Pawlenty among governors targeted by extremist group
Friday, April 02, 2010 at 11:11 am
- 6 Comments
Tim Pawlenty is among more than 30 governors who’ve received letters from a “sovereign citizens’ extremist group” identified by the FBI as the Guardians of the Free Republics urging him to resign within three days or be removed. Pawlenty confirmed he received the letter, but says he’s unconcerned.
The group’s website outlines the thinking behind its aim to “restore Biblical law to a devoutly secular population.” It seeks to accomplish its goals “BEHIND THE SCENES, lawfully, peacefully, without violence and without risking civil war.” FBI officials have told governors they have no specific knowledge of plans to use violence but are cautioning police to be alert in case other individuals interpret the letters “as a justification for violence or other criminal actions.”
Its members believe the group’s plan can act as a “vehicle for relieving corporate tyranny. In due time, the higher goal of salvaging the souls of mankind can be addressed.”
The Anti-Defamation League defines a “sovereign citizens” group as:
a loosely organized collection of groups and individuals who have adopted a right-wing anarchist ideology originating in the theories of a group called the Posse Comitatus in the 1970s. Its adherents believe that virtually all existing government in the United States is illegitimate and they seek to “restore” an idealized, minimalist government that never actually existed. To this end, sovereign citizens wage war against the government and other forms of authority using “paper terrorism” harassment and intimidation tactics, and occasionally resorting to violence.
Governors in other midwestern states — including Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin – confirmed receiving the letters.
6 Comments
Comment posted April 3, 2010 @ 4:55 pm
Any member of a group that aims to “restore Biblical law to a devoutly secular population” does not belong on this continent.
Comment posted April 3, 2010 @ 11:37 pm
My research leads me to believe “Biblical Law” isn’t that bad and is arguably the basis for the US forming documents. Essentially it says don’t steal or murder. Sex with animals is frowned upon.
Their website is fairly high level in terms of legal prose and as such they are very distinct from the recently elevated Hutaree whose website suggests they are by comparison borderline “challenged” religious zealots.
Comment posted April 4, 2010 @ 5:01 pm
Oh, yeah. Biblical law is the basis for the founding documents of the United States, because you can point to those federal laws we have about worshipping only one God, keeping the Sabbath, and honoring our parents. Pretty much every religion says things like don’t steal or murder, so we could just as easily be living under Buddhist law. How do you reconcile their stated goal of “salvaging the souls of mankind” in due time? Sounds an awful lot like living in Iran.
Comment posted April 5, 2010 @ 12:17 am
The desire to salvage is widespread. From Jimmy Swaggart to Iranian mullahs to gay advocates, all these groups seek to sway opinions to theirs.
Christian doctrine teaches liberty which includes the liberty to disagree. These guys seem to be infatuated with liberty which isn’t very disagreeable in my mind. Some of the details may be, I don’t know for sure. My point was that they are miles from the myopic zealotry of the Hutaree.
Comment posted April 5, 2010 @ 11:08 am
Sounds like it’s just one guy who set this all up a couple weeks ago, probably to attract some followers. Good luck with all that.
Comment posted April 14, 2010 @ 6:53 am
A phrase like “Biblical law” implies a single source of good, knowledge and authority above all others. There have been many, many cases of a person or a group advocating a single source for authority like this. However, I don’t know of a single case which did not eventually seek to become a single source of authoritarian power dictating to all others. That doesn’t sound like “freedom” to me. Stalin, Franco, Pol Pot, Ceausescu, Hitler, Mussolini, Amin, and all of the other ruthless dictators of the 20th century too many to list portrayed themselves as defenders of their people’s “freedom” to do one thing or another on their way into power.
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