BE AFRAID

This story reminds me of Iraq, where no self-respecting government ministry is without its own private army.

Now, the Oklahoma Legislature is thinking of setting up its own armed militia.

Republican State Senator Randy Brogdon of Owasso says a state militia is authorized under the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

He says the founding fathers "were not referring to a turkey shoot or a quail hunt. They really weren't even talking about us having the ability to protect ourselves against each other. The Second Amendment deals directly with the right of an individual to keep and bear arms to protect themselves from an overreaching federal government."

Brogdon, who later claimed he never used the word "militia," told the Associated Press (on tape), "Is a state militia a good idea? It probably is. Because it, again, it would just reinforce the attitude and the belief that you and I have the right to keep and bear arms and to provide and protect our families from an overreaching federal government. I think it's a great idea."

Brogdon is also running for governor. He says, "The primary job of the governor is to protect the state ... from the encroachment of the federal government."

Republican State Representative Charles Key of Oklahoma City is all for the idea. He says the legislation could be introduced next year.

Key has claimed in the past that the federal government had prior knowledge of the blowing-up of the Murrah building in Oklahoma City in 1991 as well as the World Trade Center in New York City in 1993, and in fact may have actually participated in the bombings.

Tea party leader Al Gerhart, who heads up the Oklahoma Constitutional Alliance, is a big force behind the Oklahoma Militia. He says, "Is it scary? You bet it is. But when do the states stop rolling over for the federal government?"

The last time an Oklahoman took armed military action against the federal government, it brought down a federal building and killed 168 Oklahomans.

Is it scary? You bet it is.