[615] in libertarians
If the AP wire was around in 1775
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Vernon Imrich)
Thu Feb 9 14:33:03 1995
To: libertarians@MIT.EDU
Date: Thu, 09 Feb 1995 14:29:33 EST
From: Vernon Imrich <vimrich@MIT.EDU>
Date: Wed, 8 Feb 1995 23:32:39 -0500
From: Liberty4u@aol.com
Subject: What if the AP was around in1775
To: libernet@Dartmouth.EDU
In the Feb. 6 issue of the New American was the following...
"Scores Killed, Hundreds Injured As Para-Military Extremists Riot"
Boston, April 20 --- National Guard units seeking to confiscate a cache
of recently banned assault weapons were ambushed on April 19th by elements of
a para-military extremist faction. Military and law enforcement sources
estimate that 72 were killed and more than 200 injured before government
forces were compelled to withdraw.
Speaking after the clash, Massachusetts Governor Thomas Gage declared
that teh extremist faction, which was made up of local citizens, has links to
the radical right-wing tax protest movement. Gage blamed the extremists for
recent incidents of vandalism directed against internal revenure offices.
The governor, who described the group's organizers as "criminals,"
issued an executive order authorizing teh summary arrest of any individual
who has interfered with the government's efforts to secure law and order.
The military raid on the extremist arsenal followed widespread refusal
by the local citizenry to turn over recently outlawed assault weapons. Gage
issued a ban on military-style assault weapons and ammunition earlier in the
week. This decision followed a meeting in early April between government
and military leaders at which the governor authorized the forcible
confiscation of illegal arms. One government official, speaking on condition
of anonymity, pointed out that "none of these people would have been killed
had the extremists obeyed the law and turned over their weapons voluntarily."
Government troops initially succeeded in confiscating a large supply of
outlawed weapons and ammunition. However, troops attempting to seize arms
and ammunition in lexington met with resitance from heavily-armed extremists
who had been tipped off regarding the government's plans.
During a tense standoff in Lexington's town park, National Guard
Colonel Francis Smith, commander of the governgment operation, ordered teh
armed group to surrender and return to their homes. The impasse was broken
by a simgle shot, which was reportedly fired by one of the right-wing
extremists. Eight civilians were killed in the ensuing exchange.
Ironically, the local citizenry blamed government forces rather than the
extremists for the civilian deaths. Before order could be restored, armed
citizens from surrounding areas had decended upon the guard units. Colonel
Smith, finding his forces overmatched by the armed mob, ordered a retreat.
Governor Gage has called upon citizens to support the State/National
joint task force in its effort to restore law and order. The governor has
also demanded the surrender of those responsible for planning and leading the
attack against the government troops. Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, and John
Handcock, who have been identified as "ringleaders" of teh extremist faction,
remain at large.
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| Vernon Imrich | market failure, n. The inabilty of the |
| MIT, Dept. OE | market to recover from a blow by |
| Cambridge, MA 02139 | intervention. (The Exchange) |
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