The View From The Far Right

Other militia leaders quickly distanced themselves from the bombing. In Michigan, where a heavily armed ATF search team last week hunted for two potential suspects, militia leader (and gun-shop owner) Norman Olson denied that the hunted men were members of his group, the Michigan Militia Corps, though he conceded they may have attended some meetings. State police say Olson's unit, which stages paramilitary exercises and claims 10,000 to 12,000 members, has no record of violence. But Olson is something of a maverick. Last year he stunned many in the secrecy-obsessed movement by publicly appealing for members and allowing reporters to cover some of his groups training sessions. John Trochmann and his nephew Randy, two of the Montana Militias leaders, also denied complicity in the bombing. "We do not believe in chaos and anarchy," Randy Trochmann said. Added John: "We're not going to take revenge [for Waco] by killing babies."

The national outrage at last week's slaughter may force other militia groups to renounce violence -but given their history, and given their fondness for military weaponry, few cops seem willing to take chances. Consider the experience of the Fowlerville, Mich., Police Department. Last September, a Fowlerville officer pulled over three young men in camouflage garb who said they were members of the "unorganized militia" of Michigan. The car held three assault rifles, four pistols, 700 rounds of ammunition, night-vision goggles and a gas mask. Officers also found notes suggesting the trio had been keeping police under surveillance. Charged with weapons violations, the three skipped bail and disappeared. But 40 other militiamen showed up in court and, according to Chief Gary Krause, warned that "the next time you try to take our guns away, we'll shoot you. "

No one got shot, and the moral of' the story would seem to be that most militia members are just dumb white guys who like to fantasize about guns and guerrilla war. But some aren't bluffing, and the possibility of confrontations with heavily armed militants clearly has some law-enforcement officials worried. In Colorado last week, a federal investigator who monitors militia activity said he hoped to the bitter end that the Oklahoma attack hadn't been the "patriots. " If it was, he said, it could mean the big crackdown the movement has been predicting all along-and then, he said, "all hell will break loose."

Christian Identity

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