the damage they have done
to others in the movement. He has also supported peace movements with his
counter-defense analysis work, especially during the Gulf War.

Because I sent him a part of Leo's post out of context, (attached below) he
attributed to Leo supporting white skin privilege and sent back a long
message mostly condemning that. Mea culpa. I am just passing along some of
his comments regarding militias and white supremacists, the OK City bombing
and other thoughts that give some insight into the militia mindset.

Most Marxists get annoyed at the perception that everything that comes them
supports totalitarian bureaucracy, or that we're all apologists for Stalin
and Mao. Likewise, milita members do not like the perception that everything
that comes from them supports racist Klansmen or that they are all members of
the John Birch Society who dress up in cammo and dive for cover every time
they hear a helicopter approach. To suggest or accept any of these
generalizations is intellectually dishonest.

Sally Ryan
-----

>Sally,

>Thank you for forwarding the 'liberal' remarks from your discussion, and 
allowing someone to respond.  Considering the apparently closed mind of 
the particular 'liberal' who wrote this post, I don't know how much real 
effect this may have on your discussion; but I am profoundly glad to 
have the opportunity to counter such lies with the truth.  

> >One of these uncanny things is how the logic of 'white skin privilege'
> thinking plays itself out. Since all white people who do not embrace the
> 'race traitor' position of Ignatiev and his rather small band of like
> thinking folks are, in effect, white supremacists, it follows that the
> militia are nothing very different than the rest of white America, and
> nothing to be particularly feared.

The elitist bigotry espoused by the author in this passage is absolutely 
amazing.  

That Ignatiev & company are the first and only resistance group to 
espouse a position of equal rights for all ethnicities and genders.  
This is patently false.  It would appear that, either through lack of 
research or lack of experience the author has fallen for the smear 
tactics of the liberal media.  While militia units across this country 
include members of all races, religions, and gender orientations, the 
mainstream media has consistently attempted to propagandize the American 
public by intentionally misrepresenting us as being somehow aligned with 
the white supremacists.  In part, I believe, this is due to the 
hoplophobia pandemic among the liberal elitists.  Whatever the cause, 
please let your people know that the AN, the Klan, and all of their ilk 
view us with extreme distrust and confusion; and we have every intention 
of keeping it that way.  

> Hence, we should admire their willingness to fight the federal government

This I find particularly interesting, considering the fact that 
author was writing to an audience of espoused leftists.  While many of 
us have long suspected that the left has effectively neutralized itself 
as a socio-political force, I can't recall another instance of that 
neutralization being so clearly proven out.  It would seem that the 
neutralization which began in the 50's, when the left allowed itself to 
be intimidated into disarming has finally reached completion.  One is 
left to wonder just what these folks will do when the feral government 
blackshirts come for *them*? 

> (what is a small thing like blowing up a
> federal building with hundreds of people, including pre-school children, in
this equasion?),

Here the author once again demonstrates her/his complete submission 
to the propaganda assault on us by the mainstream media.  Had (s)he done 
any real research, (s)he would have realized that the OK City bombers 
were NOT militia members (they'd been thrown out of the movement *twice* 
- once in Michigan and again in Arizona).  The OK City bombing was NOT a 
militia action nor was it supported by the militias.  While many of us 
have a general understanding of the motivation of the bombers, two 
wrongs never make a right!   OK City was in no way just revenge for Waco 
and Ruby Ridge.  

> and join with them in para-military groups to fight the federal government.

No, not join with *us* - form your own self-defense organizations, 
and then some of us may be willing to form alliances with you.  I can 
understand where this would be especially difficult for leftists.  
Certainly almost none of you have any military experience to speak of, 
and you've chosen to subject yourselves to decades of 
propaganda.  Oh well, look at it this way: everybody has an inalienable 
right of self-defense; but as with all other rights, one must either 
exercise it, or lose it.  We don't plan to lose ours, thus we will 
defend our communities, we simply suggest you defend *your* communities 
as well.  If you do not choose to do so, when the blackshirts come for 
you (and they will) please do not look to us for assistance.  We only 
work with those people who are willing to take responsibility for 
themselves.

 > Classic fascist, racist and anti-semitic references to
> international banking conspiracies and a world government imposed by the
> United Nations which are expounded by the militias are embraced by Ignatiev
and his
> magazine in this editorial.
 Ah, once again we see the author, unable to counter the arguments 
expressed by Ignatiev, degenerating into name calling. Oh well, at least 
(s)he is consistent. 

 I thank you again for allowing me to show the false 
premises of this particular attack on the militia movement.  As always I
remain,

Yours For Liberty
__

Leo Casey:
One of these uncanny things is how the logic of 'white skin privilege'
thinking plays itself out. Since all white people who do not embrace the
'race traitor' position of Ignatiev and his rather small band of like
thinking folks are, in effect, white supremacists, it follows that the
militia are nothing very different than the rest of white America, and
nothing to be particularly feared. Hence, we should admire their willingness
to fight the federal government (what is a small thing like blowing up a
federal building with hundreds of people, including pre-school children, in
this equasion?), and join with them in para-military groups to fight the
federal government. Classic fascist, racist and anti-semitic references to
international banking conspiracies and a world government imposed by the
United Nations which are expounded by the militias are embraced by Ignatiev
and his magazine in this editorial. Organizations on the front line of the
battle against the Klan, neo-Nazis and white supremacist groups such as the
Southern Poverty Law Center and the Oregon "Communities Against Hate" are
denounced for their work. So the sorry, pitiful end of 'white skin privilege'
thinking lies in calls for unity with the most racist, most reactionary
elements in America, and stands in opposition to those who -- at some risk to
their own safety -- have made anti-racist and anti-fascist work their life's
vocation.


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