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English Pages 136 [126] Year 2000
Oaaavtzttue aN IJNoERGRoL,ND Rattaoao
UNoeneaouNo Rattnoao A couple of weeks after helping the Dornan family, Mike and Karla invited the Williamses and the Thiels to a private dinner at their home. The discussed their experiences helping a family escaPe the law. All agreed they had no regrets and that they would do it again should another family need such help. It was Mike who pointed out that they had successfully created a small underground railroad, one that could be reactivated at any time.
THE PRUDENT ACTIVIST
While Mike T'homas organized his underground railroad to meet ihe needs of a specific passenger, Al Kale initiated an underground railroad that has existed for more than five years without ever carrying a single passenger.
Al never considered the need for an escape network until a couple of years after he helped organize a citizen militia unit in medium-sized Midwestern city. From the beginning, Al's organization operated on a strictly legal basis, taking care to obey all federal and state laws regarding firearms and explosives, even though he and his recruits believe most of those laws are unconstitutional.
While they all owned personal firearms, Al and his associates spent their time in legal political activity. They actively sought out every possible opportunity to explain their support for individual freedom and their opposition to iust about everything big government does. They appeared in public dressed in camouflage fatigues more for the publicity than because of any expectation that they would soon be fighting for their freedom. While they recognized that their overt activities made them more enemies than friends, they also believed it was important to demonstrate that there were Americans who had the will and ability to fight for freedom should politicians take the country too far from Constitutional control. Al was well aware that politically corrupt law enforcement agencies might target his militia organization for enforcement action. There was always the possibility of a legislative change in lau,,s
that would criminalize Al's membership. Even more likely
or was the chance of a frame-up through the use of provocateurs planted evidence. Because of such fears, Al wanted to have an escaPe line that ,rorld operate independently and separately from the citizen militia group. "t Hancock was a history teacher at the local high school "uo, who had one of Al's children in his class. During a parent-teacher conference with Al and his wife, Trevor had told Al that he approved that he of what Al was doing with the citizen militia movement and the poli"tical agenda. He also made regular visits to the
,gr."a with Iiternet Web sitl the militia maintained. At the same time, Trevor 't of"a that Al could understand why he could not get involved with
of the citizen militia or even make any public statement in support his the movement. To do so would have serious consequences for career as a public school teacher.
Inasecondmeetingsevera]weekslater,Alaskedtheschool the teacher if he would b" itilling to do something in support- of known to the public and -ititi^, provided his help *orid never b.e the militia group' At first with would not require ,ny op"n contact
what reluctant, Trevor grew increasingly enthused as he understood Al wanted. The rieeting was the last time that A1 and Trevor met p.rron to person. They iid, however, make occasional contact with ir"h oth". through a coded system using picture files posted on
*"otl:ff:o
first step in organizing a new undergro,und railroad was to contact several ota fri"""ar in1 half dozen different cities and them sound them out on their current political positions. Two of furexplore to .*fr"rt.a political opinions that encouraged Trevor conther. Bottr eventually agreed to become station masters and in turn ductors in Trevor's.e* i'd"rground railroad. Those friends recruited' they had other friends in other cities whom
Withinafewweeks,TrevorwasabletocommunicatetoAlthat out he had an escape organization that included 14 people spread militia memacross the couniry *f,o *.r" prepared to assist citizen of refuge. place to a bers with safe houses and saie tiansportation
Oaaavtzttue aN IJNoERGRoL,ND Rattaoao
UNoeneaouNo Rattnoao A couple of weeks after helping the Dornan family, Mike and Karla invited the Williamses and the Thiels to a private dinner at their home. The discussed their experiences helping a family escaPe the law. All agreed they had no regrets and that they would do it again should another family need such help. It was Mike who pointed out that they had successfully created a small underground railroad, one that could be reactivated at any time.
THE PRUDENT ACTIVIST
While Mike T'homas organized his underground railroad to meet ihe needs of a specific passenger, Al Kale initiated an underground railroad that has existed for more than five years without ever carrying a single passenger.
Al never considered the need for an escape network until a couple of years after he helped organize a citizen militia unit in medium-sized Midwestern city. From the beginning, Al's organization operated on a strictly legal basis, taking care to obey all federal and state laws regarding firearms and explosives, even though he and his recruits believe most of those laws are unconstitutional.
While they all owned personal firearms, Al and his associates spent their time in legal political activity. They actively sought out every possible opportunity to explain their support for individual freedom and their opposition to iust about everything big government does. They appeared in public dressed in camouflage fatigues more for the publicity than because of any expectation that they would soon be fighting for their freedom. While they recognized that their overt activities made them more enemies than friends, they also believed it was important to demonstrate that there were Americans who had the will and ability to fight for freedom should politicians take the country too far from Constitutional control. Al was well aware that politically corrupt law enforcement agencies might target his militia organization for enforcement action. There was always the possibility of a legislative change in lau,,s
that would criminalize Al's membership. Even more likely
or was the chance of a frame-up through the use of provocateurs planted evidence. Because of such fears, Al wanted to have an escaPe line that ,rorld operate independently and separately from the citizen militia group. "t Hancock was a history teacher at the local high school "uo, who had one of Al's children in his class. During a parent-teacher conference with Al and his wife, Trevor had told Al that he approved that he of what Al was doing with the citizen militia movement and the poli"tical agenda. He also made regular visits to the
,gr."a with Iiternet Web sitl the militia maintained. At the same time, Trevor 't of"a that Al could understand why he could not get involved with
of the citizen militia or even make any public statement in support his the movement. To do so would have serious consequences for career as a public school teacher.
Inasecondmeetingsevera]weekslater,Alaskedtheschool the teacher if he would b" itilling to do something in support- of known to the public and -ititi^, provided his help *orid never b.e the militia group' At first with would not require ,ny op"n contact
what reluctant, Trevor grew increasingly enthused as he understood Al wanted. The rieeting was the last time that A1 and Trevor met p.rron to person. They iid, however, make occasional contact with ir"h oth". through a coded system using picture files posted on
*"otl:ff:o
first step in organizing a new undergro,und railroad was to contact several ota fri"""ar in1 half dozen different cities and them sound them out on their current political positions. Two of furexplore to .*fr"rt.a political opinions that encouraged Trevor conther. Bottr eventually agreed to become station masters and in turn ductors in Trevor's.e* i'd"rground railroad. Those friends recruited' they had other friends in other cities whom
Withinafewweeks,TrevorwasabletocommunicatetoAlthat out he had an escape organization that included 14 people spread militia memacross the couniry *f,o *.r" prepared to assist citizen of refuge. place to a bers with safe houses and saie tiansportation