First of all I kind of felt that a lot of people would feel like I did and want to put a face to the name Stewart Rhodes after reading that article. Second, I thought the article itself begins on a rather chilling note, that being a young man showing his rather unrestrained desire to get his fingers on the trigger of a high powered rifle with the implication that use of said rifle could be to kill politicians and his fellow soldiers.

So, having seen the video of Rhodes I thought the best thing would be to post it to show how an idea like Oath Keepers is born and germinates. Rhodes is no fire breathing dragon, just some schmuck with a supposed love of his country and some ideas about patriotism and the constitution. If you bumped into him in the park and he started chatting with you he would likely not frighten you but the power of his ideas can make a young man long for a sniper rifle and inspire fantasies of using it.

I'm kind of embarrassed that Oath Keepers claims that it was founded here in Massachusetts but in reality I understand that all Mr. Rhodes is trying to do with that is co-opt our history so that his group might seem some extension of the original "patriots" that fought for American independence and established this country. Ok, but I have a hard time trying to envision Paul Revere or John Adams or George Washington drooling over an assault rifle. I wonder if he realizes that Thomas Jefferson would likely lecture him on the dangers of what he is doing more than embrace the concept of Oath Keepers.

So I thought adding the video was important to highlight how one small unremarkable human being with a simple idea could inspire a very dangerous situation.

Now you've met Stewart Rhodes, rabble-rouser extraordinaire...and you just thought guys named Stewart were the ones that were always eating the paste in art class...well, he probably was but see what happens when you make fun of them in elementary school, they grow up to be the Boogie Man.

Ideas are indeed powerful things and even the bad ones can demonstrate enough force to change history, sadly more often than not.