A memo was released to Missouri law enforcement, providing hints on how they can identify possible militia members. In the memo it said, "Political paraphernalia: Military members most commonly associate with 3rd party political groups. It is not uncommon for militia members to display Constitutional Party, Campaign for Liberty, or Libertarian material. These members are usually supporters of former Presidential candidate Ron Paul, Chuck Baldwin, and Bob Barr. Anti Government Propaganda: Militia members commonly display pictures, cartoons, bumper stickers that contain anti government rhetoric. Most of this material will depict the FRS, IRS, FBI, ATF, CIA, UN, Law Enforcement, and The "New World Order" in a derogatory manner. Additionally, racial, anti immigration, and anti abortion material may be displayed by militia members" This is on page 7 of the memo (pdf file). Actually, I can understand the position of law enforcement, in that a higher percentage of Ron Paul supporters may be militia members (versus mainstream candidates). However, what if law enforcement would profile drivers with a Ron Paul bumper sticker, making them more likely to stop them? Doesn't seem right. What if they notice a Libertarian flyer on the dashboard, might they ask more questions than normal or request to search the vehicle? I do like Ron Paul, and I'm certainly not a militia member. I just received an email from Campaign of Liberty saying they were able to fight this... What do you think?
i don't agree with Ron Paul on most things, i think he is out of date and not in touch with reality. But the idea that "libertarians" could be anti-american goes against the very principles on which america was founded.
They can ask to search my car all day long. I know, in the US, they must have a warrant or it be a search incident to an arrest. And anything found in the car, or found because of something stemming from a search of my car, would be inadmissable in a court of law. Unfortunately, not all American's realize this, or are scared to think it will be assumed they are guilty of something. It is actually not allowed to assume someone is guilty for exercising their 4th amendmant rights. When I was working patrol, I used to ask random people people for written consent. The Army has a form for this, and the form outlines the fact that you have the right to refuse the search, to stop the search at any time, and to be right there next to me while I do the search. I, like most cops in the US, always let them know this when I was asking. But, you would be surprised what you can find just by asking However, I think this memo, even though it was retracted, will still caused a tad bit of profiling.
Political profiling has no place in a free society. I have been chronicling news stories related to this event. Keep in mind, the MIAC actions came less than a month after the CFL announced a regional conference in St. Louis, MO. The timing gives strong suspicion that it was entirely designed to target Ron Paul supporters at the convention.
He has a very loud and dedicated core that are pretty wacky and anti-american. They're not wacky or anti-american because they're libertarians, though. I don't think Paul is anti-american, though. He has a lot of good things to say about the US. But a lot of his most vocal supporters seem to have almost nothing good to say. A lot of them seem to have been attracted to him because of his criticism and outspokenness on the war and then probably subsequently adopted principles of libertarianism, if they have at all.
While I agree some of us are wacky and unrealistic, please stop with the "anti-american" buzzwords. I don't think you know what anti-americanism really is (you would first need to know what it means to be American). Some of you that can't stand us lose your own credibility by throwing some of these phrases around that just don't make sense.
I guess to some people being anti-american means to dare to question your government. Dont they know that this is blasphemy!!!!, whether they are right or wrong.
Thanks for all the comments, and Bernard I'll look at your stories later when I can take my time reading them. I was listening to this Glenn Beck radio show on YouTube, and Ron Paul believes militia members are just frightened, and don't know what else to do. I would guess many support him because he is small government, and perhaps less threatening with his ideas of freedom and liberty? Yet, Ron Paul does not believe in creating violence or chaos, instead he promotes getting involved in the political process in a positive way. There is a 2 part interview of Ron Paul on March 23rd, Ron Paul talks about the Missouri militia memo, inflation/value of the dollar, and liberty: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0-7gZVAAWY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPwcWkz0VlM
Hundreds of Police Officers have been killed in the line of duty and none of them by militia memebers. Just recently 4 Police Officers were fatally wounded by a parole violator in Oakland, California. Add to that, violence is spilling over from Mexico and little effort is being placed on Border security. It looks like more smoke and mirrors from the left. Ron Paul says that he doesn't have a "Ron Paul" sticker on his car
I know what it is to be from the land of the freaks and home of the slaves, I mean, to be American. When someone never has anything good to say about the US and a whole lot of bad to say, when they predictably always side with the enemy of the US and when they embrace the wackiest far out conspiracy theories which are based on the US being an evil, tyrannical death machine, those are pretty good signs. Oh yeah, they usually throw out quotes by Jefferson, Washington or other fathers of the revolution to prove that their criticism and dissent are really attributes of their patriotism.
