Tea party proposes militia

The Oklahoma Tea Party is expressing interest in forming a volunteer militia and some Oklahoma legislators are supporting this initiative, according to The Oklahoman. The members of the party have become frustrated with big government and bills like the new healthcare reform bill and are seeking new ways to show their opposition.

A militia group was formed by other Tea Party members in Michigan recently. The group was raided by the FBI for allegedly plotting to kill law enforcement officers. Although proponents of an Oklahoman militia claim their aim was nothing like this, the plan should still raise some eyebrows.

The Tea Party initiative is a good step in getting the American government away from the two-party system. However, if the only way they think they can get their point across is through flexing their steel muscles, they are sorely mistaken.

A good example of this is the Civil Rights Movement. There were peaceful and violent methods employed in pushing the Civil Rights agenda. It was the peaceful movement of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which was largely successful in pushing legislators to give African Americans the right to vote. More violent members of the Civil Rights Movement, such as Malcolm X, received only negative attention from legislators and were less successful.

Those who oppose the bill argue that the Tea Party has no need for a militia. If the militia is attempting to protect its state, they are encroaching on the National Guard's purview.

This begs the question: What is this group planning on doing with its militia? This answer has not been clearly answered and this movement seems to be one of paranoia more than military aggression.

Still, Tea Party members have a lot of ideas which they believe will move the country forward and this type of contentious behavior will only set them back.