Dear Konformist:
By now, everyone nows that Bill Cooper was killed on November 6th.
This deserves some commentary from someone who knew him well. And I knew him
as well, or better, than most. First I must address some issues publicly
stated in error by others, and then I want to talk about the Bill I knew.
--------------------------------
Regarding: The Sierra Times
11-6-2001
"According to the Sheriff's report, several deputies were positioned outside
the Cooper residence to serve a warrant for Aggravated Assault and two
counts of endangerment."
---------------------------
This relates to the incident in which Cooper allegedly pulled a gun and
threatened one Dr. Scott Hamblin or Hamlin (not sure of spelling). The issue
was over the doctor's presence on some property near Cooper's home, which
Cooper did not own. Bill only owned two lots on that small mountain in
Eagar, not the whole mountain itself.
The dispute may have been a disagreement about trespassing. The incident
occurred some time before the attempt to serve the local arrest warrants.
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"No where in the report did it mention that Cooper only had one leg - the
other lost in combat long ago."
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Cooper did not lose his leg in combat. Bill lost his leg in a motorcycle
accident, which he alleged was an act of attempted murder.
He has talked about this incident many times... about having his motorcycle
forced off the road, about being left there for dead, about seeing someone
standing over him to make sure he was dead, about his struggle for recovery,
about his near-death experience in the hospital...... Those who have known
Bill over the years have heard in great detail what happened. But the loss
of his leg was not the result of a combat injury.
Bill has worn a prosthetic leg since the accident, but has never functioned
as if disabled. He took walks, easily managed the stairs in his small
tri-storied cabin-style home with stairs to two different living areas above
the ground floor. I watched Bill and two other helpers unload hundreds of
boxes containing the 5,000 copies of my book when they were delivered from
the publisher. The boxes were heavy and bulky, but Bill had no difficulty
with the hard labor. He may have had a prosthesis, but he was not physically
limited by it.
The only time I ever saw him limp slightly was after a series of long hard
days at a conference, during which no one had had much sleep.
Fatigue did take a toll at times. But otherwise, he was never really
handicapped by the prosthetic leg. Those who did not know Bill very well
would never suspect that he had been injured.
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"Most who knew of Cooper all state that he was a hard man to get along with
- if at all. His demeanor and attitude was 'unfriendly' at best."
---------------------------
All quite true. He was a man of many moods. A teddy bear one moment, a
monster the next. To those whom he felt wasted his time or attempted
deception, he was extremely "unfriendly." If he ever considered you an
enemy, it was for life. But for all his personality flaws and moodiness, one
can never fault the quality of his research.
You can dislike the man -- but his work stands up under intense scrutiny. He
was definitely a difficult man. But his research carries an integrity which
cannot be broken.
---------------------------
"Although state-sponsored media called Cooper a 'national militia leader',
no one has yet to come forward who was under his command, nor has anyone to
this point come forward to claim his 'militia rank'.
---------------------------
The state-sponsored media have never really understood what Bill was all
about... nor have many other people, media or otherwise.
There were two completely different organizations about which he wrote,
taught, and spoke. One was the Second Continental Army of the Republic,
which was/is a militia arm... very secretive, very underground, very well
connected, very well insulated, very well trained, very professional.
About this organization you will never uncover anything. They know who they
are, and they're not playing games. This organization has maintained its
anonymity for almost ten years, and that is as it should be. To be truly
effective in this role, you must be almost invisible. The SCAR has achieved
this and I am sure they will maintain it. No one who is a part of that
particular militia will EVER publicly admit a militia rank. It's just
nobody's business, and such public disclosures would do nothing but negate
the effectiveness of the group.
The other organization associated with Bill is the Intelligence Service
(originally known as CAJI, Citizens Agency for Joint Intelligence), which
was the intel-gathering arm of the SCAR. This was purely info-centered...
not a militia organization. There was no war-game training, no survival
exercises in the woods. The training was specifically geared to gathering
information, acquiring it, understanding it, finding its perspective in
relation to other information known, determining the accuracy or bias of the
information, determining the dependability of sources, putting it all
together and documenting trends and activities. The training for those who
worked at it was intensive and comprehensive.
