This seems like a bad idea

So the "Oath Keepers," an organization dedicated to the premise that they will turn their guns on the US government if it ever tries to install martial law or in any other vague, nebulous way orders the military or police to violate their oaths to the Constitution, have apparently gotten tired of waiting for the order to cancel the Bill of Rights and herd people into FEMA camps that they were so sure was coming. Or maybe they just figure they won't have to worry about it unless and until there's another black president. Or a woman one - don't think they aren't still keeping an eye on you, Hillary!
Anyway, since they haven't yet got the chance to fight a new civil war, they're going to have to come up with some new way to feel important and possibly have an excuse to kill someone.

So this is on their website:

Call to Action: Volunteers Needed to Protect Houston Disaster Relief Center and Relief Workers

Protect them from whom? Well, the blahs presumably.

Disaster Relief Center Protection Detail in Texas

Okay, it's not a "protection detail" because you all aren't in the Army or on the police force anymore. If you want to be assigned a "detail," you're gonna need to re-join the military.

Oath Keepers and other patriots,
We need “quiet professionals” who can provide protection for relief workers and truckers who are bringing in critical disaster relief supplies to Houston, Texas. 

 

 Pictured: A  sad little man with delusions of grandeur "quiet professional"

 Oath Keepers has been asked to provide protection for a massive warehouse in Houston that is now being used as a major disaster relief hub and distribution center, with trucks running day and night to bring in relief and recovery supplies, which are then distributed out to those in need.   The owner of the warehouse, Robert Erwin, of R2 Corporation, donated the use of his building to relief efforts, and then requested our help to keep the building and everyone in it safe.

 Has their been an incident? Have the people in the warehouse been threatened? So very threatened that the police department and the National Guard aren't enough to keep them safe?

 Among the people we are protecting are dock workers, drivers, and volunteers from the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, led by Robert Mele, Principle Officer of Teamsters Local 988.  The Teamsters have stepped up big time to help the people of Houston, with loaded trucks coming in from all over the nation. 

Because you know who generally need a lot of protection? Teamsters!



How could these guys be expected to defend themselves?

Unfortunately the warehouse is in an industrial complex that is surrounded by a residential area with a large gang presence, which is why we need skilled, qualified men and women to keep people safe here.

Oh. . . "gang" presence. Got it. Have any of these gangsters attacked the warehouse? Hurt any volunteers? Stolen anything? Well, no. But they might. If a bunch of mouth-breathing gun nuts aren't around to shoot anyone who looks black or Latino like a gang member.

Our experienced police officers are acting as liaisons with Houston PD, Metro PD, Harris County Sheriffs Office, and DHS.

Oh my God. The Houston PD, the County Sheriff's office and the Department Of Homeland Security aren't enough to deter the threat? That is one hell of a gang!



Look, I 'm about 99% certain that these guys mean well. I think that they are really trying to help, and probably are doing good on the ground. Retired cops and soldiers, people who have training in dealing with search and rescue situations are probably invaluable during a national emergency. But then I see something like this:

Here in Texas, Oath Keepers are working around the clock to be sure relief supplies are arriving safely at their destination. The first shipment from Patriot Express arrived safely with Oath Keeper escorts, after the driver was followed for three hours on the way here by suspected bandits.

So these guys see a vehicle that is behind them on the freeway. That vehicle (probably also headed to Houston) stays on the freeway without exiting and the immediate thought is "those guys must be 'bandits.'" It's this kind of paranoid reaction that makes me wish these guys would leave their guns at home. Because, you know how they say that if the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail? Well, when the only tool you have is a gun, maybe everybody starts to look like a bandit. Or a gangster. And that doesn't end well.
Especially when you already have these assholes down there waving  rifles around:

Armed right-wing Proud Boys "patrolling" in Houston (Photo: Screen capture)

Not mentioned in the above caption: that is a "white power" sign they are flashing.

The actual law enforcement personnel on the ground in Houston already have enough to worry about with this bunch of racist vigilante-wannabes "patrolling" the neighborhoods looking for an excuse to pull the trigger. Introducing more guns into the situation is only going to make things worse. If violence does break out, the actual cops are going to have a hell of a time determining who the "good guys with guns" are and who are the "bad guys with guns."

So, if you want to help with disaster relief in Houston - or Florida - or wherever Hurricane Jose' hits - or wherever Hurricane Katia makes landfall - or, well there's going to be plenty of opportunities to help  - anyway, if you want to go help, godspeed! And thank you. But please, leave your guns at home. And don't make this an opportunity for playing army man.