I've been interested in their organization since it started since they take the (crazy to some) stand that they will disobey orders to violate the civil rights of Americans. I know I likely took my oath more seriously than did many of the other 17-19 year aged individuals at the station where we were sworn in.
They've been on the edge of my thoughts as sort of a fuzzy cloud of prospective interest if I ever got around to it. However in the last year the organization has been creeping more and more into the spotlight of my thoughts. I've seen a lot of negative commentary about them as racists, or militia whackos, or otherwise vilified for...well I don't really know what since the attacks were all emotionally charged lacking in content.
So come payday I did what any person interesting in starting some conversation and exploring an issue did - I dove in. A recent story mentioning the Oath Keepers protesting the death of that poor young father murdered by over-active militarized police was the final little push.
I went to their page and looked around at their statements of belief and the oath I recalled in spirit that I once took. I perused their ten orders they won't obey and agreed with every single one of them so I sent them my check and information. I double checked their rules and veterans can apply so clicking away I went.
Yesterday I got the membership packet in the mail.
a DVD
a plastic business card sized membership card
a thank you letter
a pocket constitution
some cards and brochures about the organization to hand out
bumper stickers and decals
Pretty standard really (although the ACLU is pretty skimpy in this regard, even the ASPCA gives you a plastic card that will last I mean come on ACLU).
For people unfamiliar (or familiar only in that they have seen ridicule of the group) here are the ten orders they and I won't obey. I still don't understand how a group that promises not to obey laws against illegal search and seizure, warrantless activities, rounding up American citizens for detention camps (you know like our "hero" FDR did and his rigged court gave him the pass in Korematsu v US) can be called "bad guys" (and worse) by the people who also claim to love the civil liberties the Oath Keepers promise not to violate.
Now I know this isn't everyone on here and in fact was a small minority of people criticizing the group but it just didn't make any sense to me.
1. We will NOT obey orders to disarm the American people.
2. We will NOT obey orders to conduct warrantless searches of the American people
3. We will NOT obey orders to detain American citizens as “unlawful enemy combatants” or to subject them to military tribunal.
4. We will NOT obey orders to impose martial law or a “state of emergency” on a state.
5. We will NOT obey orders to invade and subjugate any state that asserts its sovereignty.
6. We will NOT obey any order to blockade American cities, thus turning them into giant concentration camps.
7. We will NOT obey any order to force American citizens into any form of detention camps under any pretext.
8. We will NOT obey orders to assist or support the use of any foreign troops on U.S. soil against the American people to “keep the peace” or to “maintain control."
9. We will NOT obey any orders to confiscate the property of the American people, including food and other essential supplies.
10.We will NOT obey any orders which infringe on the right of the people to free speech, to peaceably assemble, and to petition their government for a redress of grievances.