PERSPECTIVE FROM A VETERAN

This statement was written by a GWOT veteran who is a member of the Phoenix John Brown Gun Club. His experience is one of many diverse perspectives within Redneck Revolt, working together towards common goals.

To the active and former armed forces of the United States,

As a member of the John Brown Gun Club and Redneck Revolt, I feel that it is necessary to address each and every one of our nation’s servicemen and servicewomen. We have recently run into a lot of misconceptions about who we are, and I felt like it needs to be immediately addressed. We are a community defense formation, not a militia. We will never claim to be on par with elite forces, because that negates the labor those folks put in to attain those skills. It devalues fellow working folks, and it serves us no purpose to make claims we cannot back. I value the sacrifices our servicemen and servicewomen make, and can identify with you as hard working people who commit to doing as much good as each person possibly can. Some of our members signed the same check you did, and I want the best for our country just as you do.

As a veteran, I feel it is important to explain that Redneck Revolt and John Brown Gun Club exist to support working folks. All of you know, as I do, that we begin our service earning so little that we qualify for WIC. Why is it that our country spends many times more on defense than any combination of nations elsewhere in the world, yet the backbone of the military, our non rates and NCOs scrape by? Just like our enlisted, we know the sting of paying to get an item out of hock. I look back on my recent service and I value the bonds made with my brothers and sisters in arms. I learned so much, including standing for the principles in which I believe. I was taught to know myself and seek self improvement. This principle alone is what drove me to work toward a better life for my family and all people, and it has brought me into the Redneck Revolt.

All of us cleaned our weapons or stood watch or police called (picked up scraps of trash, for you civilians) while discussing the problems our country faces. Regardless of background, we all agree that politicians are untrustworthy, and overvalued. They lie and cheat us and most don’t deliver on the promises they campaign on. Many of them never had to hump a pack and rifle, many of them never felt the grinding of sand between our clenched jaws as we became enlightened to what real struggle feels like. Why would any one of you, or any person give people like that power over us?

What the military teaches us is that as an individual, we can get overrun, but collectively we can accomplish unimaginable feats. This is in essence what Redneck Revolt wants to spread to the people of our country and abroad. We discuss many of the same ideas. As a member of our society, we are expected to serve, yet are underpaid by those who benefit from the work we do. Who gets the extra commendations or promotions for what our units do? Who rises to the top the fastest in the military, and society in general? Not solely those who merit, but more often, those who started off ahead in the first place! It spills over into the civilian world too. Warriors are taught to strive for greatness, to sacrifice and put in, not just for themselves but for those around them. We at Redneck Revolt hold those same values, and have and will continue to do everything we possibly can to stand with and help our communities progress toward a more fair and equally beneficial society.

Though vets and current military should feel great pride in the skills and strengths we built as individuals, we have also all worked under that guy or gal that issues orders we don’t agree with or understand. One of the most important aspects of transitioning back to civilian life is being able to take back control over our own choices. A strength we possess is the fortitude to stand now in defense of others’ liberty, and be able to take a stand against others taking it away. As more and more open white nationalists and Nazis are demanding speaking platforms and attacking people in the street, I knew this fight was something I could get behind as my experiences could actually help make a difference in securing a peaceful future.

I hope you'll check out our principles to learn what we're really about, and do the same.