Anyone could apply for membership in the Intelligence Service, but not all
who applied were accepted. When applying, you had to present credentials of
either experience or education, and a thorough background check was
performed on all applicants before they were accepted into service. You were
assigned a beginning rank based on your background, accomplishments and
capabilities, and, depending on the quality of your performance, you might
achieve promotion. I joined this organization in late 1994. Before resigning
my commission from the Intelligence Service in April of 1997, I earned the
rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and coordinated the work of members in four
states.
Issues concerning the existence or purpose of the Intelligence Service were
never secret -- although some of the information gathered was. Bill talked
openly about the Intelligence Service, and asked publicly for participants
who could be disciplined thinkers, willing to learn, willing to work,
willing to serve. It offered a way for anyone who was accepted to
particpate, regardless of their age or physical condition. It was a job we
all took very seriously, and those who worked received superb leadership
training as well.
HOWEVER -- let me be specific about this:
At NO TIME during my three years of service did I ever have contact with, or
receive orders from, or give information directly to, anyone known to be
involved in the militia arm of the SCAR. I reported directly to Bill, and
never to anyone else. I never met anyone who claimed to be a member of the
militia arm of the SCAR. And if anyone had claimed this, I would not have
believed them. In fact, I would have had every reason to suspect an
endangerment or an entrapment had someone made such a claim to me. The
members of SCAR will *never* reveal their association. That's just the way
it is. And that is the best way for it to remain.
The militia arm of SCAR and the Intelligence Service were two completely
different things. They did not and do not intermingle.
Bill always encouraged people to form militias in their own state of
residence, and to operate in accordance with the laws of that state.
But I *never* saw or heard Bill recruit anyone into the militia arm of SCAR
... EVER. That is a private organization and those who are in it handle
their own business in their own way under their own leadership structure.
It is silly to look for them or expect to be contacted by them for some
publicity purpose. It just won't happen.
So, now Bill is dead. There will undoubtedly be some shuffling and changing
within the leadership structure of the Intelligence Service.
Many things will change, especially without the radio show. But in a way,
this will all lead to what Bill wanted to happen, and knew needed to happen
within the patriot community which surrounded him -- as opposed to other
factions of the patriot community who hang more on the fringes. There will
be no more spoon-feeding of information.
If you want it, you will have to dig into it yourself and work to establish
the integrity of the research. There will be no more high- visibility -- (as
much as there ever was on shortwave or satellite radio). And there will be
no more leeching onto the man instead of standing on your own two feet.
During the last conversation that I had with Bill last year, we talked
extensively about the need for the development of the underground
resistance... and how difficult that was to do as long as people were
seeking to "be somebody," to make a name for themselves, or to recruit
followers by flamboyant or sensationalist means.
A high-profile, high-visibility person is a complete endangerment to others
in a resistance group. The need to learn how to establish and maintain a
low-profile and self-sufficient lifestyle is great. The need to accept the
desirability and necessity of quiet and invisible service is great. The need
to let others take credit in order to maintain invisibility, to develop
skills useful in creating these support communities without drawing any
attention to them... these are huge needs in the patriot community today. We
talked about how difficult it is to establish quiet, local, small resistance
groups when people have fallen into dependence on the least secure form of
communication in existence today: the internet -- the form of communication
which creates a false sense of community. Patriots have huge online
communities, but do not know the name of their next door neighbors.
We talked about the need for lifestyle changes to break the isolation. If
one's friends are all on the internet, who is really standing by your
side?...... physically, in real life, in time of trouble? If there is no one
there, there is no support group. If there is a support group, on what basis
have you established your mutual trust? There were many questions we
discussed, many strategies proposed, many possibilities for the future.
But now Bill is gone. Without the Big Man at the top -- and he was a big man
-- perhaps others will seriously take some thought and action about
revamping their concepts of what this whole thing was all about.
Bill had two organizations deliberately. The Intelligence Service members
received just about all of the training they would ever need to effectively
serve in an underground resistance. The underground resistance serves as
support for the militia on the field, providing information, food, clothing,
safe houses, medical supplies and care, guidance through their geographic
areas, and as couriers of messages - - they are the eyes and ears on the
ground...... many, many needed things...... and anyone of any age or
physical condition can do this.
