The John Birch Society Is Back!

• After reading this article and some of the comments, I'm appalled at the misinformation being spread on here about the JBS. I'm not an official member of the JBS but I did spend 2 weeks at a Robert Welch summer camp as a teenager in the late 90's and I got a glimpse inside their world. They're organization is comprised of conservative, freedom loving people who try their best at promoting the true role of government.

• Well, Benning, you consider John Birch " a great man". However, Gen. Albert Wedemeyer made this comment in the 12/4/61 issue of Newsweek: "I knew John Birch, as a captain in China, when I was out there during the war. Birch was one of a number of men who participated in operations in China, parachuted behind enemy lines. He provoked the attack on himself; he was arrogant. I warned Welch not to make a hero of Birch. That's why I quit as an adviser. I think Welch is a dedicated, fine American but he lacks good judgment." So, again, YOUR personal opinion about both Birch and the JBS is NOT the basis for deciding what is or is not "Constitutional" nor should it become the basis for deciding who loves our country or should leave it. Once again: read my JBS report to discover WHY J. Edgar Hoover and senior FBI officials described Robert Welch and/or the JBS as "extremist", "irrational", "irresponsible", "lunatic fringe" and "fanatics". http://ernie1241.googlepages.com/jbs-1

• Wow Ernie,did I say that...don't think so... I think you need to reread what I stated. Stick with the Constitution and you will be ok, but with your unrealistic interpretation of what I stated, I don't think that is possible.

• Wow Ernie, did I say that...don't think so. You need to reread what I stated. I don't see where I said anything about an organization spreading falsehoods or defaming Americans. Hmmm...I think you take yourself a little to serious. Stick with the Constitution and you will be ok.

• If I understand Benning's comments correctly, he is saying that it makes utterly no difference to him if an organization disseminates falsehoods or if it maliciously defames Americans -- and if you oppose falsehoods or defamation -- then leave America! That is how Benning defines "patriotism".

• The JBS was created in honor of John Birch. He was a great man. He gave his life for this country. I met his parents and they were truly, simply loving Americans. My parents were members, they loved this country and only wanted what our founding fathers wanted. Everybody can get their pants in a bunch and call each other names. What it boils down to is, Love America or leave it. Support her or get out. We are the last GREAT STAND. I have seen it all and I'm not going to have a fit just because some liberal wants to spout. In time the truth will come to pass and nothing more will be said.

• The correct link to my Smoot report is as follows: http://ernie1241.googlepages.com/smoot Apparently, the period after "smoot" in my original message made the link inoperative

• Further reply to Robert: Here is what State Senator Hugh Burns actually said about the first (1963) Report of his Subcommittee on the JBS: When asked in 1965 about the JBS, Burns described it as� "...an extremist group, and, like extremist groups from time immemorial, plagues our country. Extremists from the Know-Nothings on have served no useful purpose." �As I have stated before, the report is highly critical of Robert Welch, making mention of his historical ignorance, his belonging to an organization started by Fabian Socialists, his organizing the Society along Communist lines, and his extreme statements against distinguished Americans. Since the report was first prepared, other information has been brought to our attention, which material --- until further investigated and reported --- makes highly undesirable and improper any use of the subcommittee�s name for seeming exoneration of the John Birch Society.� The 1963 Report makes an important characterization of the JBS on page 53. It describes the JBS as being "sustained on a high degree of emotionalism" and the Report predicted that as the Society increased in numbers... "there is an increasing probability that among the new members will be a fringe of unstable, chauvinist people who are prone to accept as accurate the most irresponsible charges of Communist activity. This is the sort of person who is quick to accuse an innocent liberal of being a Communist, and of forever damning anyone who was trapped into joining a Communist front group. Some of these members have been making accusations that are impossible to sustain, and as a result have found themselves facing legal actions for libel or slander." In the 1965 update, the Subcommittee confirmed what it predicted about the JBS in its 1963 Report: "It has, as we predicted, been beset by an influx of emotionally unstable people, some of whom have been prosecuted in the courts for their hoodlum tactics in disrupting meetings and heckling speakers with whom they disagree...We are more critical of the Society now than we were [in the 1963 Report] for the reason that it has, in our opinion, merited such criticism by reason of its activities as exemplified by the irresponsible articles by a member of its National Council, the re-publication of The Politician, the inexcusable actions of its minority of irresponsible members, and dangerous increase of anti-Semitism among a minority of the membership." Then the Report discussed two articles about John F. Kennedy's assassination which were written by JBS National Council member Revilo P. Oliver and published in the Society's magazine, American Opinion. The 1965 Report observes (pg 172): "The two-part article in the American Opinion was in such bad taste, and so crammed with undocumented statements, inferences, conclusions, and accusations of disloyalty on the part of the dead President, that it filled its readers with revulsion." On page 174, the Subcommittee concluded: "According to reliable sources, we would estimate that the Society has grown so rapidly that it has attracted a lunatic fringe that is now assuming serious proportions. We find very little anti-Negro sentiment among the members, but we do find a growing incidence of anti-Semitism, although the Society as a whole is far from anti-Semitic." J. Edgar Hoover and senior FBI officials in the Bureau's Domestic Intelligence Division routinely described Robert Welch and the JBS in internal memos with such terms as: "extremist", "irrational", "irresponsible", "fanatics" and "lunatic fringe". For a representative sample of comments by prominent conservatives on Welch and the JBS, see: http://ernie1241.googlepages.com/jbs-4

