Increasing Threats
Against Military Recruiters

As the anniversary of the Iraq war approaches, there are increasing threats of violence against military recruiters across the country.

For example, the anti-war activist group POG (Pittsburgh Organizing Group) has publicized an anti-military "torch-lit" march in Pittsburgh this Wednesday, March 19, 2008, the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq.

Direct Threat to Military Recruiters

These left-wing fanatics have made a direct threat to military recruiters. Their announced intention is to march (with torches) from the dinosaur sculpture in front of Carnegie Library (4400 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213) to the military recruiting station.

I grew up in the Deep South, and this evokes images of lynch mobs in days gone by!

Here is their announcement:

"On Wednesday, March 19, POG will be holding a torch-lit march to a modern day castle of abominations — our local military recruiting station. If the station remains open, we intend to evict it and everything inside of it, occupy the location, and transform it into something useful for the community. We’ll also be bringing a movable cage in which to confine military recruiters until they no longer pose a danger to our friends and neighbors."

Can this be happening in America?

And why isn't something being done to stop it?

This is hate speech, which is NOT Constitutionally protected, being used to incite hate crimes!

Wake UP, America!

Sacramento-based pro-troop organization Move America Forward (MAF) has been very active in publicizing the increasingly frequent and increasingly violent counter-recruiting efforts across the country.

These incidents tend to be reported locally, and most Americans do not realize how wide-spread they have become. It's time for us to wake up and pay attention.

"We have discovered that there have been over 100 attacks on our Marine recruiting and military recruiting centers all across America . . . over a two-year period of time," said Melanie Morgan, Move America Forward's chairman, at a press conference at the National Press Club on Friday, March 14, 2008.

Morgan called for the federal government to investigate the possibility of connections between the attacks.

The anti-war "peace groups" have resorted to escalating violence (ironic, isn't it?) in their attacks, slashing 42 tires in one location, setting recruiting offices on fire, fire-bombing recruiters' vehicles, and now, threatening to place recruiters in cages like circus animals!

MAF reports that the anti-war movement has been especially active in Pittsburgh, PA. There have been repeated attacks on the military recruiting center there.

Anti-war activists have called the US military a "massive killing machine," saying, "There’s no 'honour' in volunteering for the worlds largest terrorist organization, now under the command of the deceitful, criminal cabal led by George W. Bush."

Protesters have Repeatedly Shut Down the Pittsburgh Recruiting Center

According to MAF, Pittsburgh activists bragged on their web site about the fact that they had shut down or interfered with the ability of the recruiting station to function six separate times in recent months.

"The activists were reportedly able to overpower police, managing to 'unarrest' a number of those who police were attempting to take into custody. While a total of six people were arrested, many other people were successfully 'un-arrested' by activists who pulled them away."

Excuse Me? Overpower Police? Un-arrest?

As Ms. Morgan continues, "But now Pittsburgh anti-war activists want to take things even further. They are planning a March 19th protest where they have announced their plans to bring, 'a movable cage in which to confine military recruiters until they no longer pose a danger to our friends and neighbors.'"

At POG's web site, they thank the right-wing blogosphere for reacting to their announcement and creating more publicity for them. Apparently that was one of their goals for the announcement.

At least the POG'ers realize that their march will likely be symbolic rather than actually carrying out their stated goals. Notice that the march is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m., after business hours, when the recruiting station should be closed.

Notice that they've qualified their remarks with "IF the recruiting station remains open, we intend to . . . ."

These people believe and insist that they are exercising their Constitutional rights to freedom of speech and freedom of assembly.

What they apparently don't realize is that the Constitution does not protect hate speech or incitement to violence, and it only protects the right to peaceful assembly.

Sadly, it appears some of our police departments (particularly in Berkeley, CA) need refresher classes in Constitutional law and what constitutes protected speech. Once the protesters cross that line between protected speech and hate speech, they need to be dealt with swiftly and effectively.

When they incite violence, they should be jailed for hate crimes.

Would the police stand by and do nothing but watch while the Ku Klux Klan torched a black family's home or car? Or while some anti-Semite skinhead spray-painted swastikas on a Jewish synagogue and smashed windows and doors?

Then why do police stand by and do nothing while hate crimes are perpetrated against America's military service members?

The problem posed by POG's announcement is this:

Just as many commentators have overlooked or ignored the "weasel-words" in the announcement ("IF the recruiting station remains open, we intend to . . ."), so will many anti-war fanatics miss those words, and they will show up intending to commit those very advertised acts. And POG intends to arm them with torches! What is the likelihood that something will NOT be set on fire?

It will be impossible for POG to control their invited "lynch mob," and when violent acts occur, they will say, "Well, those guys went too far. We never intended to actually do those things, we were just expressing our opinion that they are things that should be done."

In fact, by announcing in advance that it is not their intent for these acts to actually take place, they may be providing a foundation for a defense to conspiracy charges.

Hold Them Accountable!

We say hold them accountable for all acts of violence that occur as a result of their advertised rally. Just like the driver of the getaway car is held responsible for the crimes committed by his co-conspirators in a hold-up, even if they go beyond what he agreed to, hold these organizers responsible for the acts of violence they are enabling and encouraging.

People who conspire to commit criminal acts are criminals, plain and simple. The acts encouraged by POG's announcement are criminal, and they are engaging in a conspiracy to commit these crimes. Therefore, upon the occurrence of the first act of violence, round up every last one of them, throw them in jail, and charge them with conspiracy to commit the crimes that occur, and with aiding and abetting. At the very least, they would be guilty of criminal negligence, acting with a blatant disregard for the safety of others.

Since we know this particular group has a history of interfering with police activity ("un-arrest" someone by pulling them away from police?), here's a heads-up for the city fathers and the police department: Call for reinforcements! Have a large enough force present to maintain order.

Federalize the National Guard, if necessary, and send them in to maintain order, just as then-Attorney General Bobby Kennedy did in the early 1960's in Mississippi.

It can be done. We have the means to maintain order and prevent these crimes from taking place.

So Why Aren't We?

We urge you to show up in Pittsburgh in support of our military, and in your local area when similar protests take place. We also urge you to exercise your rights to free speech and free assembly peacefully. Make it obvious to every camera there who the violence-advocating hate-mongers are.

We also urge you to forward this article or write your own letter to your Senators, Congressional representatives, US Attorneys, Governors, Mayors, State Attorneys General, and local police departments.

Insist that they do the jobs they're being paid to do, and enforce the laws in this country that are intended to protect ALL its citizens, including military service members and their families. (To forward this page, go to the "file" menu in the upper left corner of your browser, and select either "send page" or "send link," then type in the addresses for your recipients, which you can locate using the link above).

This is a "vast left-wing conspiracy," folks.

It's time for the "silent majority" of patriotic Americans to stand up and speak out against this form of anarchy that is threatening the safety of our military service members, and ultimately, all Americans.

Related pages:

Sound off! What are your thoughts about American troops being attacked on American soil?

Anti-Military Activism presents a growing threat.

What the Hell is Going on Here?

American troops warned to "watch their backs" on American soil!

The City Council in Berkeley, CA, takes an anti-military stance. This page includes:

• Video News Report with the background of the story
• Michelle Malkin's Feb. 6 article titled, "Berkeley vs. America, Again"
• San Diego businessman Brian Dennard's boycott letter.
• Memo from the Berkeley Peace and Justice Commission to the City Council recommending the anti-military action.
• Contact information for Berkeley City Officials