Gage issued a ban on military-style assault weapons and ammunition earlier in the week. This decision followed a meeting in 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 that “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 radical 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 over matched 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 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.

And this, people, is how the American Revolution began on April 19, 1775.

(above piece authored by Ed Schriber Col. USMC (Ret.) “Semper Fi”)

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DAVE THE SAGEs take:

One has to wonder why a country founded on the concept of personal liberty and personal responsibility is increasingly one that has so little of either. And so bent on forgetting the lessons of history. As a country we have really lost our way. I support the restoration of the Republic as well as the rejection of the ‘soft-tyranny’ of the Big Brother, nanny state. We are a free people and should act and live like it without the fear or implied threat of undue government surveillance, interference, or regulation. As a loyal American it saddens me that the most divisive president in modern history has pushed such radical policies that there are now significant numbers of people who feel like they have been pushed into a corner. That there are those who believe that there may be no other choice than to repeat history is a sobering thought.

I do not necessarily share that view and nothing in this article should be construed as such. I am far more of a “propagandist” than a soldier, and am a Restorationist, not a Revolutionary. But I do know that the actions of the current administration has increasingly radicalized large numbers of people in the country and the right to keep and bear arms is a very significant ‘red line’  to many. Just as it was back then. That is something that people of all ideological stripes cannot deny and the current administration should keep in mind. Right or wrong, it is the simple truth.

One cannot be seen as significantly infringing on what is considered a fundamental, sacred, and important constitutional right by millions of people without there being some issues developing from that. Serious, if sporadic, civil unrest is not necessarily that crazy of a possibility in the future, and one could foresee a cyclical series of government overreactions to such events that would only trigger more of the same in an unfortunate downward spiral of ugly actions and reactions. Where all this will lead is anyone’s guess, but it doesn’t look good. My crystal ball is not all that clear, and everything I’ve stated is mere speculation with observation as my guide. I will be exploring some possible scenarios that may unfold in the near future in the coming months. If widespread violence occurs in the Republic, the blame must be laid at the feet of the Obama administration. It is their policies that have led us to where we are today. You cannot drop a lit match on a pile of dead leaves and then complain about the resulting forest fire.

In many ways, we are sitting on a tinderbox with millions of people frantically arming themselves and laying in supplies while the government does the same thing with its ever-growing ‘internal security’ forces. Nerves are on edge, and you can feel it in the air. The powder keg has an ever shortening fuse, and that’s an uncomfortable feeling at best for us all.