• Robert: There are so many errors in your messages that you obviously are not a credible source of factual information. My comments appear underneath yours -- mine are asterisked *** Ernie is so full of crud it is not funny. The JBS has been investigated by the California Senate and given a clean bill of health. ***The California Senate Fact-finding Subcommittee on Un-American Activities produced 2 reports on the JBS. Neither one "cleared" the JBS. In fact, the Chairman of the Subcommittee (State Senator Hugh Burns) specifically identified the Birch Society as "an extremist" organization. The second report in 1965 was VERY critical of the falsehoods which the Birch Society disseminated as well as its defamation of prominent Americans. In addition, Dan Smoot was a member as well as a formed FBI agent and good friend of Hoover. *** A TOTAL LIE BY YOU ON BOTH COUNTS: Smoot was never "a member" of the JBS. Nor was he "a friend of J. Edgar Hoover". I am the only person who requested and received Smoot's FBI personnel file as well as the FBI file on his newsletter. You may read the ACTUAL FACTS about Smoot (as distinguished from your hallucinations) here: http://ernie1241.googlepages.com/smoot. Just prior to his resignation, Smoot was the subject of disciplinary action by the FBI. He was censured and placed on probation and notified of his transfer to a small field office. Ernie is a confusion agent and nothing more. ***Instead of ad hominem attacks, why don't you explain what SPECIFICALLY is factually inaccurate in my reports on the JBS and Dan Smoot??? Which FBI documents did I misquote? or misrepresent? BE SPECIFIC -- or APOLOGIZE! Just to correct a few errors. Robert Welch was never associated with Welch Juice Co. He was an owner of Welch Bros. Candy Manfg. Welch invented items like the "Sugar Daddy." ***WRONG AGAIN ROBERT. The owner of the candy company was Robert's brother James Welch and it was the "James O. Welch Company" -- not "Welch Bros. Candy Manfg". This is common knowledge and could not possibly be an honest error on your part. You obviously have no FACTUAL knowledge which is why you prefer ad hominem attacks. Welch was never a racist. In fact he spend hundreds of thousands of his money on scholarship for Black citizens and pointed out that it is the communists that foment race issues as strategy to destroy our society and move to communism. That is exactly what the Civil Right Act in the 60's was all about - putting power into the Federal government. *** ASK ANY sample of African-Americans if THEY believe your characterization of either the Civil Rights Act or our civil rights movement. Welch was not explicitly racist but the JBS welcomed segregationists and racists into its ranks. In fact, many officials of the White Citizens Councils were prominent JBS members -- including Medford Evans. Furthermore, even Rev. Delmar Dennis (a Bircher who was an informant for the FBI inside the White Knights of the KKK of Mississippi) acknowledged that that many local JBS members resigned from the JBS in protest when they discovered that Rev. Dennis was an FBI informant. His church (also segregationist) asked him to leave. More details from: ernie1241@aol.com

