Firearms Owners Against Crime
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
There’s a lot of hysteria surrounding just about any group on the right. This is especially true about groups like the Three Percenters. The group formed behind the idea that no more than three percent of the American population during the time of the American Revolution ever took the field at any one time.
In short, they’re a militia, though they appear to disagree that the term applies to them. I don’t, but I don’t see the term “militia” as a bad thing, either.
However, one of their stickers has popped up on the truck of a St. Paul, MN police officer and that kicked the hornet’s nest.
A sticker affixed to the back window of a vehicle parked in downtown St. Paul caught a resident’s attention — it was the Three Percenter logo.
When Trevor Burns saw a uniformed St. Paul officer head to the pickup, he was even more concerned.
The Anti-Defamation League describes Three Percenters as “anti-government extremists who are part of the militia movement.” The Three Percenter website, meanwhile, says they are not a militia and they are “very pro-government, so long as the government abides by the Constitution.”
Burns wrote recently to Police Chief Todd Axtell, and talked to the chief. He said he now has no reason to believe the officer with the pick-up “is an actual member of a group that believes in overthrow of the government.”
Still, Burns said he’s still troubled that “somebody in our police force was comfortable enough to display” the sticker, but he believes Axtell is taking important steps.
CHIEF: ‘NO ROOM FOR HATE OR BIAS IN THIS POLICE DEPARTMENT’
In Axtell’s response to Burns, he wrote that because the sticker was on an officer’s private vehicle, the department wasn’t aware of it. Now, the department is “able to use it as an opportunity to educate all SPPD employees about the importance of considering the larger context of political issues, actions and organizations — especially those that are multifaceted,” Axtell wrote.
“I assure you, there is no room for hate or bias in this police department,” he continued.
Of course, the Three Percenters aren’t generally considered a racist militia. They’re anti-government, according to the ADL, and if the ADL can’t find a way to label them as racist, then there’s probably not any hate or bias to be concerned about, even if the officer is a full-fledged member of the group.
However, this does cause me to shake my head.
Look, if you’re going to support a militia, then fine. If you’re concerned about the government overstepping their constitutional bounds and acting tyrannically, you probably should consider supporting such a group.
But to advertise it like that? Honestly, this is beyond stupid.
Remember how people freak when someone shows support for Antifa or ISIS? Do you honestly think the other side won’t see a Three Percent sticker and not make the same value judgment?
All the officer did–which is legal and not in any way immoral or unethical, just to be clear–is mark himself out. Now everyone knows where he stands and who he stands will. If shooting starts, there will be some who will look at him first.
Nicely done.
Regardless, though, the department’s reaction to the sticker is a bigger concern. By talking about reviewing policies, they’re making it quite clear that they believe the officer shouldn’t have a right to speak. That’s what a sticker on your truck is, after all. It appears they want to make certain types of speech acceptable and forbid others.
If this officer had a Black Lives Matter sticker on his truck, nothing would be said, yet Black Lives Matter is responsible for more violence in 2020 than the Three Percenters are, that’s for damn sure.
And that is what will turn this into a big problem and we all know it.
https://bearingarms.com/tom-k/2020/12/28/st-paul-police-to-review-policies/