This bothers me about our government and media

So, I found this on a friend's facebook account this morning, not sure where it came from, but it is frighteningly accurate. I had to read it twice. Mods, if this is in the wrong forum, please move it, thanks.

"SEVENTY TWO KILLED RESISTING GUN CONFISCATION IN BOSTON

BOSTON
National guard units seeking to confiscate a cache of recently banned assault weapons were ambushed on April 19th by elements of a Para-military extremist faction. Military and law enforcement sources estimate that 72 were killed and more than 200 injured before government forces were compelled to withdraw.

Speaking after the clash, Massachusetts Governor Thomas Gage declared that the extremist faction, which was made up of local citizens, has links to the radical right-wing tax protest movement. Gage blamed the extremists for recent incidents of vandalism directed against internal revenue offices. The governor, who described the group's organizers as "criminals," issued an executive order authorizing the summary arrest of any individual who has interfered with the government's efforts to secure law and order. The military raid on the extremist arsenal followed wide-spread refusal by the local citizenry to turn over recently outlawed assault weapons.

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 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...

If today's media had reported on the start of the American Revolution in 1775 this is probably how they would have presented it to the public."

Thanks for reading, hope it has enlightened those of you who are still in doubt about how bad things have become.

If I remember right this was debunked as a fictional 'what if' article, or something along those lines -
But indeed it is potentially a good insight into how a small based resistance to gun control can quicky escalate and be very much painted from one angle

Good one, you had me going for a second there.
It's a safe bet that had the media of TODAY been operating in 1775 - no doubt the spin would've been enormous.
Luckily, most of the printing presses and news were in the hands of the militant extremists back then.

ganjoa

Originally posted by Jekka
So, I found this on a friend's facebook account this morning, not sure where it came from, but it is frighteningly accurate.

How is it accurate? It never happened.

It's just a made up story.

reply to post by Sankari


What I mean by accurate is that this is most likely how the news/media and government would handle this situation in our current state. I know this is a work of fiction, the closing lines of the story say as much. This is mostly intended to show how we have started to become the tyrants that we threw out of this country only a few hundred years ago.

Originally posted by Sankari

Originally posted by Jekka
So, I found this on a friend's facebook account this morning, not sure where it came from, but it is frighteningly accurate.

How is it accurate? It never happened.

It's just a made up story.

Sorry you don't know American History.

It happened...April 20, 1775.

You just talk like you know everything....Waiting for your apology to the poster.

reply to post by Sankari


It did happen a few years back.
They just left the year out of the story.
en.wikipedia.org...

In January 1775, Gage received orders from London to take decisive action against the growing rebellion.[71] Given intelligence that the rebels had been stockpiling weapons at Concord, Massachusetts, he ordered a troop of British regulars to march there on the night of 18 April to confiscate them.[72] A brief skirmish in Lexington scattered colonial militia forces gathered there, but in a later standoff in Concord, a portion of the British force was routed by a stronger colonial militia contingent. When the British left Concord following their search (which was largely unsuccessful, as the colonists, with advance warning of the action, had removed most of the supplies), arriving colonial militia engaged the British column in a running battle all the way back to Charlestown. The Battles of Lexington and Concord resulted in 273 total casualties for the British and 93 for the American rebels.[73]

reply to post by Jekka


It is good to make people stop and think...seems most never do!

his is mostly intended to show how we have started to become the tyrants that we threw out of this country only a few hundred years ago.

Only Started? Look at the tax burden we live with compared to what the first Americans thought was unjust from their home country!
Small example: My husbands family just made a 3.000$ tax payment for future income that has not yet been earned. The business is small and struggling, but if the payment of future taxes are late one day all hell would break loose! The hotels in town, they pay water and power and tax for all income, but now they alll have the per bed tax on top of it all...each year new taxes!

I think the scenario is correct in that troops and law enforcement would shoot and kill citizens that are trying only to hold their due rights.

Great read S&F! About halfway through it I realized that it was referring to the first "battles" of the Revolutionary War, and it instantly made it more entertaining. I could totally see the media of today printing an article like this if that had happened in these times or today's media existed in 1775.

reply to post by whyamIhere


Actually it was April 19th 1775. I know causeni live in Lexington. Where it all started.

It is all about perspective and the power to manipulate public opinion (propaganda).

Originally posted by Neocrusader
If I remember right this was debunked as a fictional 'what if' article, or something along those lines -
But indeed it is potentially a good insight into how a small based resistance to gun control can quicky escalate and be very much painted from one angle

edit on 20-6-2013 by Neocrusader because: Added

It's not a "what if" this is what actually happened, told through the filter of the modern propaganda press.

Don't they teach history anymore?

reply to post by CaptChaos


Firstly my apologies
But I did state in my opening line - if my memory is correct .....and finished with "or something along those lines"
And no ......i didnt get tought US history as I'm not in the US as believe it or not the world is a damn site bigger with a history a damn sight longer than the US's
Why on earth should the rest of us have to learn your history when you don't learn ours ( well i suppose you do learn your own version through hollywood )and the vast majority of you can't even find your way around a world map

Do they not teach that there's more out there than the USA.......I think we all know the answer to that

Sorry - one of them days where I've dealt with too many arrogant high and mighty aholes
Not saying you are .......but gen !

Originally posted by whyamIhere

Originally posted by Sankari

Originally posted by Jekka
So, I found this on a friend's facebook account this morning, not sure where it came from, but it is frighteningly accurate.

How is it accurate? It never happened.

It's just a made up story.

Sorry you don't know American History.

It happened...April 20, 1775.


You just talk like you know everything....Waiting for your apology to the poster.

It certainly did, now when do we all grow a collective pair and ensure that the freedoms that they fought for carry forward to future generations, and I do include us in the UK here too, we could learn a lot from reading about the circumstances which led the American people to overthrow the British.