By Allan B. Colombo, Publisher
www.GiantKillers.Org

Alanson, MI (Sept 17) -- High-level militia leaders from across Michigan met Monday agreeing to send an overture to the President offering its services in protecting America from foreign terrorists. The meeting, held on an undisclosed 500-acre militia training facility in Northern Michigan, was attended by many, including several of the architects of the modern militia movement. After hours of discussion of what may happen, it was agreed that the proper action now was to offer the citizen militia to the President as 'the eyes and ears and the feet of America's security.'" Gordon Dean, Commander, and Norman Olson, Senior Advisor

Recently, since the 11 Sept disaster in New York City, there has been much discussion regarding protecting the citizens of this nation. Although the author of this commentary understands that the collective American Citizen Militia (AMC) was considered as an enemy to the Clinton Administration, for whatever reason, it was the firm belief of many that the Bush Administration would change all of that. After all, the ACM has been the corner-stone of Homeland Security since the American Revolution. Because of this reason, various groups that comprise the collective ACM agreed to offer their services to the President (above).

Who else but the fair citizens of this nation should be responsible for the security of the homeland? There are allegedly more firearms in the United States of America than people, so who better to assist in the preservation of Liberty and Justice? Who better to assist in the protection of the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights? Why shouldn’t the people of this country participate in this responsibility? This was the way it was in Colonial times and many a man and woman have died in the service of Uncle Sam since.

Ask yourself, however, why any central government, no less the federal government of these United States, would decide not to include its own citizens where homeland defense is concerned? Can the Federal Government actually accomplish the job domestically all by itself? Well, if the early call-up of the Army Reserve and the use of European AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) aircraft are any indication of troop strength and readiness, then this author would suggest that we have a serious problem, or so it would appear. We haven’t yet truly begun to fight what is suppose to be many years of conflict and already we are calling in the Reserves? (Perhaps I've missed something here.)

It was the untimely death of William Cooper, patriot and militia (American Citizen Militia) leader, and shortwave talk show host, that caused this author to decide to place pen to paper and write the following argument for an American Citizen’s Militia, aka: Unorganized Militia. (No, the author is not a member of the collective ACM.)

The ACM Argument

Those who have worked so hard to convince the public that the Militia spoken of in the Bill of Rights is not that of the modern citizen militia, for whatever reason, have often used Amendment Two (2) of the Bill of Rights as the corner-stone of their argument. What does Amendment Two say?

To be specific in their intent, if Amendment 2 isn't clear enough, they penned the Third (3) Amendment, which makes a distinction between an armed citizen militia and the State's regular standing army. Here, it says:

Where Amendment Two says that a regulated militia will be maintained, relating it to the people and their right to maintain arms, Amendment Three speaks of a standing army that will not be housed without consent. Clearly there is a distinction between militia and regular military. Clearly the citizens and the ACM are one and the same.

The truth is, as it has always been understood since the beginning of this nation, the Militia is comprised of ordinary, common citizens. It was that way then and it is that way now. In fact, many states, such as Pennsylvania, have laws that plainly state that every male, over the age of 16, is automatically considered a member of that state's citizen militia. Why? Because this is what Homeland Security is all about. It is precisely what Amendment Two calls for!

Who Are The Rightful
First Reponders?

Clearly the militia IS NOT, nor was it ever, intended to be a Standing Army, which discounts the notion that today's ACM is illegal. Frankly, history clearly indicates that there has ALWAYS been an ACM within this country as a backup to its standing army. And why was this procedure put in place at the penning of our Constitution? Because if our federal government were following Constitutional guidelines, there would not be a standing army in power and in force operating on U.S. roads, highways, and byways. The ACM was always considered, and rightfully so, America's true First Responders.

There are other ways in which to prove the assertion that the ACM is the rightful Militia that Amendment 2 protects. In Amendment 5, for example, it clearly makes a distinction between the Militia and the organized Military of the State:

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation.

Not only does Amendment 5 clearly distinguish between the State's standing army and citizen militia, but it also further justifies the rights asserted to the collective ACM in Amendment 2 by mentioning when in actual service in time of war or public danger. Clearly, the collective ACM is a valid and legal force to be used in situations like the one we face today.

So, ask yourself why the federal government has, for several administrations now, either sought to disband this nation's citizen militia or to ignore it. What do they have to fear? Collectively, the ACM is not an organized force, and certainly there is no desire on the part of the ACM to overthrow a just and legal government, but clearly our government does not have confidence in this fact.

Yes, the author acknowledges the fact that there may be factions of the ACM that talk of overthrowing the federal government; but, on the whole, much of this talk is out of frustration because the very government they seek to assure distrusts their motives.

Because of the mood of the day, it is almost assured that (certain individuals within government) may also distrust this author for simply having talked about the ACM. In fact, because you have shown an interest in this commentary, in fact this very web site, your own identity was probably logged by special software on government servers or agents of Uncle Sam. Even the enemy may have done this very thing, simply so they know who they cannot trust. I say these things with a relatively high level of confidence.

Amendment One (1) was suppose to assure this author's right to express his views in just the manner taken. It was also put into place to protect your right to read and contemplate them. Every one of the first 10 Amendments to the U.S. Constitution were put into place to creat a balance. Thus far, no one has stopped either of us from taking advantage of the Bill of Rights, but there are powerful statesmen in Congress who are working to do just that. You need to know who they are.

So what is the solution to homeland defense? In times like these, it would seem that the solution lies in citizen invovement. In times like these, it appears to this author that the federal government should practice the mandates put into place more than two hundred years ago when the Constitution was written.

What exactly did the Constitution say that the federal government of these United States is to do?

• Protect the borders (that means getting rid of the lax, open-border policies that largely created the disaster that took place in NYC on 11 Sept).
• Allow the States, local governments, and the fair citizens of this nation to attend to internal, local matters..
• Until WAR is officially declared by the Congress, keep the federal government's standing army off the streets of this nation. Who are they going to take aim at anyway? The enemy in this undeclared war is not wearing a uniform, so who are our military troops going to shoot at? In this case, these terrorists look like you and I! (better duck.)
• THEY also need to maintain our civil liberties as they were intended by the Bill of Rights to the Constitution. Otherwise the terrorists have won.

We must remember that we are not at war until Congress declares it so. It takes more than the President to make this conflict official. Because it's not a declared war we now fight, this author also wonders whether our current actions in Afghanistan are also considered illegal by International Law.

In closing, it is extremely easy to get caught up in all the patriotic hoopla of the day and forget that government can only do so much. The rest is up to us. Do your part by contacting your Congressional Representatives and asking them not to throw your long-standing Liberties down the toilet -- and I thank you for your support.