But they must never call attention to themselves, and their loyalty and
trustworthiness must be beyond reproach.
They must seem to be so like everyone else as to be invisible. The kinds of
relationships needed among people in such a small group must be solid, and
the types of skills developed must be varied and at times specialized.
Bill used to say, "Don't organize with anyone you haven't known your whole
life." That was a slight exaggeration, but the point was clear.
You don't build a dependable resistance organization -- or a militia, for
that matter -- out of patriots that you recruit at a Saturday meeting, none
of whom you've ever met before. It must be a much quieter, much more
private, invisible operation.
Yet for all of his admonitions and teachings, Bill was such a strong
personality that many failed to rise to their full potential or to do their
own research. They just figured Bill would do it. Or Bill would tell them.
Or Bill would lead them. And this was a source of a lot of Bill's
frustration and, at times, anger.
And yet Bill always said that the responsibility for EVERYTHING filtered
down to the individual. Some people were intimidated by Bill. Others were
pissed off by him. Others worshipped at his shrine.
None of those things were what Bill wanted. He wanted leaders to rise up in
their own areas of concern to take on the work that needed to be done right
where they lived.
He wanted small, organized, invisible pockets of support to form in every
community, waiting and preparing for the time when their service would be
vital to the existence of our nation.
Has that happened in your family? In your neighborhood? What's the hold up?
Bill and I discussed how very difficult it is to form an effective
underground resistance after it is needed. People and skills and supplies
and methodologies must be in place long before the need arises. And this
calls for great patience, and great discretion by those who are doing it.
We just don't talk about any significant details on the internet -- EVER.
And they are not discussed on the telephone. These are issues that must be
discussed face-to-face in a secure area among only those with a need to know.
The joke Bill and I always shared about our private conversations was that
we'd meet in the middle of a cow pasture to talk. We never actually chatted
amidst the cows, but we did have quite a few one-on- one conversations in
the expanse of a desert clearing, or by the side of a highway in the middle
of nowhere, or by the side of a lake. We just never got to the cows.
Those days are over. They will never come again. It is useful at a time like
this to spend some time reflecting on what was taught, what was learned,
what was gained, what can be used to advantage, what can help, what can be
taken forward into new developments and growth.
Many people have "Bill memories." He was truly a double-sided man, with more
than an average amount of everything. When he was patient and kind, no one
was more generous than he with his time, knowledge and compassion. When he
was annoyed, no one was more irritating, obnoxious, loud-mouthed or grating.
When he was paternal, no one was more loving. When he was angry, no one was
more dangerous.
That was Bill. Multi-faceted doesn't quite express it. Whatever he was at
any given moment, he was that characteristic to the fullest.
There was never anything half-assed about Bill. And that may be why even the
people who hated him were drawn to him. Even his enemies respected him.
He left his legacy of many things. Some people will cling to their memories,
some will cling to tapes of the radio shows. Some will cling to the image
they hold of the courageous patriot. But few will practice what he taught.
Bill knew it would be that way. But he never gave up trying to change that
situation.
If Bill had his way, he'd want the mental training he offered to become the
lifestyle. His most basic and most-often stated admonition was: "Prove it to
yourself. Prove it in your own research. And if you cannot duplicate the
research, don't repeat it." That was a baseline requirement for all of his
training. He wanted people to learn how to think, how to really research,
how to get past the mere investigative- journalist mindset, how to
understand what true intel is and how to use it, how to separate truth from
error, how to prioritize issues, how to see the big picture, how to
understand its little pieces and their interconnectivity, and how to
determine the best course of action to take in light of the information
received.....
These were principles that could be applied to any field of endeavor, to any
project, to any process. But it is a tall order.
