This wasn't "tea party" type talk. America is headed for armed, bloody uprising against an oppressive federal government, or at least chaos in the wake of inevitable economic collapse, said speakers at last week's meeting in Kenai of the Second Amendment/Constitutional Task Force. The Redoubt Reporter has an extensive account of the proceedings that featured fiery calls for the restoration of "constitutional governance" and armed resistance if it can't be achieved through political means. About 150 people were present.

"Authority comes from being congruent from natural law, God's law. Power comes from the barrel of a gun," said Schaeffer Cox of Fairbanks, a leader of the Second Amendment Task Force in Alaska and co-founder of the Fairbanks-based Alaska Peacemakers Militia. "The federal government is all power and no authority. The Constitutional Congress is all authority and no power. So we're faced with this question: Do we condone a rebellious government and become an accessory to that with our compliance, or do we come together and try to find a way to put force, put power with that authority?"

There are several types of force, Cox said - monetary force and social force, as well as "violent, deadly force."

"My greatest fear is that they're not going to hear us until we speak to them in their language, which is force," Cox said. "... We would be doing a wrong, bad thing if we skipped over all those other forms of force and we jumped right to bloody force, but right now, America is headed to bloody force. If we sit on our hands until it hits the fan and it's go time, we won't be able to exercise that warlike force with a clear conscience. So we need to be very faithful with what's at hand right now.

"I am not opposed to violent, bloody force. I know that is hard to say to a big group of people. It sounds kind of bad but that is something that we've got to reckon with. That is a duty that we have as an individual, as people who have families and friends."

Norm Olson of Nikiski, founder of the Michigan Militia who moved to Alaska in 2005, told audience members to arm themselves against "a common threat that is coming our way." Economic collapse is near, he said, and a local militia can help keep the peace.

"You must eventually prepare yourselves physically, materially and spiritually to endure the storm that is coming our way," Olson said. "... You are genetic rebels. Accept the fact you are Americans, different from anybody else on this globe. Better to die on our feet than live on our knees. Better to be free people than to be under chains and servitude."

A recurring theme at the meeting was the creation of counties in Alaska and the election of sheriffs.

"This is something I feel very strongly about, that we need to see about getting sheriffs in the state of Alaska because they are pretty much, aside from the militia, the sheriff is the one who can tell the federal government, he can tell the FBI, you have no jurisdiction unless I give it to you in my county. We don't have that last line of defense here," said Kathy McCubbins-Carlson of Nikiski. ...

"The sheriff in his locale is the ultimate authority. Sheriffs have ordered the IRS out in certain counties. The idea that a sheriff is different than state troopers is very important. A sheriff is chosen by the people and is responsible to the people. State troopers are not," said Bob Bird, a Nikiski High School teacher who was the event's master of ceremonies.

The Peninsula Clarion sought out Mark Potok of the Southern Poverty Law Center for some perspective on the Kenai meeting.

Changing demographics, the economy, the idea of an African-American in the White House, multimillion dollar bonuses for bank executives, bailouts for auto companies and growing budget deficits are just a few examples of what's fueling the fire and angering some Americans, Potok said. ...

Groups like Potok's are worried that the resurgence of militia movements will result in violent acts directed at the federal government or others.

"The danger is people like this decide, for instance, that federal law enforcement officials are enemy and end up in gunfight, or that (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) is building concentration camps," Potok said.