Although ProPublica did the initial dive and groundwork into the 35,000 names, the ADL did a much deeper dive, made a map and found even MORE involvement from trusted "leaders." Some of the Oathkeepers charged with seditious conspiracy will be on trial in Sept. and Nov., sothank you for adding this so people can see how insidious these RW fake militia organizations can be. I hope people save that URL...
A synopsis: 373 currently serving LEO; 1,100 retired LEO; 81 currently holding/running for office; 117 current U.S. military; and the number of retired veterans is ... at least 30 times that...
I just read it more carefully. Of LEOs, they found at least ten (10) are Chiefs of Police and eleven (11) are Sheriffs.
Stupid, dangerous, unlawful,and scary. Not everyone who is a member pays dues, so would not have been on a list. Oathkeepers have to pledge that they would protect and defend the Constitution... that is all. (And yet they are tRUMP and Roger Stone MAGA minions, FFS)
His blog post was both a manifesto and a recruiting pitch. He based it on the oath that soldiers take when they enlist—minimizing the vow to obey the president and focusing on the one that comes before it, to “support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” Law-enforcement officers swear a similar oath, and Rhodes wrote that both groups could refuse orders, including those related to gun control, that would enable tyranny. And, if necessary, they could fight. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/11/right-wing-militias-civil-war/616473/
The only positive among this is the oath the non-dues payers sign on to is the constitution and I personally kniw quite a few who signed up because they are truly patriotic but not seditious traitors and now do not support the organization. How many more are like those folks?
Although ProPublica did the initial dive and groundwork into the 35,000 names, the ADL did a much deeper dive, made a map and found even MORE involvement from trusted "leaders." Some of the Oathkeepers charged with seditious conspiracy will be on trial in Sept. and Nov., so thank you for adding this so people can see how insidious these RW fake militia organizations can be. I hope people save that URL...
A synopsis: 373 currently serving LEO; 1,100 retired LEO; 81 currently holding/running for office; 117 current U.S. military; and the number of retired veterans is ... at least 30 times that...