• Just to correct a few errors. Robert Welch was never associated with Welch Juice Co. He was an owner of Welch Bros. Candy Manfg. Welch invented items like the "Sugar Daddy." Welch was never a racist. In fact he spend hundreds of thousands of his money on scholarship for Black citizens and pointed out that it is the communists that foment race issues as strategy to destroy our society and move to communism. That is exactly what the Civil Right Act in the 60's was all about - putting power into the Federal government.

• I was a Bircher in 1964 and 1965. I did not resign because of reasons you give. Robert Welch (founder of Welch's Grape Juice) predicted that communism would crumble and fall if the U.S. quit supporting it financially. That proved to be true...after I resigned. The reason I resigned was because Welch also said that IF we could not get the U.S. out of the U.N., it would become the ruling world power. When I saw in the Bible that the U.N. WILL become the world power, I knew we would never get the U.S. out. Bible prophecies always come true. The information about the U.N. is in chapter 17 of Revelation. in verse 11, it speaks of a beast (all world governments name themselves after wild, predatory beasts) that descends into the abyss...League of Nations...and then comes out...United Nations. In verse 11. it says this same beast will will become the eighth king then will go off into destruction. But, before it does, the U.N. will destroy false religion around the globe. Couldn't happen here? Treaty law supercedes constitutional law. President has power of veto but his veto will not stand unless every nation involved in the original 1945 treaty agrees. I did resent Welch's bigotry, believing we are all the same, no matter what color in the eyes of God. That is what the Bible says and it makes sense. I always search for the deep truths in everything, knowing no man-made organization can be completely true but Welch was right about some things...ie..."Less Government, more individual responsibility and a better world.

• The JBS has been defending the Constitution for more than 50 Years. Ernie is so full of crud it is not funny. The JBS has been investigated by the California Senate and given a clean bill of health. In addition, Dan Smoot was a member as well as a formed FBI agent and good friend of Hoover. Ernie is a confusion agent and nothing more.

• b: I am not "attacking" the organization. I am sharing data from FBI files which most people know nothing about concerning FBI evaluations about the JBS and the assertions the JBS disseminated. Your description of the JBS (i.e. "helping others understand the Constitution") is an absurdity. The JBS has spent 50 years injecting its malicious poison into our public policy debates---which is why numerous major figures in the conservative and anti-communist movements in our country denounced the JBS. Furthermore, you conveniently overlook the number of times in which the JBS or its surrogates were sued for libel and lost -- including the most famous instance which resulted in an historic precedent-setting change to American libel law. After 14 years of litigation including 2 jury trials, several appeals, and review by the U.S. Supreme Court -- the JBS paid $100,000 in compensatory damages and $300,000 in punitive damages to Elmer Gertz. As you may know, punitive damages are not permitted unless malice can be shown -- i.e. a "reckless disregard of truth" -- and, in fact, the Birch Society's own lawyer admitted during questioning before the U.S. Supreme Court that "falsehoods" were contained in the article published in the JBS magazine about Chicago lawyer Elmer Gertz. So, PRETEND, if you want, that the JBS is "helping others understand the Constitution" -- but a more accurate description would be that the JBS has attacked and defamed every major political figure in U.S. history during the past 80 years. AND, as FBI files/documents pertaining to the JBS and its assertions reveal --- the JBS routinely circulated FALSEHOODS about numerous people, organizations, and issues. See my JBS report for specific factual details.

• at it again ernie? Full time job attacking an organization dedicated to helping others understand the Constitution... must make you feel important.

• 82-page report about the JBS and its assertions, based primarily upon first-time-released FBI files and documents here: http://ernie1241.googlepages.com/jbs-1

TotalComments: 15