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Mili�a Movements: Part 4

Mili�as have used various ways to recruit members. Gun shows, word of mouth, and talk shows have all been effec�ve recrui�ng methods. But much of the recrui�ng for mili�a groups has been conducted over the Internet given that all the mili�as have func�oning Internet websites. Another important source for the distribu�on of mili�a news is the shortwave radio, with the most prominent shortwave radio sta�on being the Patriot Network. Mili�a leaders and members engage in groupthink and refuse to believe anything that comes from the na�onal media. Peter Doskoch's 1995 ar�cle in Psychology Today explained how mili�a groupthink operates: "Mili�as tend to shun mainstream media, relying instead on their own newsle�ers, radio broadcasts, pamphlets, and the Internet for news of poli�cal and world affairs. So, they rarely tap into informa�on or perspec�ves that might moderate their views. And the Internet's cloak of anonymity further allows extreme views to fester uncensored." Dr. Tamara Mouras posited in her 2016 book ar�cle Media, Disinforma�on and Radical Propaganda Influencing Terrorist Ac�vity: The Internet and Freedom of Speech can be a double edge sword as this is a U.S. Cons�tu�onal Right of American ci�zens. Words have meaning, words inspire and words influence. Therefore, words can inspire extreme views and influence violent behavior which could lead to domes�c terrorist ac�vity.

The mili�a movement fell on hard �mes in the first decade of the 20th century. First, there was the backlash about Timothy McVeigh and the Oklahoma City Bombing. There was a temporary spike in the growth of mili�a groups a�er the bombing, but this was a phenomenon that did not last. McVeigh had limited contact with the mili�a movement, but he shared the an�-government outlook of the mili�a movement enough that he could be considered one of theirs. Despite efforts of some mili�a to throw the blame for the bombing on the U.S. government, these charges failed to convince anyone but a few hardliners.