ABSTRACT

In the American context, the word militia brings to mind a host of stereotypical images. Most of these images hinge on the ultimate American antihero— an angry white man who has lost his faith in government and society and armed with a gun has chosen to take matters into his own hands. 1 While such depictions clearly have their counterpart in real-life figures such as Timothy McVeigh, the Militia Movement in this country is actually much more sophisticated than its standard depiction would suggest. Indeed, people within the movement prefer terms such as “patriot” or “constitutionalist” to define themselves and their cause, arguing that many people lumped into the so-called Militia Movement are not even members of a militia. Rather, many of the movement's constituents belong to pro-second amendment groups, jury reform organizations, or issue-oriented coalitions whose purpose is to lobby elected officials on behalf of a particular cause. My chapter examines this lesser known (and more sophisticated) side of the movement, focusing specifically on attempts in certain patriot circles to engage the legislative process. I label these efforts mainstreaming.