TRT in the Crosshairs, by Jeff Elkins

Special to TLE
Appeared originally at LewRockwell.com
http://www.lewrockwell.com/elkins/elkins19.html

The Anti-Defamation League has the Tyranny Response Team in its crosshairs: the ADL is now investigating the tactics of the grass-roots Colorado gun-rights group that has spread nationwide.

The leftist ADL, well-known for seeing "haters", militias and "anti-Semites" behind every bush, hasn�t quite placed the Tyranny Response Team in those categories � yet. But the Inspector Clouseaus of the Denver ADL are concerned and on the case: "That�s what it�s about: keeping an eye on these groups," barked Bobbie Towbin, associate director of the ADL�s Denver branch.

The Tyranny Response Team or TRT has become one of the more effective grass roots 2nd Amendment rights groups. Founded by gun shop owner Bob Glass, largely as a response to the socialist Million Mom Marchers, TRT members (and the equally fine group Second Amendment Sisters) can be found at any well-publicized anti-gun rally and usually outnumber the victim disarmament crowd � the folks that would rather see a young lady strangled with her own pantyhose rather than use a gun to defend herself, to quote L. Neil Smith.

Bob Glass has crossed swords with the Denver ADL in the past: He has lead marches against the Denver ADL headquarters to protest that group �s "philosophically, historically and morally bankrupt" anti-gun arguments. Glass claims that "the only card they have to play is character assassination."

The ADL is expert at that particular card game. The TRT should be wary.

Indeed, Glass and other TRT members need to lock and load and don bulletproof vests: ADL researchers are actively compiling information about Glass� group. There are efforts underway to link members of the TRT to "hate mail" sent to Columbine High parent, Tom Mauser: Mauser has been outspoken in advocating stricter gun control, in the wake of Columbine. Glass has denied his group had anything to do with those letters.

Particularly irritating to the stalwarts of the ADL are the Tyranny Response Team�s effective tactic of using the symbols of the holocaust as counter-propaganda in the war against the 2nd Amendment.

The Colorado Tyranny Response Team has protested at Boulder City Hall wearing black shirts with yellow, six-pointed stars, evoking memories of the unarmed Jews of WWII Germany. TRT literature also uses photographs of holocaust victims, something verboten unless you are protesting from a leftist, statist stance.

At so-called Million Mom Marches, Tyranny Response Team members have bravely interjected an element of truth into the proceedings. They are "in your face", letting the ignorant and foolish soccer moms know they are pawns of spiritual descendants of the Nazis: Their tactics have been credited for a major drop in participation in the marches.

According to Glass, "The real danger people face is state-sponsored genocide, like Stalin, like Hitler, like Pol Pot." TRT tactics "drive that point home, to show them how fascist their agenda is." The grassroots TRT is remarkably effective: using a tight personal network and the power of the Internet they are able to muster hundreds to gather at protests on very short notice.

The TRT has not confined itself to protest marches. They are very effective Internet warriors and have breached the walls of the regular media as well, with TRT Radio on several Colorado talk radio venues and regular newspaper and magazine mentions.

The Tyranny Response Team claims no party affiliation. However, their mission statement reads like a paleo-libertarian tract:

"The Tyranny Response Team is the embodiment of mans� desire for freedom. We believe in the fundamental rights of all human beings. Our rights do not come from a majority vote, from politicians, or even from the Constitution � and they are not subject to infringement by a government which ignores the Supreme Law of this land."

"We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights."

"We pledge our commitment to the absolute restoration of our Bill of Rights, and further, to strict adherence to the legal and moral principles of the Declaration of Independence, upon which this nation was founded. We will rise against any assault on the unalienable rights granted by our Creator."

"If you believe in Liberty, and in the Truths upon which this nation was founded, you are a member of the Tyranny Response Team." I�m a member of the Tyranny Response Team and I�ve never been to a meeting. I bet most reading this are as well.

If the ADL is truly concerned with preventing the horrors of the holocaust from reoccurring, I�m puzzled as to why they aren�t the TRT� s biggest boosters. If instead of wanting to prevent a holocaust they are actually desirous of one, only this time with themselves wearing the jackboots, their actions are logical. Which is it ADL?

Jeff Elkins is a freelance consultant and writer living in North Central Florida. His personal website is located at www.elkins.org

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