Bill also stressed the necessity of having one's spiritual life in order. To
him, it didn't matter what particular belief system a person espoused. Few
agreed with all of Bill's religious views. But whether others agreed with
him or not was a non-issue. What was important was that people recognize
that regardless of their religious choice, when distress and pressure
overtook them, they would need to have some source of inner strength,
courage, persistence and moral rightness to inspire their believing and
action. Bill knew from experience that those matters had to be settled
within the human heart before the moment of turmoil came. He dealt with
those issues within the context of his own choices. But he never waivered in
his admonition to have one's life settled with the Almighty at every moment,
as any moment could be one's last.
He also strongly believed that if a militia was ever to have the support of
a grassroots underground resistance movement, that militia must at all times
possess and hold the moral high ground. It is not just good enough to be
armed, trained, determined and aggressive. The soldiers on the field must
have the support -- offered in many different ways -- of noncombattant
normal folks. And that requires standing for and representing a cause and a
purpose that is morally right and morally defensible. And that moral
uprightness must be manifested at all times and in all situations, or the
grasp on the high ground is loosened and eventually lost. This is why he
would so often lose his temper with high-profile militia groups that did
stupid things, or that did questionable things that were blown out of
proportion by the media... both of which hurt that cause of liberty a great
deal. Perception is everything in this kind of situation. He was unmerciful
when it came to militia leaders who threatened the cause for everyone by
their ill-considered words or deeds.
And yet at the same time, Bill had his share of ill-considered words and
deeds. We all know that. But Bill's failure to live perfectly does not
negate the truth of, or the need for, that high moral standard. There are no
perfect people. We all just do the best we can. But Bill did more than most,
and what he taught about the necessity of mental discipline, spiritual
stability and moral righteousness is still true.
Bill was a man of wavering moods, intensities of emotion, cold clear
decision-making, with many moments of brilliant insight. He was a historian
of incredible depth and scope. He was an analyst of intense logic, and also
an intuitive thinker. He was a leader of great strength and motivation. He
was fun and full of laughter, and he was also fierce and vitriolic. He could
drift off for an hour of reminiscences about the girl he danced with when he
was 16, and his fine friends in high school. Or he could launch into tirades
of fury against which nothing could stand.
He was a friend and close mentor. And he was a major pain in the butt. He
was a loving father and husband, and he was an irritating, dogmatic,
demanding horses' ass who drove everybody crazy. He had unshakeable
character and integrity. And he had moments of behaving like a spoiled
brat..........
He was both the best and the worst of all that we know to be part and parcel
of being human.
He was, quite simply, a man. And that is how I will remember him. The
mixture of memories I have of Bill make him impossible to pin down as just
one thing. For three years we talked on the telephone almost every day. We
worked together, bickered and argued, laughed and told jokes, talked at
great depth about issues, people, trends, and expectations; and we also
talked about trivia and matters of no consequence at all.
Bill was never just one thing. He was a man always in the process of
becoming, and he was a man on a mission. Some people will think of Bill as a
great hero, and in many ways he was. But whatever Bill was, in all of his
good attributes and bad habits, he had in all things the courage of his
convictions.
I would not classify Bill as one of the world's great role models.
Goodness knows there were things about Bill that were just downright awful.
But you have to give him credit for the good things of his life -- the
integrity of his work, the thoroughness of the training he provided to
others, the courage of his stand, the clarity of his vision, his
organizational skills, his persistence over such a long time... these are
all admirable traits. And Bill possessed them in as great a measure as any
man I have ever known. For all of his human frailty, for all of his human
flaws, there is still an example of tenacity and solid adherence to the
principles of liberty that set Bill apart from all comers.
These things I will remember.
And as we move into tomorrow, and the next day and the day after that, much
work remains. Some will lose heart and fall by the wayside. Some will lose
interest without the charismatic personality of Bill at the helm. But some
will carry on, quietly and invisibly, organizing, analyzing, assessing,
learning, preparing, praying, believing.....
When the time comes, we'll be here. And we'll be both reliable and ready.
What greater thing could Bill leave behind than that?... for the country,
for us, for the future. It was the structure he was building and the purpose
that he taught. Think about the action that you might take in your own life
to secure liberty in that little corner where you live. Pray and believe. Be
still and be prepared. Be wise and circumspect. Be pragmatic and clear-headed.
Recognize that the road has turned and tactics must change. .........and in
this discussion, by this particular medium of communication, nothing more
should be said.
