Linda Thompson's Plan: Overthrow the United States Government

Many of our members have seen the Waco videotapes produced by Linda
Thompsonfrom Indianapolis. Although we are not in agreement with some of her
conclusions and assertions over the Waco tragedy, we agree fully that the
government did indeed murder those innocent men, women and children at the
compound.

Nevertheless, the purpose of this memorandum is to set forth policy onregard
(sic) to Linda Thompson's call for the violent overthrow of the United States
Government. She has issued an alert that fully explains her plan to assemble
militia units (armed and in uniform) in Washington, D.C. on September 19,
1994. She says that an Ultimatum was sent by certified mailto every member
of the House and Senate on April 21. The ultimatum demands,among other
things, the repeal of all unconstitutional laws and co ncludes with the
following: "If you do not personally and publicly attend to these demands,
you will be identified as a Traitor, and you will be brought up on charges
for Treason before a Court of the Citizens of this Country."

It is a common practice of the Conspiracy to organize its own opposition and
to incite rebellion and insurrection carried out on its own terms and under
its own control. We believe Linda Thompson's call to arms performs a great
Service for the Conspiracy in that regard, although she may be unaware of
being used in a scheme that could very possibly be calculated to Supply the
excuse for our government to declare a state of emergency, expose martial law
and assume greater dictatorial powers. That is the customary manner in which
freedom is lost and power is consolidated.

Linda Thompson apparently had a law practice in Indianapolis and now devotes
all of her time to her American Justice Foundation. Yet none of our members
in Indiana had known or heard of her prior to the government's unwarranted
attack on the Branch Davidian Church. According to information received via
Internet she is a new convert to conservatism. Her past activities had been
focused on liberal causes such as her investigation of abuses by the Bureau
of Indian Affairs to abuse of prisoners, abuse of civil liberties. The
report says she has found a receptive audience in the right wing, and seems
to have altered her rhetoric to engage conservatives and survivalists.
Thompson's personal resume tends to support the Internet report. It showsher
membership in the American Civil Liberties Union.

Linda Thompson's oratory does not live up to either her writing or the
narration on her videos. Both the writing and the video voice are
moresophisticated than are her responses and thoughts expressed before
audiences and in live interviews. This point is made because it leads us to
believe
that she is assisted or advised by a mind more subtle and more devious than
her own. Her zealous defense of the Constitution is betrayed by statements
she made during a recent radio broadcast. She said that the Constitution
provides for Amendments to be initiated by 51 per cent of the Senate and for
Amendments to be ratified by two-thirds of the states. Anyone who has read
the Constitution knows that a two-thirds vote of both houses of Congress is
needed to initiate amendments and three-fourths of the states are needed
forratification.

In the same interview she said, "Congress enacted the income tax" when "we
were in a war in 1913." Actually, Congress passed the Sixteenth Amendment
authorizing the income tax in 1909 and then sent it to the States for
ratification. The U.S. entered the war in 1917, not 1913. Linda called for
the repeal of the Seventeenth Amendment, explaining that "in the body of the
Constitution itself we already have the mechanism to elect our officials,
sowe didn't need this provision," and she said that it "was not ratified by
two-thirds of the states." As we have noted, it takes three-fourths to
ratify, but more significantly, she is in error on her assertion that the
Seventeenth Amendment was not ratified. As a matter of record, the
Seventeenth Amendment was a very popular proposal and was ratified by 36
States. She also seemed confused over the purpose of the Seventeenth
Amendment which was to end the process of state-appointed U.S. Senators. When
 asked why she felt it was not right to allow the popular vote on this, she
said, "It IS. That's the point." Although she wants the amendment repealed,
she seems to think it was intended to deny the popular vote, rather than to
provide for it, which is just the reverse of its purpose. She makes numerous
other mistakes regarding history and the Constitution in
context with the action she advocates.

During the same radio interview in which Linda Thompson displayed scant
understanding of the Constitution, she stridently chastised listeners by
saying, "You're not doing your homework," and paradoxically, she rebuked
them for their ignorance of the Constitution.

Despite this, Linda (or someone assisting her) has correctly identified some
of the Abuses and unconstitutional acts of government that our informed
members have known about and have opposed for many years. By virtue of the
familiar nature of some of the things she shouts about, some of our members
have failed to see the flawed basis for her course of action. Some have
supported her, promoted the sale and showing of her videos, and have even
suggested that we heed her counsel.

Linda Thompson's call for the arrest in September of members of Congress and
the President of the United States is not just insane, it is contrary to all
understanding of the nature and identity of the enemy. Obviously she does
not know that the real enemy operates from within, grooms puppets, places
them in office, writes their script and gets them before the public to make
excuses for the dismantling of our system. Her proposal or armed
confrontation is typical of the means always employed by the Conspiracy to
flush out and destroy its opposition. This is an essential understanding
that the John Birch Society has had from the day of its founding. We have
never advocated the overthrow of government, except at the ballot box where
we can strip the Conspiracy of its funds and power. Thompson's proposed
armed coup is either utter nonsense, or the deliberate leading of anyone who
falls for this, or who signs her "Declaration of Independence of 1994" will
convict himself of criminal activity. You may be assured that
there will be no coup in Washington in September. But we expect full
advantage to be taken of all who may actually show up with loaded firearms.
Their presence, no matter how ragtag, could supply an excuse for the
government to impose severe restrictions on travel and assembly. The
abortive coup may well bring about the biggest gun grab in U.S. history,
carried out under the government's newly-found license to increase its size
and power under the pretext of putting down the insurrection. Whatever the
result, freedom will be lost and responsible conservatives will be
discredited.

Due to the recent arrival of Linda Thompson on the conservative scene, due to
her poor knowledge of the Constitution, the discrepancies in her spoken and
printed pronouncements and her ignorance of the nature of the enemy, we see
her as a useful tool of the Conspiracy. Her background and qualifications
are not consistent with her mission. She may be employed by the Insiders, or
she may be led indirectly by them and is probably innocent of her usefulness
to them, but either way, our position is the same. The JBS must stay clear of
her schemes.

This notice is to serve as a warning to all friends, an admonition to all
members, and a directive to all employees of the John Birch Society.


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(This file was found elsewhere on the Internet and uploaded to the
Patriot FTP site by S.P.I.R.A.L., the Society for the Protection of
Individual Rights and Liberties. E-mail alex@spiral.org)