(Image by Anthony Crider from flickr) Details DMCA
Another week, another militia-affiliated murderer in court, this time over the drive-by shooting of Federal Protection Services officer Pat Underwood in California by a member of the Boogaloo movement. "Cowards like you fear true bravery," the officer's wife told the killer as he was sentenced. "(Pat) will live on through his family and friends. " You no longer deserve your freedom."
At the same time in Idaho, where the guy who pointed a rifle at federal officers in one of the two Bundy standoffs is proudly leveraging his infamy into a run for the state senate, the governor is considering repealing that state's law against any "parade in public with firearms in any city or town of this state."
In just the past two weeks an Illinois militia member has pleaded guilty to bombing an abortion clinic; a second Michigan militia member pleaded guilty to attempting to kidnap and murder Governor Gretchen Whitmer; and a California militia group is on the verge of taking control of an entire county.
In Pennsylvania a militia "commander" was indicted for illegal weapons possession, including "machine guns, armor-piercing ammunition and bombs. He also had maps of airports." Three weeks ago 11 militia members from six states were indicted for the crime of seditious conspiracy, the US government asserting they helped lead an attempt to seize the US Capitol on January 6th.
America has a militia problem.
Forty-eight of the fifty states' constitutions explicitly prohibit people carrying weapons to perform police or military duties unless they are under the employ and/or control of the civilian authorities in the state.
All fifty states outlaw militia cosplay in anticipation of insurrection, intimidating voters, or street brawls.
Militias that engage or even prepare to engage in "civil disorder" are, in a word, illegal in every state in the USA.
The language in the Oregon Constitution, for example, (which is nearly identical to those in 47 other states) unambiguously says in its Article I, Â § 27:
"[T]he Military shall be kept in strict subordination to the civil power."
Further, Oregon law - again in nearly identical language to the other 49 states - explicitly says:
(1) A person commits the crime of unlawful paramilitary activity if the person:
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