The NRA (National Rifle Association) sent out a fund-raising letter in which they described federal agents as "jack-booted thugs." A later release amplified that by saying that the original description "...hadn't gone far enough." Which brings up an important question: Are all federal officers "jack-booted thugs?"
Obviously not -- if you retain sufficient honesty to be able to distinguish fact from fiction. In every group there are good people and bad. Federal officers are no exception. Most federal officers are "...of the stuff of heroes," and are good, dedicated people. But what seems to be an increasing number of federal agencies (including the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, for heaven's sake!) and indeed, local police agencies as well, are using jack-booted thug techniques. So much so in fact, that entire books have been written to detail their crimes.
One such book is: "Lost Rights," by James Bovard (St. Martin's Press, Scholarly and Reference Division, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010), which details the depredations of many different agencies, against what can only be described as innocent persons, using regulations of dubious legality. The agencies involved, according to Bovard, run the gamut from local zoning commissions to the EPA. FDA, BATF, EEOC, HUD, FHA, FDIC, FBI. DEA, Fish & Wildlife, and others. Another is: "Protecting Our Property Rights," by Representative Henry Hyde (The Cato Indtitute, 1000 Massachusetts Ave., Washington, DC 20001).
They routinely ruin people, sometimes jailing, or even killing innocent people for such things as trespassing on their own property or accidentally killing a "protected" rodent while plowing their farmland. They use many pretexts, from (presumed) illegal gun stockpiling to simply having an unpaid (current) note with a failed Savings and Loan Company. Let's examine some specifics:
In none of these cases was anything illegal found. Most raids were mounted on the basis of questionable information from unreliable informants. The tactics of the officers involved could easily be described as those of jack-booted thugs.
- Donald Carson:Shortly after midnight on August 15, 1992, Drug Enforcement Agents invaded Donald Carlson's California home looking for illegal drugs. When Carlson, who thought he was dealing with a criminal home invasion, called 911 and reached for the gun he kept at his bedside the invaders literally filled him full of lead. No, he didn't die -- mostly. No drugs or anything else illegal were found while Carlson must live with his disabilities for the rest of his life.
- John Scott:The DEA again, and again in California: John Scott's home was invaded in October of 1992 while he was asleep. When in his befuddled state, he tried to resist, the feds and the deputy sheriffs with them riddled him with bullets, killing him. He is dead, and no illegal drugs, nor anything else illegal were found.
- Sina Brush:September, 1991: Sixty DEA agents, accompanied by BATF, the National Guard, (and the U. S. Forest Service for heaven's sake!) and anyone else needed to subdue these "dangerous criminals" descended upon the home of Mrs. Sina Brush. They held her and her daughter, in their underwear, at a kneel while they searched the house for drugs, none of which were found.
- Harry Lumplugh:Then there was the raid on the home of Harry and Theresa Lumplugh in Pennsylvalia. The BATF sent 15 to 20 men against this couple who were forced, at gunpoint, to open safes and hand over private papers. Agents kicked their dangerous cat to death. Again: no drugs and no charges.
- Monique Montgomery: In 1994, BATF shot and killed Monique Montgomery during a dawn raid that found nothing illegal.
- Louie Katona III, Ohio businessman and part-time police officer was raided by BATF. During the raid, in which nothing illegal was found, his pregnant wife was pushed against a wall and she miscarried.
MY CONCLUSION: There are jack-booted thugs out there among the police officers of the nation, and their numbers are increasing as confiscation regulations proliferate, while their lax or indifferent supervision, coupled with arrogance from the highest levels allows them to lord it over us common folk. Most policemen are decent, hard-working people who deplore the excesses of some of their number but are as powerless as the rest of us to stop it and are actually more concerned than are many other people.
MY BASIC QUESTION IS THIS: If this information is such common knowledge that it can be published in newspapers nationwide in a syndicated column (All of these examples mentioned came from a syndicated column by Samuel Francis: "Horror Stories from the American Gestapo"), why have no investigations of these officers and their superiors been mounted? Why have none of them been punished? Francis says congress "...should find out who authorized these and similar raids and who committed these atrocities against law-abiding citizens. It should abolish the agencies responsible, and it should make certain that the tyrants and murderers in federal uniform who planned, authorized, or committed these crimes are brought to justice."
I agree.
But will it ever happen? Most likely not. Which is probably what led the NRA to go off the deep end with their "jack-booted thugs" remark without making the distinction (which they later did) between JBTs and good officers. My thinking is that if this kind of thing is allowed to continue and the brass does nothing about it, all involved will be tarred with the same brush. Unfortunately, some innocent agents will get some tar on them. Waco and Ruby Ridge prove that this sort of thing, far from getting better, is getting worse. At one time they were preparing a Waco-style action against leaders of the "We The People" group for charges of "Threatening Public Officials" (Threatening public officials! The next one will be for criticizing public officials.).
While I hold no brief for what these people are supposed to have done (though I've seen no proof), I don't think a massive military-style assault is necessary, and I don't think these people should be killed (which is a distinct possibility), especially for such a "heinous" crime as this. I used to believe the feds when they put out statements such as: "...they are believed to be heavily armed," or: "They are believed to be abusing children." But in view of recent experience with lies told by local and federal police agents to cover themselves (CYA), I need to see the proof before I decide on whether or not to believe them.
And that's tragic.
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