National Guard Attempts To Confiscate Banned Weapons

[mikelewis]

BOSTON - April 20

National guard units seeking to confiscate a cache of recently banned weapons were ambushed on April 19th by elements of a para-military extremist faction. Military and law enforcement sources estimate that 72 were killed and more than 200 injured before government forces were compelled to withdraw.

Speaking after the clash Massachusetts Governor Thomas Gage declared that the extremist faction, which was made up of local citizens, has links to the radical right-wing tax protest movement. Gage blamed the extremists for recent incidents of vandalism directed against internal revenue offices. The governor, who described the group's organizers as "criminals," issued an executive order authorizing the summary arrest of any individual who has interfered with the government's efforts to secure law and order.

The military raid on the extremist arsenal followed wide-spread refusal by the local citizenry to turn over recently outlawed weapons. Gage issued a ban on private ownership of weapons and ammunition earlier in the week. This decision followed a meeting in early this month between government and military leaders at which the governor authorized the forcible confiscation of illegal arms. One government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, pointed out that "none of these people would have been killed had the extremists obeyed the law and turned over their weapons voluntarily."

Government troops initially succeeded in confiscating a large supply of outlawed weapons and ammunition. However, troops attempting to seize arms and ammunition in Lexington met with resistance from heavily-armed extremists who had been tipped off regarding the government's plans.

During a tense standoff in Lexington's town park, National Guard Colonel Francis Smith, commander of the government operation, ordered the armed group to surrender and return to their homes. The impasse was broken by a single shot, which was reportedly fired by one of the
right- wing extremists. Eight civilians were killed in the ensuing exchange. Ironically, the local citizenry blamed government forces rather than the extremists for the civilian deaths.

Before order could be restored, armed citizens from the surrounding areas had descended upon the guard units. Colonel Smith, finding his forces overmatched by the armed mob, ordered a retreat.

Governor Gage has called upon citizens to support the state national joint task force in its effort to restore law and order. The governor has also demanded the surrender of those responsible for planning and leading the attack against the government troops. Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, and John Hancock, who have been identified as "ringleaders" of the extremist faction, remain at large.

First reported on April 20, 1775
Unknown Author

[sinkingfeeling]

1. Let's hear it for the insurgents!! Way to go, Adams, Revere, and

Hancock!

[mikelewis]

5. You mean terrorists don't you?

[vince3]

2. We may see another Boston Tea Party soon

[elehhhhna]

3. Nominated for Greatest. History's written by the winners.

[rfranklin]

4. Remember, the right wing--"conservatives"--were the ones who...

supported the King of England. They were wrong then and wrong now.

[leveymg]

6. Yes, but they're the ones with all those guns today.

This tale had to be originally authored by an NRA member. Clever and compelling story, nonetheless.

:bounce:

[MrMonk]

7. I'm not buying into this,

because it reads as if it was written by one of our modern day militia men.

(1) Gun-grabbing gubmint troops
(2) said GGGT attacking and killing citizens
(3) brave *armed* citizens forcing the evil GGGT to retreat.
(4) brave *armed* citizens are also brave *tax protestors*
(5) "internal revenue" offices (merely) vandalized by said TP

Simply trying to co-opt the reputations of the American revolutionaries to de-odorize a bunch of hooligans who like to hide in the woods and get drunk.

[Anakin Skywalker]

8. Somebody Snope This.

[Cats Against Frist]

9. Yeah -- Did Paul Revere Hang out with John Hancock?

this smells -- plus, "Government," having no real characteristic other than "government," is a little suspicious. Shouldn't it be red coats, or British Troops?

[Cats Against Frist]

10. Try this

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22clash+Massachusetts+Governor+Thomas%22+&btnG=Google+Search

Check out the URLS of the hits:

Command Briefs: The Spirit of April 19
... Speaking after the clash, Massachusetts Governor Thomas Gage declared that
the extremist faction, which was made up of local citizens, has strong links ...
indianamilitia.homestead.com/Spirit_of_April19.html - 32k - Cached - Similar pages

April 19, 1775: The American Revolution Begins
... Speaking after the clash Massachusetts Governor Thomas Gage declared that the
extremist faction, which was made up of local citizens, has links to the ...
209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/1386538/posts - 18k - Cached - Similar pages

scores killed in paramilitary riot - redcoats
... Speaking after the clash, Massachusetts Governor Thomas Gage declared that
the extremist faction, which was made up of local citizens, has links to ...
footguards.tripod.com/06ARTICLES/ART08_scoreskilled.htm - 7k - Cached - Similar pages

Poem: A Visitor From The Past; fight quote; Outbreak of Revolution.
... Speaking after the clash, Massachusetts Governor Thomas Gage declared that
the extremist militia faction, has citizens who have links to the radical ...
www.comeandtakeit.com/2aother.html - 22k - Cached - Similar pages

TriggerFinger
... Speaking after the clash, Massachusetts governor Thomas Gage declared that
the extremist faction, which was made up of citizens, has links to the ...
triggerfinger.org/weblog/ - 101k - Apr 20, 2005 - Cached - Similar pages

Liberator Online Archive
... Speaking after the clash, Massachusetts Governor Thomas Gage declared that
the extremist faction, which was made up of local citizens, has ...
www.theadvocates.org/liberator/vol-05-num-08.htm - 55k - Cached - Similar pages

GGNNMM
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat
... Speaking after the clash, Massachusetts Governor Thomas. Gage declared that
the extremist faction, which was made up of ...
gunssavelife.com/GSLife/gunnews/jul2000secure.pdf - Similar pages

[mikelewis]

11. I think it's more of an exercize in point of view than any historical fact

I thought it was pretty neat. A freind of mine sent it to me and I thought I'd pass it along. It really wasn't intended to be subversive material.

Yes, it should be Red Coats but I don't think that's the point the author was trying to convey. I think he was trying to express a newscast of historical events in the context of our media today. It also seems like he is a Right-Winger but that's really irrelevant.