[BetseeT]

Yes Blue Grass, we teach our cows to be suspicious. All of our farm animals are packing heat :P Forget grain silos, we use our corn bins.

No, not much by way of militia here, at least probably no more than anywhere else. I'd think Appalachia and being able to hid in the mountains would be a logical place to create a compound.

[Michiganmom]

I think one of the leaders, Norm Olsen?, lives near Alanson. He helped out on a case recently where someone had too many trailers on their property and the township was trying to get them to clean up their property. Norm helped them stake out their property, said it was their right as Americans to have as many trashy looking trailers on their property as they wanted. He said if necessary he would call in his militia to defend it. I don't remember how it ended, I think the property owners finally conceded.

[Siberia]

Originally Posted by magellan

I think people hear about the Michigan Militia because of Timothy McVeigh and the Oklahoma City bombing back in 1995. .

The oklahoma story turned Michigan into a feared militia state over-night by the "Fear Factor Circus Media" we somehow seriously consider valid national nightly "news"....which is very funny as nobody in most areas of at least southwest lower michigan have even heard, let alone met, one of these globally feared michigan militia members...

Anyway, I kind of doubt Michigan is the best place for gun totting militia individuals to be honest. As just recently a few years ago did Michigan allow citizens to pack concealed weapons, and in order to do so you have to pay hundreds of dollars in fees, take a weapons training course, pass a weapons accuracy shooting test at a range, go to court and answer questions in front of a jury of police officers and court supervisors, get both ENTIRE hands full laser scaned for all fingerprints every few years, etc. It is just slighty harder than say in Indiana where they take a thumb imprint and ask for $20...just slightly...LOL

That said, I will say Michiganders take hunting extremely seriously...but hunters are the good guys, and help keep us safer by removing a small percentage of the pesky deer that keep flying through our windshields on the highways and killing us. Sure everyone loves "bambi", but it is bambi's 180lb dad with 12" horns stuck 3 feet through our windshields that we don't particularly care for. Also, ask any motorcylce rider...Deer+Motorcycle= Not Cool

[Siberia]

Originally Posted by BetseeT

No, not much by way of militia here, at least probably no more than anywhere else. I'd think Appalachia and being able to hid in the mountains would be a logical place to create a compound.

Plus 16 inches snow on the ground 6 months of the year is a great landscape to make a quick get-away in militia rear wheel drive pickup trucks. Love watching those 30mph "high speed" winter chases on the news...

[SMVMTHUMPER]

Open to the public for the past 14 years, public meetings, annual events and monthly field training. We are everywhere and not hiding from anything.

You can find us at WWW.MICHIGANMILITIA.COM and check out on YOU TUBE.

Southeast Michigan Volunteer Militia (SMVM)

[Bydand]

Well, I grew up in what most people in Michigan would consider "the boonies". Born in Ludington, and have lived in McBain (tiny rural), Lucas (tiny, rural), Scottville (small, rural) The Soo (bigger, but rural), Gaylord (mid-size, rural) and Marshall (bigger, semi-rural). I have seen enough "Militia" members to count on two fingers, but that would be iffy to say for sure. Cannot speak for the SE or Thumb area because I haven't spent enough time in those areas to really know them. The areas I did live though didn't have enough "militia" to even notice. I did see a couple of guys dressed up like Halloween soldiers out in the Pigeon River Forest once, but would hate to think they considered themselves militia members because it was sad really. Ill fitting BDU's (too tight and small), comedic face paint, and carrying AR-15's. Wasn't too threatened by their presence because they "stealthed" their way through an area I was scouting for deer hunting, by advancing 1 at a time using tree trunks as "cover" (from what I have no idea, but have had squirrels out there throw acorns at me before though.) They walked within 10 feet of me, and never knew I was there. It was all I could do to keep from laughing out loud. I was sorely tempted to yell "BANG" at the guy who was closest, but figured he might be a bit jumpy and take a pot shot in my direction, so I refrained. So, nutshell: Lived in rural Michigan most of my life and never saw any "Militia" members for sure. I wouldn't say they are a strong force, wouldn't even say they are real active in most of Michigan.

[Cliffie]

Originally Posted by StuckPA

I don't know why,but when I think of the Militia I first think of Michigan.

That would have a lot to do with that little dust-up with the Oklahoma bombing.

[StuckPA]

Originally Posted by Cliffie

That would have a lot to do with that little dust-up with the Oklahoma bombing.

Nah I knew about them before then.

[tecpatl]

Speaking for myself, I gave up playing "soldier" when I turned 13 or so.
Some guys just don't know when to quit. The "militias" whoever they are, have no impact whatsoever on life in rural Michigan, much less in urban areas. It's guys who live in a fantasy world, some seriously, others just for a good time and to play with firearms.
Last year I bought some antiques from a guy who had a mountain of canned dried beans, dry noodles, peanut butter, honey, etc., all purchased so he and his fellow "minutemen" could survive and hold off the hungry hordes after the Milennium bug ruined all the worlds computers and ended life as we know it. This was on the advice of one of the self-appointed leaders of the Militia movement, a nitwit part-time preacher from Alanson. He was kinda wondering what to do with the thousands of dollars worth of stuff he had squirrelled away, and when I asked what it was about, his wife rolled her eyes and said "that was in Carl's stupid phase". Even he laughed.

[magellan]

Originally Posted by StuckPA

Nah I knew about them before then.

I grew up in Michigan and never heard of the Michigan Militia until the Oklahoma City bombings.