Does History repeat itself??

[kirkcdl]

Picked this up on a board somewhere,but forgot which one.Please forgive me if it was posted here already...

Riot in Boston

Dateline - Boston April 20

Scores Killed, Hundreds Injured as Para-Military Extremists Riot in
Boston Area

National guard units seeking to confiscate a cache of recently banned
assault weapons were ambushed on April 19th by elements of a
paramilitary 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 widespread refusal
by the local citizenry to turn over recently outlawed assault weapons.
Gage issued a ban on military-style assault weapons and ammunition
earlier in the week. This decision followed a meeting 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 "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
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.

Author Unknown

Read More

 

[Stomper]

If that's what it takes... so be it!


Don't Tread On Me

 

[tionico]

Yeah, whut Stomper sed....

what is left out, so conveniently, of this account is a bit of the backstory: seems the government had well overstepped its bounds, levying an illegal tax, which led to the "tax protests". In response to this, the government actually issued an order closing the entire port and city of Boston, forcefully removing ALL citizens from the entire area. Armed guards were stationed to prevent reentry, and any residents caught attempting to return were subject to heavy sanctions. It was this action that led to the caching of arms in Lexington and Concord.... Boston was closed to private citizens. And yes, the government DID pass orders banning citizens from possessing firearms or ammunition. House to house searches were carried out in the attempt to disarm the residents prior to their forced removal (they were smart enough to realise that, if armed, the locals would likely have responded with something akin to "**** no, we won't go. And take THIS (BANG!!) for your troubles.). The citizens continued to resist on concert, banding together in their forced exile, making many raids upon the occupying forces, mainly to harrass them and weaken their morale. They seemed not to believe they could retake the city by force, as a few thousand soldiers had been despatched to occupy and hold. These same soldiers were quartered in the homes formerly occupied by the displaced residents. (which angered said residents the more.... and why not?). Government troops had, on occasion, fired upon groups of citizens who refused to disperse, often attempting to seek redress of their grievances. It was the government's raid on Lexington, first, and Concord shortly after, that provoked the colonises to armed response. The "shot heard round the world" was fired in resistance to the armed raid of government troops at Lexington. This all followed on years of tyrannical abuse, well outside the law, perpetrated upon the colonists by order of Parliament, which had NO legal authority to do anything in regards the new colonies. Years of petitions went unheeded.... or responded to by ever-increasing military force. Forceful eviction from their homes and businesses was over the top......

MY question is: what will it take to throw off the yoke of government far more oppressive and abusive than were the Brits in the early 1770's?