Another “Patriot” Terrorist Plot Results in Multiple Arrests
Those involved in “Patriot” groups often tout their main goal as protecting Americans and their freedoms, but a new terrorist plot by three Georgia “patriots” has brought the danger of militia groups back into the national spotlight. The three men, who were arrested on Feb. 15, planned on purchasing explosive devices to attack government infrastructure. Fortunately, those plotting the terrorist attack proved to be less than intelligent, and this ultimately led to their capture.
“Patriot” Terrorist Plots Not New to Georgia
The three men, residing in north Georgia at the time, saw their malicious plans fall apart when they set up a meeting to purchase pipe bombs and thermite grenades… from a confidential source in the law enforcement community. The men thought it would be prudent to speak of attacking government buildings in an online chat room, and when law enforcement realized they were serious and were ready to purchase dangerous weapons, they made the arrest. It seems, though, that the Peach State isn’t running low on right-wing extremist “patriots” engaged in terrorist plots.
In another recent case, a woman, also out of north Georgia, plead guilty to criminal explosives charges after police found pipe bombs and firearms in her possession. The prosecutor in the case wanted her to face three years in prison since she had previous experiences with law enforcement and made online anti-government postings. For some reason, however, the ingenious judge only gave her probation.
Of course, who can forget the oh-so-exciting Georgia militia terrorist plot of 2011? Four men were arrested for planning to attack government officials with explosives and ricin. They even had plans of blanketing Washington, D.C. with ricin from a plane overhead. Can you guess where these four gentlemen were from? You got it: north Georgia.
Not all plots are caught in time.
The aforementioned cases may make it seem as if all militia group terrorist plots are quickly caught, and due to their propensity to make these plans with confidential law enforcement informants, it would be a valid assumption. Sadly, it wouldn’t be an accurate one. One tragic example, again out of Georgia, occurred when three members of the Georgia militia Forever Enduring Always Ready (FEAR) murdered a 19-year-old former soldier and his 17-year-old girlfriend in an effort to conceal their terrorist plans. These plans included a variety of attacks ranging from destroying dams to assassinating President Obama.
Georgia, of course, isn’t the only place self-proclaimed “patriots” exist and plan right-wing terrorist plots. Timothy McVeigh, the executed terrorist who bombed the Oklahoma City Federal Building, was a militia group sympathizer. Eric Rudolph, the man who bombed the 1996 Olympic games in Atlanta, is said to have been harbored by militia groups while on the run. Jim Adkisson, the man who murdered two congregants in the Knoxville Unitarian Universalist church in 2008, left a manifesto saying he wanted to kill liberals and Democrats. The perpetrator of the 2013 Los Angeles International Airport shooting, which resulted in the death of a TSA agent, had a note on him which proclaimed that he was a “patriot.”
To tell you the truth, as a liberal, I’m now much more fearful of “patriot” terrorist attacks than I am of those stemming from extremist Islam.
The dangerous rise of militia groups in America.
Unfortunately, there’s really no sign that attacks and terrorist plots from these dangerous extremist right-wing militia groups will soon subside. In fact, there were 1,360 anti-government and radical militia groups identified in the United States in 2012. In 2008, there were only 149 of these groups identified. That’s an increase of eightfold. I do wonder what could have happened in 2009 that led to so many more anti-government groups. A black president was elected, but that couldn’t have anything to do with it. Right?
It’s a dangerous world that we live in, and it gets even more dangerous when we look at extremism and don’t call it out for what it is. Every time we ignore an individual saying that our president should be killed or claiming that they’re part of a “patriot” group, we run the risk of innocent lives being lost. “Patriot” militia groups, terrorism, and terrorism plots in America aren’t anything new, but with the consistent increase in these groups’ numbers, it’s likely only a matter of time before everyone knows someone touched by one of these anti-government plots.