I have to say I'm personally suprised that you have signed up on the Campaign for Liberty website. Aren't you one of those "bleeding hearts" that wants everyone to have healthcare, education, etc.? Just suprised that you would even be interested in Ron Paul.... And I was very happy to hear that this report was completed retracted. Ron Paul supporters have gotten a really bad rap of being weirdos that want to see the entire world come to an end. We do have some major extremists, but no more than any other party. NOTE: see below for another one that thinks all Ron Paul supporters are the same. I love people who think I'm so anti-American because I support Ron Paul. Gimme a friggin' break....
You're putting words in my mouth. I said I don't think Ron Paul is anti-american, I just think he's wrong and his policies would hurt America and the world. But it's obvious that a lot of people have thrown their support behind him because of their hatred for America(radical islamists and hateful conspiracy nuts, specifically). I could go down a list of people in this forum who are not even American who support Ron Paul and I could pull up a history of their anti-US posts. Even in this forum it's usually been Ron Paul supporters who caused the most trouble. One of them has been banned(I think he's still banned) because he would start fights with pretty much everyone -- everyone who coincidentally wasn't a Ron Paul supporter. Seriously, the only person who I've known to be a Ron Paul supporter in this forum who has said something that wasn't predictable in regards to the US or its allies was Bernard(I think he's a Ron Paul guy?), the other day. Most of the fervent Ron Paul supporters seem to automatically take the side of whoever is opposed to the US or even whoever is opposed to allies of the US(the enemy of my enemy's ally is my friend, I guess). You won't hear people like Nate say that Russia has done anything wrong. The US and its allies are the only source of the world's evils in his book.
Are you suggesting Michael Savage is anti-American? Because that's his quote. So loyalty and obedience are attributes of patriotism? Do you know who the Loyalists were in the American Revolution? Think next time LogicFlux, it won't hurt you I promise.
He's a loudmouth idiot from what I remember. And it doesn't really matter who's quotes you use, it's the sentiment you choose to subscribe to and the anti-american attitude that you espouse and propagate. If Obama started bashing the US constantly you'd probably be quoting him too. No, being against your country no matter what, and for its enemies, is apparently what patriotism is.
There's a difference that you seem unable to distinguish between, not having your head in the sand and being anti-American. The only anti-Americans are the ones who fail to recognize what is American. By the way LogicFlux, what does it mean to be American? Tell me what patriotism is.
Who said that they are for America's enemies? There is a difference between siding with the enemy and disagreeing with what our government is doing. This country was based around people fighting for what they believe in, not blindly agreeing with the government- that is exactly what we were trying to leave behind when we got independence.
Yes, there is a difference, don't insult my intelligence. What many of the Ron Paul supporters in this forum do is side with the enemy. They go to great lengths to find fault with every US policy and pay little consideration to what may be legitimate reasons for the US's actions. On the other side they go to great lengths to apologize for those that are our enemies or enemies of our allies and pay little consideration to the error of their ways. It's not mere criticism of US policy that I have a problem with. It's an obvious agenda fraught with bias that I have a problem with. There have been Ron Paul supporters who are staunch critics of US involvement in any war. Yet they apologize for Hitler and the Japanese by saying we played a part in provoking them. They criticize our role in Gulf War I yet apologize for Saddam invading Kuwait by saying that Kuwait was slant drilling. So our enemies actions are often justified -- even if they are aggressive acts of war -- but the actions of the US never are justified. The double standards promoted here are often subtle but they exist. The link I posted where Bernard said that Russia overstepped its bounds is very atypical for a Ron Paul supporter in this forum(I keep saying this forum because this is the only real place I have had experience with them). Almost invariably, if it is the US or one of its allies that are involved, then all of the blame lies with them, in the eyes of a DP Ron Paul supporter. If you really, really want me to, I can probably find these posts.
I listen to the Alex Jones refeed on a regular basis so I don't think I have my head in sand, by your standards. You tell me. You're the great patriot, right?
Actually, this bleeding heart has been subscribed to Campaign for Liberty for some time now. I voted for Ron Paul in the primary, and voted for Bob Barr as president.
Actually I don't recall saying I was a great patriot, I'm assuming you are a patriot and know what patriotism is when you question my patriotism. Make sense? I asked you the question first, don't expect me to answer it for you.