The military training exercise in the Southwest is a smokescreen for gun confiscation!

April, 2015.


Recently, the U.S. military has been planning to perform a training exercise in the Southwest throughout this coming summer.  We should be thankful that they practice, after all.  And isn't a strong military, particularly along our border with Mexico, what the conservatives want?

But the minds of pro-gun activists are ever filled with paranoid, anti-government thought.

Naturally, they see the exercise as some sort of government "invasion" (of our own land, duh) and a "prelude to martial law."  Extrapolating from that already wild thought, they then try to find a reason for the supposed invasion, naturally jumping on the half-wit theory that it is to confiscate their guns! 

One military officer, Lt. Col. Mark Lastoria, sought to calm the extremists.  From an article:

Lastoria answered questions for two hours from a crowd of more than 150 people at a special meeting of the Bastrop County Commissioners Court, hoping to allay locals’ concerns that the training operation is a way for the federal government to take over Texas and much of the Southwest.

Instead, Lastoria was told that he couldn’t be trusted and was asked whether Jade Helm 15 will involve bringing foreign fighters from the Islamic State to Texas, whether U.S. troops will confiscate Texans’ guns and whether the Army intends to implement martial law through the exercise. The answer for all three was no.

“It’s the same thing that happened in Nazi Germany: You get the people used to the troops on the street, the appearance of uniformed troops and the militarization of the police,” said Bob Wells, a Bastrop resident, after the meeting. “They’re gathering intelligence. That’s what they’re doing. And they’re moving logistics in place for martial law. That’s my feeling. Now, I could be wrong. I hope I am wrong. I hope I’m a ‘conspiracy theorist.’”

Lastoria answered questions for two hours from a crowd of more than 150 people at a special meeting of the Bastrop County Commissioners Court, hoping to allay locals’ concerns that the training operation is a way for the federal government to take over Texas and much of the Southwest.
Instead, Lastoria was told that he couldn’t be trusted and was asked whether Jade Helm 15 will involve bringing foreign fighters from the Islamic State to Texas, whether U.S. troops will confiscate Texans’ guns and whether the Army intends to implement martial law through the exercise. The answer for all three was no.
“It’s the same thing that happened in Nazi Germany: You get the people used to the troops on the street, the appearance of uniformed troops and the militarization of the police,” said Bob Wells, a Bastrop resident, after the meeting. “They’re gathering intelligence. That’s what they’re doing. And they’re moving logistics in place for martial law. That’s my feeling. Now, I could be wrong. I hope I am wrong. I hope I’m a ‘conspiracy theorist.’”
- See more at: http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/local-govt-politics/meeting-does-little-to-sway-critics-of-army-traini/nk4h4/?icmp=statesman_internallink_invitationbox_apr2013_statesmanstubtomystatesmanpremium#23b53c28.3342480.735716

Yes, sir, you are a conspiracy theorist.  Go put on your tin hat and clean your gunzzz.....

In response, some far-right politicians reacted by pandering to these idiots (as one sane politician put it), such as by the Governor of Texas sending national guard to the region to "monitor" the drills.

Just another wacko pro-gun conspiracy theory!

Obama is training the military to attack the Tea Party and people who believe in the Second Amendment!

June, 2014.

Conspiracy theorist king, Alex Jones, of Infowars.com has teamed up with Gun Owners of America director Larry Pratt (again) to come up with another doozie! 


According to their fevered minds, President Obama (isn't it always him?) is training the U.S. military to target Tea Party supporters and like-minded citizens for "military force."

According to an article:

The conservative Washington Times reported the story as if Obama had invented a provision of federal law that allowed for intervention by the military on domestic soil “in extraordinary emergency circumstances where prior authorization by the president is impossible.” However, the clause is a longstanding one that has been in effect under many presidents.

Jones, however, interprets the law to be official confirmation that the U.S. military is, at this moment, “training with tanks, armored vehicles, drones” to “take on the American people, mainly the Tea Party.” ...

Jones referred back to the 2009 DHS report, saying that the Obama administration has “fingered veterans as potential terrorists, people who believe in the Second Amendment, who are pro-life, who want to work for limited government.”

“I guess the idea of limited government really would terrorize a socialist,” he continued. “The enemy is freedom and they really are doing what they can to extinguish it.”

That's right.  According to Jones and Pratt, the army will kill veterans, Second Amendment supporters, pro-life people, and general Tea Party supporters, using tanks and drones and armored vehicles.

Of course, they offer no evidence whatsoever other than paranoid reading of an obscure law that has never been used.  But, hey, who says it has to make sense?

Just another wacko pro-gun conspiracy theory!