Dear Fellow American; I got this e-mail yesterday and am sending it FYU. 419...David >>Militias Going Strong, Report Says >>`Common court' movement also said to be flourishing in many states >> >>Aurelio Rojas, Chronicle Staff Writer >>Armed militias that believe the government holds no jurisdiction over them >>are decreasing in number but continue to pose a significant threat of >>violence, according to a report to be released today by the Anti-Defamation >>League of B'nai B'rith. The ADL has been tracking the militia movement for >>years, and in its latest report found that membership has expanded in five >>states, remained relatively stable in about 20 states and declined >>elsewhere, including California. The 68-page report also found that the >>``common court'' movement, which attempts to replace the legal system with >>vigilante tribunals that issue phony property liens and criminal >>indictments, is flourishing. ``Common courts'' function in defiance of >>legitimate courts and have staged phony trials and issued bogus legal >>documents in 35 states, including California, where they have become >>increasingly widespread. >> >>`ANARCHY AND MOB RULE' >> >>``These militiamen and common-law court pseudo-jurists mock the democratic >>process and the citizens who abide by its rules,'' the authors warned. >>``Their way leads not to an orderly change in government, but to anarchy and >>mob rule.'' The report said that last year's 81-day standoff between the >>Montana Freemen and federal agents inspired like-minded militias to file >>bogus liens, pass phony checks, set up common-law courts and deny the >>legitimacy of the federal government. Conspiracies alleging the illegality >>of the federal government are particularly attractive to militias and >>common-law court activists. The ideologies driving these groups are >>complicated, often fanciful, sometimes anti-Semitic and racist, and almost >>always paranoid, the report said. Perhaps the largest group is the San >>Antonio-based Republic of Texas, which has refused to recognize elected >>officials. Last year, the group's general consul mailed a letter to each of >>Texas's 254 sheriffs, warning that if they did not swear allegiance to the >>Republic of Texas, they risked being replaced. >> >>CONTINGENT IN CALIFORNIA >> >>Common-law advocates have surfaced throughout California in recent months, >>according to the report. -- Freemen associate John McQuire of Santa Rosa was [55 lines left ... full text available at <url:http://www.reference.com/cgi-bin/pn/go?choice=message&table=04_1997&mid=3508310&hilit=ANARCHY> ] -------------------------------- Article-ID: 04_1997&3472985 Score: 80 Subject: Re: Image=Lifestyle?