Rep. Clampitt responds to Oath Keepers charges

Editor’s note: Rep. Mike Clampitt, R-Bryson City, has been open about his membership in the right-wing militia group known as the Oath Keepers since running for election back in 2012. Last week, Oath Keeper founder Stewart Rhodes was charged with seditious conspiracy related to his actions surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. The SMN asked Clampitt to respond to Stewart’s arrest.

There’s an old saying, “Never judge a book by its cover,” which is an idiom coined during the Second World War. Simplistic enough, but it carries great weight even today.

It has been one year since the events unfolded at our nation’s Capitol. Actions, to say the least, that would have never entered my mind. I am a firm believer of our states’ and federal constitutions, and with them come a lot of secured freedoms and personal responsibility for enjoying those.

What separates our country from the rest of the nations is the “rule of law.” We are ALL afforded the opportunity for freedom of expression and redress of our grievances to the government. But, when any individual that is peacefully assembled with others, steps away from the group to pick up a rock, a stick, a stone, or any other instrument to assault, maim, destroy or inflict injury to property or person,-that has now become a riot.

A lot of good, well-meaning organizations become hijacked by overzealous individuals participating in an activity that becomes out of control. I am currently not a dues paying member to the Oath Keepers, or have been for several years. And I do not condone any of the actions of seditious activity of any of the individuals that were part of the events that unfolded at the U.S. Capitol in January 2021. As we have seen all-too- well over the past couple of years, individuals of high-profile organizations degrade the overall reputation of its members. As with anything in life we say or do, it should be how we would like to have others treat ourselves.

Rep. Mike Clampitt Bryson City

Liberal progressive Democrats will be the salvation of American democracy. GOPers have clearly gone the way of person worship. And the case now is, that person doesn’t have any merit whatsoever, just the ability to bamboozle.

“... we are a republic, not a democracy.” And, the point? Democracy, “a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives.” Sounds like the United States to me.

“It has been proven there is fraud in elections.” Yes, there’s the Republican operative in North Carolina who not only did election fraud by collecting and misusing absentee ballots, but who also did Social Security fraud at the same time. Double header, lose lose! Fraud has always been detected and dealt with, and has proven to be irrelevant to the outcomes of elections. Hopefully, we’ll see a bunch of Republican state legislators going to jail for their obvious legislating to rig the vote. That is bigtime election fraud.

“So Donald Trump is to blame …” yes that’s correct, I totally agree. Jan. 6, 2021, the insurrection, would not have happened without Trump’s actions. Try and argue that point. I’ll wait.

“An insurrection by definition is a violent attempt to take control of a government.” Dictionaries say “insurrection — a violent uprising against an authority or government.” Oh go ahead, just call it a “normal tourist visit.” Many people saw it, it was all well televised, and many of the participants have testified to their intentions, believing they were called to Washington, incited by Trump.

“... we’re going to walk down, and I’ll be there with you…” NOT! His Jan. 6 speech was packed full of lies, situation normal.

“This was no insurrection.” That is another lie, as is “... instigated by leftist infiltrators.” Come on man, stop your lying!

“How can you say because of one man we as a nation are more or less doomed?” For my part I can say that the nation is in serious trouble because of Trump, but we also have Trump to thank for revealing the extent to which a minority of people don’t believe in America at all. Fortunately, we now have President Biden, a competent public servant willing to forgo any sort of trumpist drama, and just get stuff done, in spite of total obstruction by the GOPer Congress.

“Trump had the border under control.” Actually, Trump violated human rights, with a total lack of decency or respect for law. That has always been his way of course.

“The Democrats died with Kennedy and the party is no longer recognizable.” Wrong again, that’s just plain bassackwards wrong. The dead party of the Republicans has been circling the toilet drain since Nixon, and has finally made it through to the treatment plant with Trump pulling the lever.

“Cancel culture, wokeness, liberalism, socialism, communism, anti-police leftists and Antifa had infiltrated our society long before Trump arrived. God help us.” Just like a loser, calling upon some mythic other to deliver them from their own incompetence. Quack all you want, the present danger to our country is perfectly clear. Conservative “Christian” right-wing Republican straight white racist radical extremist terrorists are the problem. GOPers from Nixon on have proven themselves incapable of governing. When will folks get a clue how rotten most of their elected GOPer “representatives” have become?

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