Breaking news

[Matthew Carberry]

WMD has a legal definition that is broader than the conventional idea. 

We would have been better served if instead of looking for a cool new acronym for the Gulf the .gov and media had just stick with NBC to describe mass killing weapons since that's what springs immediately to mind in the general public.

They apparently had done some scouting for an attack which (yes, yes, if true) would provide enough concrete action to support a conspiracy charge versus harrassing a few guys for sitting around running their mouths. 

[Declaration Day]

This interests me greatly.  Are you implying that, contrary to public opinion and media assumption, that your group would openly and willingly work with traditional law enforcement?

Yes.  We already do.

We are a citizens' militia. We are not anti-government.  We are pro-limited government.  We care about our neighbors, communities and nation.  

We do not condone any plot or action to kill or harm American citizens.  While we didn't know about the plot at hand or the impending takedown, it was our tip-off that led the FBI to scrutinize the Hutaree more than a year ago.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I have not heard any LEO or government official blame us for what the Hutaree were planning.  Only certain media outlets have done that, and we're working feverishly to correct the error (lie?).

[Nitrogen]

I'm about as un-tinfoil hat as it gets, and i've even sometimes reluctantly admitted, somewhat liberal.

But now i'm actually concerned.  The bit I hear all over the news today is "Hutaree square in the middle of the right wing militia movement"
so I'm thinking something's up, and I don't like the smell of it at all.

[Declaration Day]

"Hutaree square in the middle of the right wing militia movement"

Not only are they not "square in the middle of the militia movement", they are not even part of it.  They are a religious cult.

[Nitrogen]

Not only are they not "square in the middle of the militia movement", they are not even part of it.  They are a religious cult.

Yea, I don't get it.  I'd almost think this is part of someone's plan to paint militias as anti-cop and terrorists.

[RoadKingLarry]

Yea, I don't get it.  I'd almost think this is part of someone's plan to paint militias as anti-cop and terrorists.

 :facepalm:I can't believe something like that would even be considered by our governemtn or the media...

[AJ Dual]

Yea, I don't get it.  I'd almost think this is part of someone's plan to paint militias, Tea Party protesters, Libertarians and Republicans as anti-cop and terrorists.

There, fixed it for you.

The left-of-center mainstream American media is looking for ways to do this every day. One half of it is that their world view is so skewed they don't even know they're doing it. The other half of it is intentional and malicious. The news at hand just does not give them as much opportunity as they like. The vast majority of the American Right is too busy working at their jobs and taking care of their families to "do anything" newsworthy.

So they have to take fringe nutters like the Hutaree, or Tim McVeigh back in the 90's and use them to try and paint all of us with the brush.

[Battle Monkey of Zardoz]

 

[RevDisk]

Yep, that's Mike, a good friend and fellow SMVM Team Leader.  Our inboxes are being flooded with media requests today. 

Our Unit Coordinator has been invited to appear on Larry King Live.

If I can make a suggestion.  Prep your media guys on the actual background of these loons.  All of the info you can get.  I'm seeing very very little real info on them.  THAT would get attention in a hurry.   "They were founded in year X, by So and So.  This is their beliefs.  This is what they've been doing.  This is their stated intentions.  This is what they've actually been doing.  This is why we avoided them."   etc.

All I see in the media from your guys is "They're not us and they're very bad people".  That's nice.  Try to flesh it out with details and a lot more folks will pay attention.

And most importantly, send a cease and desist letter from your group's attorney to the outlets that are claiming these loons are members of your organization.   Do it immediately, or it will stick.  Heck, ask them to publish a public apology and correction. 

[AJ Dual]

All I see in the media from your guys is "They're not us and they're very bad people".  That's nice.  Try to flesh it out with details and a lot more folks will pay attention.

Yes, if you're giving them actual facts, background, and "meat" that's different than the same stuff repeated endlessly, the news directors will be kissing your kiester for more and may just be in a frame of mind to give you some more impartial, maybe dare I say, friendly, editing.

[Declaration Day]

If I can make a suggestion.  Prep your media guys on the actual background of these loons.  All of the info you can get.  I'm seeing very very little real info on them.  THAT would get attention in a hurry.   "They were founded in year X, by So and So.  This is their beliefs.  This is what they've been doing.  This is their stated intentions.  This is what they've actually been doing.  This is why we avoided them."   etc.

All I see in the media from your guys is "They're not us and they're very bad people".  That's nice.  Try to flesh it out with details and a lot more folks will pay attention.

I agree with this.  Right now we are so swamped with interviews that I have trouble even getting in touch with other leaders.

On the positive side, the MSNBC article has been updated and no longer states "Michigan Militia" anywhere in the article.  We have no legal leg to stand on if they want to call the Hutaree a militia, however.  Good enough for me.  I'll be checking the other major media outlets in a minute.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36095306/ns/us_news-security/

[Declaration Day]

FOX News article is updated also.  "Michigan Militia" has been removed from the headline.

[S. Williamson]

I wonder, though, how many times an article is read after publishing on the internet within the time it's posted until the time they change it.  Percentage as, say, compared to its lifetime.

If it's close to a decreasing logarithm in shape, and a copy of the original article still exists, it might still be a valid charge.

[Perd Hapley]

Yea, I don't get it.  I'd almost think this is part of someone's plan to paint militias as anti-cop and terrorists.

That was already done, and very successfully, back during the Clinton Administration, if not earlier. 

[Declaration Day]

I wonder, though, how many times an article is read after publishing on the internet within the time it's posted until the time they change it.  Percentage as, say, compared to its lifetime.

If it's close to a decreasing logarithm in shape, and a copy of the original article still exists, it might still be a valid charge.

Perhaps.  I think the fact that we got them to change it at all is a step in the right direction. 

ABC News no longer states "Michigan Militia" either.

[Declaration Day]

Vindication:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNfxx-RPfQo

[mellestad]

Well, I am glad cooler heads are popping up, even if there are not many so far.

[Nitrogen]

Vindication:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNfxx-RPfQo

Glad to see some folks are getting it right; and I really hope I'm wrong about the paranoia I started above.

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

Barbara McQuade hasn't been watching enough MSNBC.

[S. Williamson]

Vindication:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNfxx-RPfQo

Hopefully further (unbiased) clarification will follow, but even if it doesn't--that's still pretty good. 

[Declaration Day]

I have just uncovered actual video of the Hutaree testing their IEDs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOrgLj9lOwk

[S. Williamson]

 

[kgbsquirrel]

I have just uncovered actual video of the Hutaree testing their IEDs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOrgLj9lOwk

 

[Declaration Day]

CNN Video With a University of Michigan sociology student who has spent two years with us.  She has been to nearly every meeting and training in that time period:

http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/us/2010/03/30/nr.michigan.militia.cooter.cnn

[S. Williamson]

CNN Video With a University of Michigan sociology student who has spent two years with us.  She has been to nearly every meeting and training in that time period:

http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/us/2010/03/30/nr.michigan.militia.cooter.cnn

One could almost smell the baiting of his questions, and she was noticeably (and understandably) very nervous, but came across very well.