Militia mania: a growing danger.

• Author: Stern, Kenneth S.

Well-armed and dangerous anti-government militia movement has been spreading with lightning pace across the country. Organizations and researchers who monitor this movement maintain that militias have either direct or indirect connections with organized white supremacists and are using the Internet, faxes, national shortwave radio, and videotapes to share their information and warfare training exercises. The militias constitute a new manifestation of violent hate-group activity that does not target only the traditional victims - racial and religious minorities - but any representative of government or anyone perceived is opposing the militia and, therefore, seen its doing "the work of government."

Militia members on the Internet claimed they were going to march on Washington and arrest Congress at gunpoint. An alert was issued by one group calling, not only for the arrest of members of Congress, but also their "trial for Treason by Citizen Courts." According to the Arizona Republic, "a militia group obtained the names and home addresses of all federal officers [in Mississippi], prompting U.S. agencies to post a nationwide alert."

Some estimates suggest that there are more than 15,000 people connected with the militia movement in over 40 states. People associated with militias have shot at police officers; gathered to try to down a National Guard helicopter; and been arrested in armed confrontations (one in an armed raid on a courthouse by people whose accomplices were waiting outside with assault rifles with bayonets, thousands of rounds of ammunition, radio equipment, plastic handcuffs, and $80,000 in cash, gold and silver, as well as bogus $3 bills with Pres. Clinton's portrait); and calmly explained how they might need to kill government officials.

Even after such acts, militia members apparently feel comfortable enough to have their meeting notices listed in local papers. A Montana mayor aligned with this movement even declared his town a "freeman enclave" and then deposited $20,000,000 in bogus "freeman" money in a local bank.

The threat of militia violence has frightened citizens away from participating in the political process. A Montana newspaper reports that "Some residents, fearing for their safety, have stopped attending [land use and other community] meetings altogether, allowing a vocal minority to dictate public policy." Mike Murray, a county commissioner in Montana, indicates that "We were ... advised by law enforcement...