FBI warns letters to governors could stir violence
Beebe one of 30 governors to receive letter
By The Associated Press
This article was published April 2, 2010 at 11:23 a.m.
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WASHINGTON — The FBI is warning police across the country that an anti-government group’s call to remove governors from office could provoke violence.
The group called the Guardians of the free Republics wants to “restore America” by peacefully dismantling parts of the government, according to its Web site. It sent letters to governors demanding they leave office or be removed.
Investigators do not see threats of violence in the group’s message, but fear the broad call for removal of top state officials could lead others to act out violently.
Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe is one of the governors who received a letter. Beebe said Friday his office received the letter Tuesday and handed it over to the Arkansas State Police to investigate.
Beebe says he did not know of any extra security measures his office may have taken because of the letter and says he’s not concerned about any potential threat.
As of Wednesday, more than 30 governors had received letters saying if they don’t leave office within three days they will be removed, according to an internal intelligence note by the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. The note was obtained by The Associated Press.
The FBI expects all 50 governors will eventually receive such letters.
Read tomorrow's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.
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Comments on: FBI warns letters to governors could stir violence
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manta says... April 2, 2010 at 12:20 p.m.
With this kind of behavior and "free" speech, this mob of zealot's has lost sight of the free society concept they allege to guard. To send hate speech letter's, is a act of domestic violence, terrorism and only a coward would do it.
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Hypatia says... April 2, 2010 at 1:05 p.m.
What will it take for these folks to undersstand that WE ARE the Goverment. We, the people, spoke loudly in free elections to place Mike Beebe,and all the other democratically elected governors in place and asked then to actually govern. We the people elected Barack Obama, 63 million of us, and we expect him, with the cooperation and assistance of freely elected congressfolks and senators, to govern. I don't ever recall a "Guardian" having been elected at any time, any where. Not even in a "free Republics." The "America" they want to "restore" never existed, thank God. Their vision for America seems to be a once-civilized and democratically administered land which will be subject to anonymous violent egomaniacs who terrorize and harm men, women, and children, i.e.,we folks who used to think we were actually citizens, whose voices,expressed in the ballot box, resulted in a represenative government. Frankly, I am less afraid of a duly elected government, on any level, than I am afraid of these faceless, malevolent criminals who want to impose their delusions on the rest of us.
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MrD says... April 2, 2010 at 1:17 p.m.
The best place to remove anyone from office is at the ballot box. We are not a banana republic. We do not install leaders with guns or remove them...and I don't belong to any fringe group.
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lazybar says... April 2, 2010 at 3:03 p.m.
i have to agree but 2012 can`t get here soon enough!
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whydolibshatesomuch says... April 2, 2010 at 3:49 p.m.
Kinda like PETA and other environments groups.
Even though I've never heard of Guardians of the free Republics,
maybe they're kinda like the "Christian" militia group from Michigan
(all eight of them) even though during first reports, you would have
thought there was this hugh compound with hundreds of militia guys
that the government was going to take down. Like Wako.
Am I reading assumptions that they're the same as the Tea party guys?
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