Anyone hear news about Schwarzeneggers plan for a new "militia" in CA?

[Pachamama]

Last night, there was a quick blurb about his plans to organize a "militia" using retired military folks and to serve the needs in the absence of the Nat'l Guard being in Iraq....

WTF? Why call it a militia? Why not just actively recruit more people for the National Guard? (Oh, I forgot - because they won't want to go to Iraq!) Meanwhile, the naming of it as a militia worries me and it sets off some red flags for me...I don't trust Schwarzenegger at all...I believe there are underlying goals/plans he has that have often nothing to do with the hollywood smile and marketing. Are there things a "militia" can do that the Nat'l Guard can't? Just wondering....

:eyes:

[JHB]

1. Why not call them "stormtroopers"?

Unless he wants to go whole-hog and use the original German...

[nascarblue]

2. Doesnt surprise me.

Yeah, I live in California, and Arnold would be a huge mistake at re-election. Supposedly all voting machines will be paper trailed in the next election. So far though, all the republicans(of course) are dragging their a$$ on signing the voting machine reform bill that was passed two years ago.

[aquart]

3. A state militia not subject to federal authority?

Can't wait to hear BushCo on it.

[UncleSepp]

4. Sounds like a good idea to me

Given that the mission of the National Guard in a state includes disaster relief and given that California is prone to earthquakes, mudslides, and wildfires, not having NG troops available due to so many being deployed for overseas missions seriously impacts the safety and welfare of the residents of California. Creating a state militia for the sole purpose of supporting state missions may help California to reserve trained troops who would not be subject to activation and deployment for Federal missions.

If you want more information on state militias, their history, and current events, the SGAUS seems to be a good starting point. Here's their mission statement:

The State Guard Association of the United States, Inc. (SGAUS) is a nonprofit membership corporation. The SGAUS is also known as the State Defense Force Association. It is composed of individual members and chapters who support a viable state militia system. The SGAUS supports the "well regulated" militia, not independent groups who may style themselves as "militia."

http://www.sgaus.org/aboutSG.htm

This organization also has a good essay specifically on the term militia, and on how that has become problematic over the years:

http://www.sgaus.org/mtobe.htm

The regular state militias are concerned about those red flags, too. Unfortunately, private paramilitary organizations seems to have adoped the word for themselves, which may be what is ringing the warning bells for you.

You may also wish to look up H.R. 2797 (State Defense Force Improvement Act). I don't know what's happened with it lately, but it seems probable that Gov. Schwarzenegger's proposal is linked this bill or at least shares some ideas in common.

[jimshoes]

5. Sturmabteilung

Sturmabteilung. Hitler's private army.

The Sturmabteilung (SA, German for "Storm Division" and is usually translated as stormtroops or stormtroopers) functioned as a paramilitary organisation of the NSDAP – the German Nazi party. It played a key role in Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the 1930s. SA men were often known as brownshirts from the colour of their uniform and to distinguish them from the SS who were known as blackshirts.

The SA was also the first Nazi paramilitary group to develop pseudo-military titles for bestowal upon its members. The SA ranks would eventually be adopted by several other Nazi Party groups, chief among them the SS.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturmabteilung

[DoNotRefill]

6. Ummm....

a lot of states already have these. As for the militia, odds are excellent that you are already legally IN the federally-defined militia. This idea would be the formation of just another select militia.