Hutaree was a dopey militia in Michigan that would stumble around in the woods, talking about violently overthrowing the government and other stuff that’s normally reserved for an Occupy rally. Unlike the Occupiers, they never actually hurt anybody or broke anything. Witness the scary, scary scariness:
The Z-Team. Still, they made some noises about doing bad stuff, as the Associated Press reported in March 2010:
DETROIT — Nine suspects tied to a Midwest Christian militia that was preparing for the Antichrist were charged with conspiring to kill police officers, then attack a funeral using homemade bombs in the hopes of killing more law enforcement personnel, federal prosecutors said Monday.
The Michigan-based group, called Hutaree, planned to use the attack on police as a catalyst for a larger uprising against the government, according to newly unsealed court papers. U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade said agents moved on the group because its members were planning a violent reconnaissance mission sometime in April.
Uh-oh!
Back in spring 2010, when our charming friends on the left were still feeling cocky, Hutaree was the worst thing since Timothy McVeigh. They were proof that white Christian flyover types are more of a menace than those understandably disgruntled Islamic freedom-fighters. Y’know, like the guy who tried to blow up Times Square. Or the guy who shot 14 people at Ft. Hood. Or the guys who tried to attack Ft. Dix. Or the ones who tried to blow up JFK Airport. Or the guy who was going to set off a car bomb at a Christmas tree lighting in Oregon. Or…
As I noted at the time, Hutaree briefly helped out the liberal storyline of “Look, those crazy militias are back! It’s just like the Clinton years! You never see stories about these guys when a Republican is president!” Somehow, the fact that there are more stories about these losers during Democratic administrations than there are during Republican ones is supposed to be evidence that they’re a threat. Maybe. Or maybe there are just more stories about them. Just like there aren’t a lot of stories in the MSM about Occupiers raping people and wrecking stuff, even when they go around raping people and wrecking stuff. It gets a perfunctory “Oh well, these things happen,” and that’s it. It all depends on how well it fits into the narrative.
So, how’d that whole Hutaree thing work out, then? Whatever happened to the worst terrorist group in the history of the United States? The Detroit News reports:
A federal judge acquitted seven members of the Hutaree militia Tuesday of the most serious charges following six weeks of testimony in a high-profile terror case.
On the second anniversary of the Hutaree arrests, U.S. District Judge Victoria Roberts granted a defense motion to acquit the militia members on seven charges, including seditious conspiracy and conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction. The most serious charge could have resulted in life prison sentences.
She ordered the trial to continue against Hutaree leader David Stone Sr. and his son, Joshua Stone, on weapons-related charges…
The judge said the government’s case was built largely on circumstantial evidence.
“While this evidence could certainly lead to a rational fact-finder to conclude that ‘something fishy’ was going on, it does not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that defendants reached a concrete agreement to forcibly oppose the United States government,” Roberts wrote.
Um, hello? They’re white. They’re Christians. They’re right-wing. They own guns. Hell, they’re practically teabaggers. Isn’t that reason enough to lock ’em up and throw away the jail?
In other news Eric Holder won’t like, Fox 5 in Atlanta reports:
DECATUR, Ga. – A member of the New Black Panther Party who went on national television to offer a reward for the capture of George Zimmerman was arrested in Gwinnett County.
According to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, Hashim Nzinga, 49 of Norcross, was arrested at probation office he was reporting to in Lawrenceville. He taken to Dekalb County Jail and charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. A warrant was sworn out in DeKalb County after evidence surfaced that Nzinga tried to pawn a semi-automatic handgun at a Stone Mountain pawn shop.
Nzinga serves as the New Black Panther Party’s Chief of Staff. He recently made news after going on CNN and offering a $10,000 reward for the capture of George Zimmerman whose role in the shooting death of 17 year old Trayvon Martin is currently being investigated by Florida authorities.
Making vague threats against unnamed police officers, in private, was enough to put the Hutaree guys in jail for 2 years. What’ll happen to this guy, who made a specific threat against a specific individual on national TV?
That’s a rhetorical question, unfortunately.
(Hat tip: Instapundit)
P.S. How many crimes did the New Black Panthers commit in Florida?