From: Gary Hunt at the Outpost of Freedom

But, What if they try to stop us?

May 8, 1997

Even before the fire at Waco, the media had begun the demonization of the Church Universal and Triumphant, and its pastor, Elizabeth Clare Prophet. Their Grand Teton Ranch in Montana had become the object of scrutiny because of the claims of tanks, machine guns and other "arsenal" items. The press was having a hey-day, and many thought the government would move right on in. Instead, the Church ordered all weapons off of the property, and apparently made a deal with the government.

During one of the radio programs I was on, during and after the siege, we were discussing the old American concept of helping your neighbor. After all, the very foundations of this nation are predicated on this concept. Whether volunteer fire departments, Posse Comitatus, the old mutual aid societies, charity or County homes, this fundamental principle is much of what made us a great nation.

The necessity for each and every patriot to come to the aid of the Church Universal & Triumphant was the discussion. I had suggested that, should something occur where some "foreign army" invade the Church, there was a moral obligation of all who declared Liberty and who were able, to travel to Montana to provide whatever assistance they could. And, that if that invasion was an armed invasion, the assistance would require those capable of bearing arms to do so. To gather their arms and join with others of the same mind, and travel, together or in convoy, to Montana to offer all assistance. After all, how could any of us ever seek the assistance of our neighbor if we, ourselves, were unwilling to offer the same.

A caller had posed a question about timing. The discussion allowed that, at the earliest call, action needed to be taken. After all, had people responded to a Church in Texas, sooner and in greater force, an historical battle may have been won by the right side.

Another caller asked, "what should we do if, say, a policeman in Ohio stops us and tries to take our guns away?" My response, and I still believe the same to be true today, was:

As you and your immediate friends begin moving toward Montana, you will surely see others who, by their appearance and direction, will be other neighbors recognizing their responsibility to offer aid. Join them, in convoy, and proceed upon your way. As you get closer to Montana, you will find more and more, seeking the same blessing — that of helping your neighbor. Long before you reach Montana, you will constitute a small army. But, you must remember that if you are going to Montana to aid your neighbor against force of arms, then you can only do so with force of arms. Under these circumstances, it would seem that if anybody stopped you and attempted to take your arms away, then he would be, with threat of force, taking the side of those who would use arms against your neighbor. He would be declaring himself your enemy and that he was an ally of the foreign invader you were seeking to protect your neighbor from. There would be no alternative than to exert whatever force necessary to begin to dismiss the enemy, at that very point in time.

As those brave, and first Americans did at Lexington Green, you must stand firmly behind your beliefs. The consequence of weakness in your effort to defend your beliefs denies those very convictions.

As Captain John Parker said, one early April morning, "… but, if they mean to have a war, then let it begin here!"

The right to right to keep and bear arms was a result of what began that day. The maintenance of that right may just begin tomorrow.


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