Keepers of the rose puzzle3/11/2023 ![]() Most of the men’s gripes revolve around policies that began under President Bush but didn’t scare them so much at the time. (The ACLU has expressed concern about this deployment.) And some of Pray’s comrades were guinea pigs for military-grade sonic weapons, only to see them used by Pittsburgh police against protesters last fall. In September 2008, the Army began training the 3rd Infantry’s 1st Brigade Combat Team to provide humanitarian aid following a domestic disaster or terror attack-and to help with crowd control and civil unrest if need be. For years, they say, police and military have trained side by side in local anti-terrorism exercises around the nation. In the belief that the government is already turning on its citizens, they are recruiting military buddies, stashing weapons, running drills, and outlining a plan of action. Pray (who asked me to use his middle name rather than his first) and five fellow soldiers based at Fort Drum take this directive very seriously. At regular ceremonies in every state, members reaffirm their official oaths of service, pledging to protect the Constitution-but then they go a step further, vowing to disobey “unconstitutional” orders from what they view as an increasingly tyrannical government. There are scores of patriot groups, but what makes Oath Keepers unique is that its core membership consists of men and women in uniform, including soldiers, police, and veterans. Glenn Beck, Lou Dobbs, and Pat Buchanan have all sung its praises, and in December, a grassroots summit it helped organize drew such prominent guests as representatives Phil Gingrey and Paul Broun, both Georgia Republicans. Founded last April by Yale-educated lawyer and ex-Ron Paul aide Stewart Rhodes, the group has established itself as a hub in the sprawling anti-Obama movement that includes Tea Partiers, Birthers, and 912ers. His belief that that day is imminent has led Pray to a group called Oath Keepers, one of the fastest-growing “patriot” organizations on the right. It’ll take plenty of military paychecks to cover the $5,600 price tag, but he considers the Bushmaster essential in his preparations to take on the US government when it declares martial law. When the 25-year-old drove me to a mall in Watertown, New York, near the Fort Drum Army base, he brought me to see it in its glass case-he visits it periodically, like a kid coveting something at the toy store. 1st Class Lee Pray is saving up for has a 2,500-yard range and comes with a Mark IV scope and an easy-load magazine. ![]() 50 CALIBER Bushmaster bolt action rifle is a serious weapon. ![]() Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters.
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