Private militias
Private militias are armed groups that operate independently of government authority, often formed around a specific ideological or political agenda. In the United States, the modern militia movement emerged in the early 1990s, primarily associated with far-right, antigovernment sentiments. Historically, militias have roots in American colonial times, when they were organized for local defense. However, contemporary militias have been linked to domestic terrorism, particularly highlighted by events such as the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995.
The movement saw fluctuations in activity in the twenty-first century, spurred by factors such as the aftermath of 9/11 and the economic downturn around 2008. These groups often engage in weapons training and stockpiling in anticipation of perceived threats, which they believe may come from government overreach or societal changes. While some militias claim to be nonviolent, others espouse extremist views, including white supremacy or strong anti-immigration sentiments.
As of 2022, there were 61 active militia groups in the U.S., reflecting both a resurgence and a decline in certain areas. These groups frequently utilize their rights to freedom of speech and assembly, operating within a complex legal landscape that regulates their activities. The modern militia landscape remains diverse, encompassing a wide range of beliefs and motivations, with ongoing concerns about their potential impact on public safety and communal harmony.
Private militias
The modern militia movement—extreme, often well-armed, generally far-right antigovernment groups—sprang up in the United States in the early 1990s. The movement, linked to domestic terrorism and other crimes, has since ebbed and flowed. The first decade of the twenty-first century saw a resurgence of private militias that represented a potential threat to American welfare.
Militias have been part of American history since European colonists first arrived in North America. Colonial governments required troops of able-bodied men to maintain order and repel attacks from American Indians or foreign invaders. After the American Revolution, volunteer militias served as peacekeeping forces until the establishment of a professional standing military in the early nineteenth century. The National Guard, legislated in 1903, obviated the need for state militias. Most states subsequently passed laws prohibiting or regulating paramilitary groups.
Birth of the Militia Movement
The modern militia movement in the United States came to the attention of the mainstream media during the last decade of the twentieth century, following a series of volatile, highly publicized confrontations and legislation enacted to decrease violence. Standoffs over illegal weapons erupted into armed conflict between federal agencies and extremists in Ruby Ridge, Idaho, in 1992, and in Waco, Texas, in 1993, resulting in multiple deaths on both sides. Extreme right-wing groups were outraged, calling such incidents blatant demonstrations of government tyranny.
Private militias, emulating the militancy of 1960s groups such as the Minutemen, Black Panthers, and the Weather Underground, formed to protect themselves against an imagined diabolical plot: a global United Nations takeover and the establishment of a dictatorial New World Order. Militias—many espousing exclusionary doctrines of white supremacy or fundamentalist Christian identity—collected weapons, stockpiled foodstuffs, and engaged in combat training in preparation for the coming apocalyptic conflict. Watchdog groups, especially the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League, regularly monitored the activities of hate groups and militias to alert appropriate authorities to their dangers.
An event that galvanized militias occurred in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in 1995. Timothy McVeigh and his accomplice Terry Nichols—both associated with paramilitary groups—blew up a federal building, killing more than 160 people in an act of domestic terrorism. This mass murder demonstrated what a single determined individual could do to cause chaos, and boosted the numbers of militias. At the height of the early movement in 1996, there were some 850 paramilitary groups. Every state had at least one.
Militias in the Twenty-First Century
At the beginning of the twenty-first century, the militia movement stalled. One reason was that the “Y2K” computer failure predicted to disrupt American society and begin Armageddon never materialized. Another major factor in the loss of momentum was the election of a staunchly conservative US president, George W. Bush. During the early months of his administration, the Bush team allayed some far-right concerns, and dozens of private militias disbanded.
The trend began reversing in the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The passage of the Patriot Act in early 2002 gave law-enforcement agencies broader powers, redefined domestic terrorism, and increased scrutiny of paramilitary groups. The act antagonized people on the far left and far right alike, and it made militias more cautious. Many radical organizations splintered into less detectable cells, and grew to rely upon the Internet rather than in-person meetings to communicate or disseminate propaganda.
An economic downturn and widespread unemployment, combined with the 2008 election of the first African American president, caused an upsurge in hate groups and associated militias. The right-wing fringe perceived President Barack Obama as foreign-born, a Muslim, and a socialist. These notions gained validity through the pronouncements of various conservative elected officials, celebrities, and pundits, including Michele Bachmann, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Ron Paul, and Sarah Palin, and a new wave of militias began cropping up.
According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, there were 61 active militia groups in the United States in 2022, down from 92 active militia groups in 2021. These groups of armed, self-styled patriots ranged across a broad spectrum. Some of these groups purport to be nonviolent, training and stockpiling weapons only as a precaution should the government someday turn on them. Many are bigots oriented toward preserving racial purity or fighting what they see as the threat posed by immigrants and refugees from the Middle East. Some are religious zealots. Quite a few believe an apocalypse is coming, and a handful are dangerously radical, feeling no act of violence is too extreme.
The election of President Donald Trump in 2016 energized many of these militias, who saw this as an endorsement of their views on race, religion, and taxes, among other issues about which they are particularly concerned. For some groups, this also directed their anger away from the government, which has historically been a major target; experts have expressed concern that this may lead to more violence directed at individuals not involved with the government, particularly members of groups that have been targeted by Trump.
Impact
The modern militia movement has flourished by taking advantage of the First Amendment (freedom of speech and assembly) and Second Amendment (right to bear arms), with which courts are reluctant to tamper. Most states have statutes regulating the formation and training of paramilitary groups, the rigorous enforcement of which seems the best method of checking militia activity and maintaining domestic law and order.
Bibliography
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Cooter, Amy. "Citizen Militias in the U.S. Are Moving toward More Violent Extremism." Scientific American, 1 Jan. 2022, www.scientificamerican.com/article/citizen-militias-in-the-u-s-are-moving-toward-more-violent-extremism/. Accessed 22 May 2024.
Cruz, Freddy. "Trends and Threats of Hate & Antigovernment Extremism." Southern Poverty Law Center, 6 June 2023, www.splcenter.org/year-hate-extremism-2022/trends-and-threats. Accessed 22 May 2024.
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