SO, BASICALLY, WE’RE RECONSTITUTING THE MILITIA: Hiram residents hold watch at recruitment center.
The morning after a deadly attack on two military centers in Chattanooga, residents in Hiram are standing watch outside the local recruiting office with their personal firearms. It is their unique way of honoring the fallen Marines and they said to protect the lives of those who serve in the military.
“I teared up. I think any human being would be touched by what happened yesterday. Any U.S. citizen that has a heart and a soul to hear what had happened,” said Crystal Tewellow, who organized the watch.
Recruiting offices are designated as being “gun-free zones” which means officers working there cannot carry their sidearm into the building. Tewellow, whose son just enlisted and the army and has a brother who is a recruiter, felt compelled to organize the watch.
“To think the people who are supposed to protect and serve us are unable to protect and serve… protect themselves,” said Tewellow. “So if us, the citizens, who carry permits, are able to help protect them that’s, that’s what we’re gonna be able to do.”
News Radio 106.7’s Nathalie Pozo was at the recruitment center on Friday morning and reported that about 30 people answered the call to arms.
Good. And the idea of having lots of armed citizens everywhere makes sense. When you face a diffuse, widely-distributed threat, you need a diffuse, widely-distributed defense. You can’t do that with police and military because there aren’t enough of them. But you can do it with ordinary citizens. And there’s one group of responders that will always be on the scene of any attack — the citizens who are already there. If they’re able to respond, things are much better than if they’re not.
Related thoughts here. Because everything old is new again.
UPDATE: Also in Virginia:
Military members at a Virginia recruitment center noticed a man standing near their building Friday — and he was armed with a loaded AR-15.
But this man meant them no harm. Instead, following the attacks on military personnel in Chattanooga, he had come to stand guard and protect the servicemen who are prohibited from carrying firearms at the recruitment centers.
The man, who wished to remain anonymous, told WTTG-TV that he wanted to make a statement on his day off. . . .
The man said that while he has never served in the armed forces himself, he is “certainly thankful” for the men and women who have died in the past “to secure those freedoms.”
Nice to see people stepping up.
ANOTHER UPDATE: Chattanooga shooting reopens debate over military personnel regulations.
MORE: Randy Barnett: “Saved by the Militia”: My NRO Column After 9/11.
STILL MORE: From the comments: “Let’s hope for a nationwide movement. This would send an Excellent message to Capitol City.”