“You saw the militia walking down the street, you would have thought they were an army … I was just talking to the State Police upstairs; [the militia members] had better equipment than our State Police had,” McAuliffe said. “And yet not a shot was fired, zero property damage.”
Though McAuliffe strongly commended law enforcement’s handling of the event, he appeared to suggest that police were unprepared for who actually showed up to the rally.
There you have it, folks. The problem with electing idiots is that they have no imagination and limited abilities. Hundreds of Virginia State Police backed by local law enforcement caved because 32 armed militia members scared the Governor.
Here is a description of the militia members and their gear from the Guardian newspaper. The only variation, I see, from a typical National Guard load is that the Militia all had pistols in addition to the AR-15, each carried.
Mistaken for the military: the gear carried by the Charlottesville militia
Militia members were carrying between 60-80lbs of equipment on Saturday, more visible – and heavily armed – than the US military on the scene.
George Curbelo, state commander of the New York Light Foot militia, described himself as second in command of the militia members who attended the far right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, this past weekend. He detailed for the Guardian the unofficial uniforms and gear used by the militia, which he pointed out was all legal in the US and easily bought online by civilians. Each of the 32 militia members who patrolled in Charlottesville was carrying between 60-80lbs (27-36kg) of equipment on Saturday, he said.
Curbelo usually favors a baseball cap but said many many militia members choose Kevlar military-style helmets.
Tactical shooting glasses with polarized, toughened lenses, to improve vision and guard against shrapnel and kick-back from shooting action.
Level Three body armour that resists up to a standard 7.62mm bullet fired from an AK-47-type gun.
Battle shirt and pants, in variable military colours and/or camouflage pattern. Favoured brands include 5.11, Condor or ATAC.
Combat boots, such as those marketed by US brand Bates.
Firearms: Curbelo favours a Smith & Wesson AR-15 assault rifle and a Smith & Wesson semi-automatic handgun.
Three spare magazines of 30 rounds each.
Pocket knife, for example, a Gerber folding knife.
Police night-stick style baton.
Personal first-aid kit and tourniquet.
Radio and earpiece, such as Boafeng brand radio.
Cellphone with GPS function.
Personal hydration system, eg Platypus brand water carrier.
Military surplus gas mask and respirator carried in a pouch.
Snack bars in pocket – MET-Rx protein bars.
I have another solution, what that would never occur to the Governor in a million years. I don’t know why it didn’t because it appears that Governor McAuliffe is fluent in “Booger Eating Moron” (BEM) both as a language and philosophical basis for action.
Let me expand on the concept of (BEM). They appear normal, a BEM can tie his shoes, leave the house in the morning and find his way home at night, and they can hold a job. The chink in the armor for a BEM is that they have an obsession, a blind spot, or a preoccupation with something. When that particular something rears its head, all bets are off. Anything that resembles common sense, responsibility or reasonableness goes right out the window. To make matters worse, a BEM can network and find others that share the same vision. We see it all the time, “Climate is doing something,” NAMBLA, politics, and Militias to name a few examples of BEMs working cooperatively.
What does this have to do with Charlottesville? We had a collision of two BEM groups with the perfect opportunity to resolve the Governor’s concerns regarding the second group of BEM without violence. Small man that he is, the Governor couldn’t recognize, much less seize the moment.
Let me clarify a little more BEM, Governor, Militia, a piece of paper and stroke of the pen problem solved.
Still, haven’t figured it out? What is a militia anyway?
Within the context of BEM members of the modern Militia, it is important to note that Militias are mentioned in the U.S. Constitution. To them, this confers a legitimacy to their fantasy. Anybody who recognizes that legitimacy is their friend. Right wing militias want to go back to the good old days.
Americans were leery of forming a standing army. They opted for communities forming militia units. All adult males within a specified age range were members, excluding the drunks and crazies. Militia units were called up to handle a problem and deactivated when the problem no longer existed. Militia units belonged to the Governor of the state where they were raised. The Federal Government could activate militia units to Federal service with the cooperation of the governor.
How does this help in the present day? There was a National Guard unit on scene, probably within the command post. The solution to the problem is one telephone call to Governor Cuomo of New York and then, two lines, maybe three and done.
To: George Curbelo, State Commander of the New York Light Foot Militia
From: Cuomo, Governor of the State of New York
Effective immediately, under my authority as Governor your militia unit New York Light Foot Militia has been activated. All personnel will accrue pay and benefits consistent with the current militia rank. As Commander, you are to assume the brevet rank of Colonel.
Your unit is assigned to duties as determined by the Commonwealth of Virginia National Guard. Good luck.
Signed
Now I don’t know, but I suspect had this missive been delivered complete with waiting trucks in the background, those thirty-two militia men would have loaded up quicker than any dog into a pickup.
Had this tactic been tried, the New York Light Foot Militia could have been taken to a remote location to fill sand bags in anticipation of the invasion. Instead, the militia stayed where they were, and the cops left.