God bless!
Different Issue Below:
==============================================
On November 6, 2001, Bill Cooper, author, radio host, militia leader
and all-around hellraiser, was shot by Apache County Sheriffs,
critically wounding a deputy in the process. Bill Cooper had long
been a controversial anti-hero in the underground community: his
legend will only continue to grow. Much has been said (and follows)
about the ethics and/or wisdom of his actions on 11-6. Right or
wrong, one thing is clear, and hopefully others can learn from this:
being right doesn't make you any less dead.
Anyways, Bill, we salute you, wherever you are, as the folk legend
you are.
http://www.konformist.com/2002/cooper/cooper-website.htm
Bill Cooper Meant Business
www.williamcooper.com
Sampler Plate
Cooper Family Targeted By Feds
Public Notice and update page
Judicial notice is hereby served by affiants upon the United States
any other interested party named within. This public notice will be
construed to comply with provisions necessary to establish presumed
fact under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and attending State
rules should interested parties fail to rebut any given allegation or
matter of law addressed herein. The position will be construed as
adequate to meet requirements of judicial notice, thus preserving
fundamental law. Matters addressed herein, if not rebutted, will be
construed to have general application. This public notice includes
all information which will be found by following the links on this
page and by following the links found on any page that is linked from
this page. A true and correct copy of this Public Notice is on file
with and available for inspection at the office of VERITAS national
newspaper and at the office of Harvest Trust. This public notice
addresses federal jurisdiction, federal authority, jurisdiction and
authority of federal agents, the Constitutionality and lawful
character of the income tax and the Internal Revenue Service, and
other agencies of the United States government including but not
limited to the Department of the Treasury, and legal application of
the Internal Revenue Code.
Any statements or claims made by the Affiants in this public notice,
properly rebutted by facts of Law, or by overriding Constitution for
the United States of America, Article Three, Supreme Court rulings,
shall not prejudice the Lawful validity of other claims not properly
rebutted or invalidated by facts of Law.
This public notice has been published on this WebPages for more than
three days which fulfills the legal requirement under the law in
accordance to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and attending rules of
the State of Arizona. This public notice is mirrored on three
websites in addition to this website.
New Public Notice #3 posted July 6, 1998
On July 2, 1998 Special Agent Steve Fillerup of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation approached the bottom of the hill and honked his horn.
He attempted to entice us to accept a document that he held in his
hand. We refused the document and refused to enter into discussion
with him. I told him he was out of his jurisdiction and cited the
documentation and Supreme Court cases to that effect which we have in
our possession. I told him to inform his traitor supervisors
that, "Tell them they stepped on their dicks this time." Special
Agent Fillerup replied, "I think we probably did." He got back in his
blazer and drove away. On July 1, 1998, U. S. District Court Judge
Irwin (ADL) unconstitutionally and unlawfully stepped outside the
jurisdiction and authority of the United States when he issued a
bench warrant for the arrest of William and Annie Cooper for not
appearing in "his" court on an unconstitutional and unlawful summons
which was NEVER served. The United States has no jurisdiction or
venue within the territorial boundaries of the State of Arizona
except over land that was ceded to the United States by the by the
State Legislature.
WARNING!! Any attempt by the federal government or anyone else to
execute the unconstitutional and unlawful arrest warrants issued by
Judge Irwin will be met with armed resistance. Any person who
attempts to kidnap our children will be shot upon discovery.
We are formed as the Constitutional and Lawful unorganized Militia of
the State of Arizona and the united States of America and have made
many public statements to that affect since 1990. All of these
statements are on record on tapes of our lectures and broadcasts.
These tapes are dispersed in the hands of Americans across the
nation. By invading the Sovereign jurisdiction of the State of
Arizona to attack the Citizens of the State of Arizona the United
States has declared war upon the Citizens of the several States of
the Union
Therefore a STATE OF WAR exists between the Citizens of the Union
States and the corporate United States.
We will be Free under Constitutional Republican government guaranteed
to us by the organic Constitution for the united States of America or
we will be dead. This is the land of the free and the home of the
brave. We have drawn our line in the sand.
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